Union of Hellenic Chambers (Greece)– Project Partner

Union of Hellenic Chambers (UHCC) Greece – Project Partner

UHCC actions pivot around the assumption of it being the State's enacted advisor on economy and growth in general; it also represents Hellenic Chambers at home and abroad, and provides services to them. To this end, it develops actions making it an effective tool in the country's economic and social development. Based on the above, the UHC has set the following objectives, by order of priority:

1. To perform its consulting role vis-a-vis the authorities in the most effective way;
2. To provide integrated information services to its member-Chambers;
3. To efficiently represent Chambers at home and abroad;
4. To assert the management of development projects from the State.

The UHCC has set the following priorities:

• Essential contribution of the Chambers in economic policy-making and implementation, via the submission of opinions on every economic- related matter or draft law, by the UHCC.
• Active participation in all functioning Committees that the State and various state bodies are setting up from time to time, concerning the economic activity. Such participation shall pertain to the formulation of joint positions and informed proposals, for a more effective intervention in decisions and choices concerning their members.
• An active presence of the UHCC abroad, and especially within the European Union, South-Eastern Europe and Eastern Mediterranean. Fostering relations with national Chamber unions in those areas, and in particular, close cooperation and activity within the Eurochambers and the Association of Balkan Chambers.
• The development of a permanent and fixed communication and cooperation network abroad via the Representation Office in Brussels.

To this end, the provision of improved services to members and Hellenic businesses is facilitated. Moreover, easier access to several financial means is provided to Hellenic businesses and the overall business environment is improved.

• Better adaptation to rules and the new standards in the single European market, by improving the competitiveness of businesses, and by freeing them of rigid and burdening regulations.
• Maximisation and full utilisation of the potential that small and medium-sized enterprises have for employment, growth and competitiveness.
• Vesting the UHCC with a coordinating role in promoting entrepreneurship and preparing young, small and medium-sized entrepreneurs, accordingly.
• Expanding the role and activities of Chambers in vocational training.
• Assigning the UHCC with a more active role in the absorption of EU funds, attracting foreign investments, increasing exports and disseminating information.
• The enactment of direct response mechanisms for dealing with current problems of the business classes, thus accelerating the development process.

 Hellenic Business Registry (HBR) and One-Stop-Shop (OSS) under the Central Administration of the UHCC:

• The proper and successful design and implementation of the Hellenic Business Registry (HBR) and the One Stop Shop (OSS) under the Central Administration of the UHCC.
• The operation of a modern and updated central database by using techniques and practices, that ensures the integrity, completeness, accuracy of data.
• Providing public corporate data and information regardless of the company's form to all concerned.
• The provision of electronic services to businesses ensuring the electronic submission of corporate data for each legal form and any type of change.
• The completion of the update of all data included in HBR, along with a total digitalization of the registry.
• The Data Migration of various business registries along the country into the HBR. Thus, HBR constitutes the only legal Business Registry in Greece.
• UHCC supports more than 2,500 HBR and OSS points allocated across the whole country.
• The design and implementation of the interconnection for both HBR and OSS with other government systems (Hellenic Tax Information System, Official Gazette, National System for Online Public Contracts)
• Providing services and accessibility to other government agencies (General Secretariat of Commerce, General Secretariat for Consumer Affairs, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Official Gazette)
• Simplification of procedures and cutting bureaucracy between businesses and public sector.
• The statistical analysis of the data ensures the Chambers and the SPS may be the principal adviser to the state on entrepreneurship.

Chamber network and efficient organization: UHCC members are all 59 Chambers covering the entire country. The Union represents the Chambers at home and abroad and expresses their positions and a component of their views. All 59 Hellenic Chambers participate in the UHCC on an equal basis: Commerce - Industry - Craft and Professional. In particular, each prefecture has a mixed Chamber, except the country's three largest cities, which have three Chambers each. Using this network, the UHCC represents our country's entire business world: namely 900 thousand Hellenic enterprises. UHCC, and the member-Chambers, are the connecting link between businesses and public administration, and the official forum for dialogue between the state and the productive classes.

The UHCC's main concern is the attempt to expand its role, as well as that of Chambers, as authentic spokespeople of the business community, mainly through taking up new initiatives in support of the country's economic growth, by participating as implementation agencies for development projects and strategic services. Chambers and the UHCC can manage development projects better and more effectively, since they possess both the necessary means and the required experience.