"Taste like Greece" is the new slogan, which will present the Greek original products on the world markets. The first stop of the Greek exporters united under the new slogan will be the international trade fair for food products and services Anuga, which takes place every two years and brings together producers, exporters and traders from around the world. This year, the fair will take place between October 8 and 12 with more than 6,500 exhibitors and over 150,000 specialized visitors. The Greek pavilion will be on 3 000 sq. m.
"Our goal is to highlight the image and the identity of Greek products in the industry as a whole. The Greek products can be competitive and gain their rightful place in international markets," the Executive Manager of the Hellenic Foreign Trade Board Alkiviadis Kalambokis told reporters. Unlike previous years, this time the producers will be united under one logo that will promote mainly the origin of the product and its quality. The Board is determined to expand the distribution of authentic Greek goods targeting mainly to markets with high purchasing potential like the USA, Russia and Asia. The Asian markets and especially China have the capacity to take the new export boom of Greek goods as happened to the markets of the Balkan countries during the 1990s, said the deputy manager of the Board and president of the Export Credit Insurance Organization, Christina Sakellaridis.
"Despite the crisis and the poor image of Greece because of the macroeconomic problems of the country, our products remain loved and demanded by foreign markets. We must therefore take this opportunity to offer the markets that continue to support us the best we are capable to," explained Alkiviadis Kalabokis for GRReporter. He stressed that the current period of internal crisis has stimulated local producers to put more emphasis on product quality and design, which is reflected in the increase in exports last year. The aim of the Hellenic Foreign Trade Board is to increase the contribution of exports to GDP by 2014 to 15% from the modest 8% of GDP in 2010. "Do not think that this number seems satisfactory. We are willing to get higher, but the current macroeconomic environment is not easy," said Kalabokis.
Greek exporters and manufacturers entrepreneurship can not offset the government uninterested behavior. However, the employed in the real economy are determined to overcome the difficulties of the economic environment. The initiative of the Export Credit Insurance Organization, which is also headed by Christina Sakellaridis, proves this too. The lack of liquidity in Greek banks because of the financial woes of the country is a well-known problem. Therefore, exporters often are unable to get enough funding to realize their business projects. The Organization, in turn, has serious financial stocks, due to good management. Currently, the Export Credit Insurance Organization is in the final stage of signing contracts with several Greek banks, which will lend exporters special loans to fulfill their business plans. Funding will take the form of bank loans and the money will come from the Organization at a minimal interest rate.
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