Apostolos
Vesyropoulos: "Combating smuggling is a common goal for the State and for Healthy
Entrepreneurship"
A special dimension regarding its
participation in the 85th TIF was given by the Ministry of Finance, organizing
a discussion with representatives of private sector bodies, on the subject:
"Countermeasures and Actions for the reduction of smuggling". The
event took place on Saturday 11 September at the stand of the Ministry of
Finance at TIF. In the discussion organized by the Ministry of Finance, on the
initiative of the Deputy Minister of Finance, Mr. Apostolos Vesyropoulos, who
was also the keynote speaker, the Director of Corporate Affairs of the company
Papastratos, Mr. Giannis Mastrokostas and the Secretary of the Board of
Directors of the Hellenic Coffee Association (EEK), Mr. Anastasios Giagoglou,
participated as interlocutors. The discussion focused on the economic and
social impact of smuggling, as well as government interventions and plans to
tackle the phenomenon. The Deputy Minister of Finance, in his speech, pointed
out that "the fight against smuggling concerns us all" and referred
in detail to the new institutional framework established by the Ministry of
Finance for the more effective reduction of smuggling. As Mr. Vesyropoulos mentioned, the new
institutional framework introduced and implemented by the Government,
strengthened the effectiveness indicators for the fight against smuggling,
covered the security gaps that existed and has now ledto visible and measurable
results."The effort to limit and combat smuggling is a common ground for
the State and for Healthy Entrepreneurship. 2 Our goal was to create an effective and functional
framework that will control the transport and trading of products at all stages
of the supply chain and will produce measurable results to deal with smuggling,
through cross-checks, controls, but also a new framework that would not have
the loopholes of the past. I want you to know that we will not hesitate to
evaluate, update and improve, where necessary, this new institutional
framework", stressed the Deputy Minister of Finance.On the part of the participating
speakers, Mr. Yiannis Mastrokostas and Mr. Anastasios Yiangoglou, referred to
the effects of illegal trade on the tobacco and coffee sector, underlining the
contribution of the Government of Kyriakos Mitsotakis in the implementation of
the plan to combat smuggling and in taking relevant initiatives.
