The Russian-Ukrainian conflict has been added this year to the two years of problems due to the pandemic, not yet fully resolved, which has exacerbated tensions on prices and supplies of raw materials, a prelude to a perfect storm that is expected to break down in the coming months. also on consumers and result in inflation. These are the main but not the only difficulties that are opening the economic season 2022-23.

Because, as SNB President Thomas Jordan recalled in his recent speech at the annual conference of central bank governors held in the USA in Jackson Hole, as a political reaction to the Eastern European conflict, protectionist attitudes could soon arise that would interrupt the trend towards free price moderation. consequent precisely to the globalization from which the world economy has so far benefited.

This is the international scenario that was the background to the 105th Ordinary General Assembly of the Chamber of Commerce of Industry, Crafts and Services of the Canton of Ticino-CcTi, held in recent days at the EspoCentro in Bellinzona.

The new appointments

The meeting opened with the appointment of four newly elected to the Presidential Office:

  • Dario a Marca, Coop's sales manager for the Ticino region, representing the large-scale distribution sector;
  • Alessandra Juri Zanolari, co-owner of Adolfo Juri electronic industrial SA, representing the electronic industry sector;
  • Giuseppe Perale, professor, researcher and entrepreneur, president of the Ticino section of SwissMedtech, representing the Medtech sector;
  • Piero Poli, CEO of Rivopharm SA and President of Farmaticino, representing the pharmaceutical sector.

The work then continued with the interventions of the President Cc-Ti, Andrea Gehri, of the Vice-President of CC-Ti, Cristina Maderni (in the photo opposite), the greeting to the President of the Confederation and by the President of the Ticino Council of State, Hon. Claudio Zali, as well as the Councilor of State Christian Vitta.

In particular, President Gehri (in the cover photo) and Vice-President Cristina Maderni confirmed the substantial stability of the Ticino economy, in line with the favorable economic situation of the Confederation.

We note that this is a comforting result for the cantonal economic macro-area, in particular when it is recalled that at the beginning of October the Confindustria Study Center, the Italian equivalent of Cc-Ti, for 2023 did not foresee any increase in entrepreneurial profitability in the neighboring republic.

Bringing us back to Ticino, the international uncertainties linked to the availability and costs of raw materials and the difficulties in the energy sector, in particular, however, make it difficult for our operators to prepare development plans.

For this reason Cc-Ti it is active in the Ticino companies that produce and distribute energy and the cantonal authorities to avoid unequal treatment and allow an effective and shared strategic plan for the benefit of the operators present in our territory.

Furthermore, President Andrea Gehri drew the attention of the federal, canton and municipal authorities to at least temporarily suspend the collection of public taxes that are aggravating energy bills.

Gehri also asked the political world to consider tax reforms at the cantonal level, in particular to increase the competitiveness and therefore the attractiveness of our territory, especially in the area of ​​taxation of individuals.

Christian Vitta, Director of the Department of Finance and Economy, welcoming the requests of Cc-Ti, reminded the more than 400 representatives present in the room that the Canton has set up a working group that is not only examining energy issues, but is also proceeding to update the tax framework with a view to a reform of the tax law already envisaged by the government of Bellinzona. This objective in Ticino will materialize with the strengthening of an innovation park, which will also be accompanied by the creation of specific centers of competence.

Guest of honor of the evening was the President of the Confederation Ignazio Cassis.

While the head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed to the assembly that the peculiarities of the Canton-Ticino region are known to the federal rulers, he nevertheless observed that our economy continues to play an important role on international markets, despite the political-economic instability which are currently compromising the supply chains of raw materials on a global scale.