The survey reveals a strong recovery of SMEs and anticipates new investments

46.2% of respondents said the level of production improved in the first half of this year compared to the second of 2020, while 40.1% thought it was the same and only 13.7% said it was less.

According to Apyme, the results imply a “Improvement decided compared to 2020”, because of the “strong restrictions” which have added to the “conditions of economic emergency that the current administration has had to face due to the recession that has prevailed since 2018”.

Likewise, the report underlined the role of public policies: “The heterogeneous but sustained recovery process is possible in large part thanks to the implementation of macroeconomic regulation measures and support to sectors most affected by restrictions, including MSMEs. “

Regarding future prospects, almost 90% believe that the level of activity will continue or improve in the second half of the year in a “situation of marked improvement in terms of pandemic”.

Likewise, an optimistic vision for 2022 is put forward, with 63.6% of respondents predicting an improvement in activity.

On the other hand, in results which, according to the business entity, are “very promising”, a significant number of SMEs were open to the possibility of making an investment: 44.9% expect they will do so in the medium term, while 26.5% have yet to decide.

Regarding the use of installed capacity, most Industrial SMEs declares to operate in levels above 50%, with a notable percentage above 75%.

However, the survey also recorded nearly a 30% of companies under-exploited of the installed capacity (that is to say with less than 50% of use), for which the entity demanded from the government “a higher level of active policies” in order, thus, “to bring them closer to a process of recovery “.

On job creation, a “slower pace” of recovery was observed despite improving business expectations and investments: 39.1% of SMEs plan to hire staff in the medium term, 38.2% will not and 22.7% did not decide.

The SMEs questioned requested, in terms of public policies, a gradual tax reform, better access to credit, development of the internal market, job creation as well as better segmentation of the MSME universe and integration of technology, in that order.

For the business entity, it is necessary to continue to support the “SMEs in the most affected sectors” and take “effective measures” to “bridge the gap between the process of productive recovery” and “the essential resumption of massive demand on the domestic market, the main support for MSMEs and a catalyst for investment and employment”.