One out of ten companies in the tertiary market perceives a worsening of safety levels in 2022. The figure is more pronounced in the South (16%), for hotels (18.1%), bars (16%) and in commerce food retail (14.6%).
In Palermo the value is equal to 13.4%, in Rome it is 11.9% and in Milan it is 6.3%.
This is confirmed by the data of a research promoted by Confcommercio and presented today as part of the national Confcommercio Day "Legality, we like it!", now in its tenth edition.
Usury is the illegal phenomenon perceived in the greatest increase by entrepreneurs (25.9%), followed by unauthorized use (21.3%), extortion (20.1%) and theft (19.8%).
The trend is more marked in the South and in the non-food retail trade where higher percentages are recorded and where, in particular, the
usury is indicated on the rise by more than 30% of firms.
In Rome, this phenomenon is reported to be growing by 28.5% of entrepreneurs.
Furthermore, more than one entrepreneur out of five, again according to the survey by the Confcommercio Research Office, has had news of usury or extortion episodes in their area of activity and, in particular, 10.3% have direct knowledge of them.
The "hearsay" is decidedly higher in the South (31.1%), in Palermo (31.9%), among transport companies (29%) and non-food retail trade (26.4%), for bars (26%).
16.5% of entrepreneurs strongly fear the risk of exposure to usury and racketeering.
A concern that is more pronounced in the South (18.1%), in Palermo (19.8%), in wholesale (18.4%) and non-food retail (18.3%).
Faced with usury and racketeering, 59.4% of entrepreneurs believe that they should report it, 30.1% declare that they would not know what to do, 5,
3% think they can do nothing.
These data are significantly more marked in the South. The police forces (37.8%) and trade associations and anti-usury organizations (22.9%) are the subjects closest to the threatened entrepreneurs.
In particular, the data on law enforcement agencies is higher among transport companies (39.8%), while that on trade associations and anti-usury organizations is higher in catering (27%).
Lastly, more than six out of ten companies feel penalized by illegal practices and counterfeiting, above all due to unfair competition and reduced revenues.
The figure is decidedly higher in the South (68.9%) and in the North West (68.3%), in Palermo (69%), in transport (68.5%) and in the food retail trade (67.2 %).
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82% of companies have invested in security measures, especially in video surveillance systems and anti-theft alarms.
The percentage is higher in the North East (84.4%), for hotels (93.7%) and tobacco shops (86%).
"Thirty-one thousand small commercial and public businesses are today at a high risk of usury. With a good degree of confidence, this number is between 26 thousand and 46 thousand production units".
This is the figure that emerged from an analysis by the Confcommercio Research Office with which the organization today launched the usury alarm during a meeting for the tenth edition of 'Legality, we like it!'
which was also attended by the Minister of the Interior, Matteo Piantedosi.
Confcommercio has also estimated the total annual losses of the affected sectors: 8.9 percent of turnover and added value (7.2 billion euros), for 268,000 regular jobs at risk.
"It is worrying to find ourselves here again this year to observe that, among the various categories of crime that affect our sectors, it is usury that is the illegal phenomenon perceived by entrepreneurs to increase even more. Let me be clear: there is no criminal phenomenon 'preferable' to another. Just think of the violent implications of robberies or the enormous damage in economic and reputational terms that counterfeiting and abusive practices cause. However, it is clear that usury is an insidious and particularly painful phenomenon, which more than others, it risks being surrounded by a deafening silence, by the difficulty of denouncing and by the incapacity to get out of it with one's own strength".
This was stated by Carlo Sangalli, president of Confcommercio-Imprese for the
Italy speaking at the tenth National Day of 'Legality, we like it!', which is also attended by the Minister of the Interior, Matteo Piantedosi.
"Criminal phenomena, in particular those such as usury - added Sangalli - feed on personal and social crises. The aftermath of the pandemic emergency, the energy cost crisis, inflation, the overturning of the financial markets, represent a real detonator of usury. Also for this reason, when we ask for tax and credit moratoriums, we are not asking for 'life preservers' for businesses, but tools that can be decisive in order not to get caught up elsewhere, on the 'fin' of organized crime".
"Of course - he continued - we have always said it and we repeat it today: you must, you can and it is convenient to report.
It must, because it is a civil duty.
It is possible, because it is a choice for which everyone is responsible.
But it is also convenient because the total cost of illegality for trade and public establishments is 24 billion euros on turnover.
And look - continued Sangalli - these are losses suffered by the regular sector, to which must also be added the costs for defense expenses and cybersecurity.
Overall, therefore, our entrepreneurs lost almost 34 billion last year, and almost 270,000 regular jobs were put at risk.
Counteracting these phenomena means removing the brakes on our chances of growth as a country".
illegality for trade and public establishments is 24 billion euros on turnover.
And look - continued Sangalli - these are losses suffered by the regular sector, to which must also be added the costs for defense expenses and cybersecurity.
Overall, therefore, our entrepreneurs lost almost 34 billion last year, and almost 270,000 regular jobs were put at risk.
Counteracting these phenomena means removing the brakes on our chances of growth as a country".
illegality for trade and public establishments is 24 billion euros on turnover.
And look - continued Sangalli - these are losses suffered by the regular sector, to which must also be added the costs for defense expenses and cybersecurity.
Overall, therefore, our entrepreneurs lost almost 34 billion last year, and almost 270,000 regular jobs were put at risk.
Counteracting these phenomena means removing the brakes on our chances of growth as a country".
and nearly 270,000 regular jobs have been put at risk.
Counteracting these phenomena means removing the brakes on our chances of growth as a country".
and nearly 270,000 regular jobs have been put at risk.
Counteracting these phenomena means removing the brakes on our chances of growth as a country".