[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Corporate Governance is, in general, a set of principles and rules that must govern certain areas of the organization, operation and management of a Société Anonyme. But how are they related to Competitiveness and Growth?
The Regulations of Corporate Governance Codes
In the Greek Corporate Governance Code, these rules refer to the Board of Directors, internal control, fees and shareholders.
The Corporate Governance Codes are not mandatory unless some of their provisions (or all of them) have the form of the law (e.g. some of the provisions of Law 3016/2002 on listed companies, of the recent Law 4548/2018 concerning the reform of the law of Sociétés Anonymes, the commonly known law 2190/1920).
Objective and Purpose of Corporate Governance: The Component of Competitiveness
The purpose of Corporate Governance under the Greek Code is “to promote good governance in the conviction that it will enhance the long-term success and competitiveness of Greek companies”.
The reference to enhancing competitiveness is not accidental: We can be sure that there would be no investor to invest in a company that operates with the well-known methodology of most (family) businesses in Greece. A methodology in which the entrepreneur identifies the fund of the company with his “pocket”. The company, with his home.
To what extent is the entrepreneur willing to retreat from unwavering practice and habits of years?
Necessity and value of Corporate Governance. From theory…
Regarding the necessity and value of Corporate Governance, a great deal has been written. In the preface to the Greek Code of Corporate Governance, Iakovos Georganas (then President of HELEX – for the older the “Patriarch of the Hellenic Capital Market”) states: “… Strengthening corporate governance is a prerequisite for creating an attractive investment climate in Greece, as in every country and the adoption of the Code by the companies, helps restore investors’ and lenders’ trust, attract domestic and foreign capital, and enhancing business competitiveness …”.
…to practice. Indicatively: Roots Programme
Helping businesses to grow but also boosting their competitiveness requires, among other things, access to low-cost investment funds. The Athens Stock Exchange is pursuing an important step in this direction, through the Roots programme, which, with a modern methodology, attempts to facilitate the access of small and medium-sized companies to investment funds. Already, on 13.5.2018, the first event took place at the Thessaloniki Stock Exchange Center, with recipients, innovative startups and promising small and medium-sized companies in Northern Greece. Companies that think they have an interesting investment proposal and are looking for investors. “The success of the companies that will join this program will be judged by their ability to raise the funds needed to implement their investment proposal, meeting the requirements of organization, transparency and good corporate governance under the conditions demanded by investors”, says the President of HELEX Mr. Socrates Lazaridis.
Once again, corporate governance!
Is (quite) clear?
Without good corporate governance, there is no access to finance!
Without funding, there is no way for growth!
Stavros Koumentakis
Senior Partner
Υ.Γ. The article has been published in MAKEDONIA Newspaper (December 16, 2018)
