Savings effort of 400 million euros requested from chambers of commerce

Paris – The Minister of the Economy Bruno Le Maire announced Tuesday a reduction of 400 million euros of the credits allocated to Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CCI) within the framework of a "restructuring" intended to refocus the network on its "priority missions".
  

" The effort we are asking you is indeed important with a horizon in 2022 of 400 million euros of savings ," said the Mayor in front of the presidents of CCI meeting during the meeting. 'an extraordinary general meeting, recognizing that this would have' an impact on the staff '.

But a " transformation in depth " is " indispensable " to leave to the CCI " the possibility of having a bright future ", added the Minister.

In this speech, held in camera but the AFP obtained a copy, the Minister of Economy badured not to want " to make a cross " on the CCI, but to make sure that they " reinvent ", at the service of " companies ".

" It is essential that we agree on the priority missions, which justify the use of an affected tax ", detailed the minister, considering it necessary to refocus the action on " three missions ".

It is about " the support to the companies ", in particular " the help to the creation of companies ", " the initial formation in the territories ", through the financing of business schools, and" the representation of companies, especially to promote the voice of companies at the local level "he detailed.

According to the minister, " the other missions " will have however on the other hand " more vocation to be financed by a levy on the companies ", continued the minister, promising in exchange of these 400 million euros of decrease of credits an equivalent decrease of the compulsory levies on the companies, targeted on two " taxes of production ": the CVAE and CFE.

This announcement comes a few months after the presentation of a report by the General Inspectorate of Finance (IGF), which called for a refocusing of the mission of Chambers of Trades and Commerce, with a potential for savings of 400 million euros.

In this document, dated March and that AFP consulted, the IGF advocated a " refocus " missions of general interest, funded by the tax on room charges (TFC ), on business support and representation.

She also called the chambers to take measures of " rationalization ", likely to generate reductions in the workforce of the order of 2,500 full-time equivalents, out of a total of 31,000 employees overall .

The TFC, based on the turnover of companies, returned 750 million euros last year. The government's goal, as part of its transformation plan, is to reduce it by $ 100 million a year for four consecutive years.

" There is no plan all tied up in advance ", insisted, however, Bruno Le Maire. " If at any given moment we can accelerate, we will accelerate, and then, if at some point, we have to slow down, because there may be some breakage, because it does not pbad, we will slow down "he warned.