Entrepreneur and owner together with his brother of a company of food products for children, founded by his grandfather, and leapt into the limelight in recent years as a pioneer in the fight against the mafia in Confindustria, Ivan Lo Bello has been the new president of Unioncamere since June , the public body that brings together the chambers of commerce throughout Italy. These days Unioncamere is preparing to live its reform in the name of simplification and digitization, also thanks to Infocamere, one of the great excellences of our country. With the enormous mass of data that the Business Register collects, Unioncamere, also through its excellent study centre, is a privileged observatory of the state of health of the economy and of the country and Lo Bello is convinced that Italy is beginning to reap the first dividends of the reform season. Here is the interview he gave to FIRSTonline.
FIRSTonline – President, there are many signs that finally Italy is breathing an air of recovery, from the rise in GDP, to employment, exports, consumption and the rediscovery of confidence: from the observatory of the Chambers of commerce and 'Unioncamere is this new climate perceived?
LO BELLO – I fully agree with the observation of objective elements of the recovery of the Italian economy which strengthened between the end of 2014 and 2015. It is not a particularly strong recovery because the country is paying the price for years and years of lack reforms, but the recovery is there, thanks to the fact that finally with the Renzi government a rich season of reforms has opened - from the Jobs Act to the reforms of the PA and of the school, to institutional reforms, just to mention the most important - of which Italy had and still has a great need. For now we are only reaping the first fruits but I am convinced that over time the dividend of the reforms will be increasingly important.
FIRSTonline – Unioncamere is a mine of data on the birth, end and trend of Italian companies: is there anyone in particular who indicates their current state of health?
LO BEAUTIFUL – I would say yes. It is early to talk about financial statements but the summer quarter saw the number of Italian companies grow by 20 units. And such a positive figure hasn't been seen for 5 years now. This is also a sign of confidence that adds to the drop, albeit slight, in the number of bankruptcies in the same period.
FIRSTonline – The Greenitaly Report that you recently presented together with Symbola proves that the green economy is growing and is now an Italian excellence: what are the most significant aspects?
LO BEAUTIFUL – Our study shows once again that sustainable development and environmental protection are not a fad but are now part of our way of life: 8 out of 10 Italians today are willing to spend more on a product or an environmentally friendly service. Italian companies have understood this and have taken the path of eco-sustainability, a path that pays off, as the Greenitaly report shows us: companies that invest in 'green' products and technologies also benefit in terms of turnover and exports.
FIRSTonline – President, you are a man of the South: even if patchy, are there any first signs of awakening in the South as well?
LO BEAUTIFUL – The climate is slightly improving! Some parts of the South (where the presence of more innovative companies is stronger and the criminal presence is lower) are in line with the rest of the country, other parts of the South are still lagging behind. But the discourse on reforms is even more important here. If Italy is hungry for reforms, our South absolutely needs them. A strong and lasting recovery, a real recovery, can only pass through a profound reform of the southern economy that guarantees certain and transparent rules, a truly competitive market, new infrastructures.
FIRSTonline – You first underlined the importance of government reforms, but in essence who deserves the main credit for the new wind of recovery blowing over Italy: the international situation, Mario Draghi or Matteo Renzi?
LO BEAUTIFUL – The recovery is the result of a winning mix. Thanks to the role and authority of Mario Draghi, the launch of Quantitative Easing has favored a more balanced exchange rate between the euro and the dollar, has given liquidity and stability to the markets and has significantly lowered rates, favoring the exit from the recession and placing the conditions for raising inflation up to 2%.
FIRSTonline – And what do you think of Renzi?
LO BEAUTIFUL – The prime minister had and has the great merit of understanding that Italy could wait no longer and that it was time to quickly make up for lost time by changing pace and reopening the building site of reforms. And he did it with determination: now he must insist on reforms and focus more and more on strengthening competitiveness, the rate of innovation, the growth of the country, reducing the weight of the public debt, which holds back development. Italy is not yet growing as much as it could but it must be recognized that the Government is putting it on the right path to overcome the delays and exploit all its great potential.
FIRSTonline – Before your presidency, the Chambers of Commerce had difficult relations with the Renzi government, which did not spare you cuts and rigor measures: what is the state of relations with Palazzo Chigi now?
LO BEAUTIFUL – It can only be a relationship of active collaboration. We are a large public administration, with a widespread presence on all territories, thanks to our Chambers of Commerce, which from Sicily to Northern Italy represent the variety and economic capacity of our beautiful country. We are facing the path started by the Government with the reform of the Public Administration, of which we await the implementing decrees. The economic and institutional scenario is evolving and we too have to face, as we are doing, the paradigm shift by supporting Italian companies and aiming for a new relationship between companies and the Public Administration. We have the means and skills to do so and I am sure we will succeed . I am thinking of a stronger relationship between Unioncamere and the public administrations of our country.
FIRSTonline – What are the main goals of yours presidency of Unioncamere?
LO BELLO – Priority to innovation and digitization. Since the mid-90s we have been managing the most important business register in Europe, fully digitized and which offers continuous and complete information on the reality of Italian companies. Now the challenge is to fully place our means and our "infrastructures" within the Digital Agenda, obtaining a myriad of services that can decisively simplify the relationship between businesses and the Public Administration and, as the premier says, " contribute to creating a more just and simpler and also more transparent Italy”. Our activities are many and important, from the public protection of the Business Register, to internationalisation, market surveillance and protection, the fight against counterfeiting, mediation and conciliation.
FIRSTonline – You were the pioneer of the struggle of the enterprises mafia: what feelings did the recent revolt of the merchants and entrepreneurs of Bagheria who rebelled against protection payment?
LO BELLO – The anti-pizzo revolt in Bagheria, a crucial crossroads in the mafia imagination, is an important and significant episode that encourages the battle for legality. In this field, significant steps forward have been made in recent years thanks to the repressive action carried out with great capacity by the Public Prosecutor's Offices and thanks to the spread of anti-racket facilities in the area. I am thinking of the role of the Antiracket Foundation led by Tano Grasso, ad
Goodbye lace and many other realities. To close the circle of the anti-mafia battle, the third step must now be taken, which is economic and social: to let the market win and change the development model. More market with certain rules means less corruption and less mafia.
FIRSTonline – A large group like Terna has recently taken on an unprecedented initiative for legality and transparency: the online publication of all the news on its 200 construction sites involving 750 companies, with an eye above all on contracts and subcontracts. What do you think?
LO BEAUTIFUL – It seems to me excellent news and an excellent initiative that I hope can be spread. The new head of Anas, Armani, comes from Terna: think of what an enormous step forward in terms of legality and transparency could be made if Anas too, for example, made known to everyone every data concerning he. But let me make another consideration: Terna's initiative and the leap in quality in the battle for legality and transparency are made easier by the digitization of data, which is our job and on which the new Unioncamere can offer a important contribution for businesses and for the country, the fruits of which will be seen more and more.
