TO
PRESIDENT ASSOCIATION TOBACCONISTS OF CRETE
Mrs Chaireti Eleni
ADDRESS BY THE PRESIDENT OF
O.E.V.E.M. COSTAS & O.P.K.E Karl.
Madam President,
We welcome the great effort to become the first Greek Festival Pavilion starting point for a sustainable way of our industry. The major problems concerning our site, need unity, solidarity, uniting and comprehensive efforts of all our to our industry has a viable path to the future. It’s true that our industry on the altar of the sacrifices we have lost about 7,000 thousand colleagues throughout the country, and of course there needs to be a protective shield to stop this bleeding wound. They must finally understand both the Treasury and the Ministries that there can be no economic planning without the involvement of the social partners in our industry. Can not the main product is the sale of manufactured tobacco from the stands – Tabacco Shops all taxes of the value of each cigarette pack to be at 83.70% and that in the end neither economic ministry plans to makes diligent, and of course there is serious loss of state revenues from the terrifying surge of smuggling of over 20% of our country’s annual turnover. In this overall effort of the state and lost jobs are lost daily of our colleagues. The history of our industry is intertwined with the financial support and the regeneration of the Greek State in which the 1986 statute of the late Trikoupi put 5 minutes tax on cigarette paper, since taxes were intensified and supported and support until now our national economy.
For this reason, dear colleagues and friends need to be re-coiling and enable all stakeholders of both our partners and the state. Our proposal can not and must not be other than that this industry will continue to have a sustainable path. Only so a single voice will be able to overcome the major problems plaguing our industry. Only then will we have high hopes in continuation.
Dear colleagues and friends of the Greek Pavilion tobacconist in Greece is lifestyle tradition who live and breathe with the local community. The Pavilion – tobacconist in Greece is the ambassador of the cities where every tourist draws visitor information wants when they want it. Not the lights of the stands are the lights of civilization without these lights we will have more crime and more violence and sometimes we have to call upon these lights for a help or a phone call. The Pavilion – tobacconist in Greece is an unpaid tax collector state that the contribution has provided substantial financial breathing. So one can understand that the National Symbol of Greek society the Greek Pavilion should have the support of the government, and not be a beggar. Throughout the journey of 100 years this corner of souvenir sought in one or another way to relief let his own contribution. Today the industry that triggered more than 100 000 families like invalids and war victims – Colleagues Tenants – Agents station operator – tobacco industry – all employees this web of thousands of families aspire to maintain and stay in the industry and not to extinction and unemployment.
Dear colleagues, friends and players in the region need together to support the great effort made this great industry. It can not and must not allow to be lost the hope to all those people and have no perspective on sustainability. Not allowed to work in an industry with so much history and tradition and of course we can not cover our elementary operating liabilities not permitted to work every day while mortgaging our assets and our dignity. We support and welcome the great efforts undertaken by the Tobacconists Crete Association to create the first Greek Festival Pavilion. We should be mentioned that the 2 m of Greek pavilion fit enough culture with a long history and much culture. We hope and competent bodies but also our partners will respect the effort and hard work of all those people in our industry. Again good luck.
To conclude this greeting with a piece of my own poetry.
I stand
Hard road and anguish
a lamp burning in the corner
Shades the night with magic
ERC expects society.
I stand
wooden body
with a human heart
a small cozy corner.
Give light to this city
and seeks friends all
information to give them
and in the night to save them.
Dressed in lights to look forward
forever I will wait
passer and if you stand
close to me will find yourself.
I stand
and do not speak
the wooden body
there hurting.
AUTHOR : Kogias Kostas