After five years of waiting characterized by endless controversies and appeals to the Constitutional Court the reform of the chambers of commerce is heading towards its natural conclusion. The August decree set a peremptory deadline: they must be completed by 14 October the mergers of the Chambers of Commerce whose number at the end of the run will drop to 60. In 2015, the year in which the law on the reorganization of the Renzi government was approved, they were 105. Each is 82.
“44 have already completed the reform, while 38 have yet to do so. From the merger of the latter, 16 new Chambers will have to emerge, which added to the 44 already newly minted will allow the fateful number of 60 to be achieved”, explains Il Sole 24 Ore.
Among the next appointments to follow there will be the one set by new Chamber of Prato and Pistoia which will elect a new president at the end of September. Next it will be the turn of the Frosinone-Latina chamber.
Ma what entrepreneurs think about these changes? According to a survey carried out by Ipsos on over 400 companies located in the 40 provinces involved in the mergers, the merger of two or more chambers of commerce is considered profit from three out of four companies.
“For entrepreneurs aware of the unification of their Chamber of Commerce, this transformation not only has not had any impact on the relationship between the Chamber and the companies but indeed, if there have been changes, they are considered more advantageous for companies in terms the quality and breadth of the services offered, the availability of economic resources made available to the territory, the ability to respond to the needs of economic operators”, Unioncamere said in a note.
The survey indicates that 92% of entrepreneurs aware of the unification of their Chamber, believe that the quality of services rendered has improved o has remained unchanged after the unification and 28% that the range of services has been expanded.
Not only according to 36% of the interviewees, the contributions disbursed would increase, while 31% testify to a growth in tenders in which companies can participate.
“Mergers between Chambers, which for 9 out of 10 entrepreneurs have not led to any operational complications that could have had effects on the daily life of the company, do not distance the Chambers from the territories and from the various local production systems. While maintaining its presence and territorial coverage, the new Chamber has instead a greater ability to interpret and satisfy the needs of companies (this is what 35% of companies believe)”, continues Unioncamere, also underlining that, for 35% of entrepreneurs the increase in "size" allows the Chambers to increase their role and weight.
