Italy'S Fast Fashion, Shoemaking, Leather Making And Leather Industry Associations Have Asked For A Return To Work.

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Fast fashion

Italy's most important fast fashion business center Centegross (Bologna) and Cna Federmoda (Italy handicraft sector and small and medium enterprises) have worked together with the national and regional governments to work out a special planning document for the fashion industry, which was submitted to the Ministry of economic development of Italy recently.

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Cna Federmoda chairman Marco Landi said that the fashion industry must gradually resume operation, otherwise it will hinder the 2021 spring and summer series and the 2020/2021 autumn and winter series shipments. He believes that, based on the internal conditions of various companies and providing all necessary safeguards for workers, once the epidemic situation has eased, the government should gradually resume work and combine health and safety with economic development.

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The specific contents of the proposal include providing a long-term payment guarantee system for the entire supply chain to avoid the obstruction of corporate liquidity and the resulting bankruptcy. At the same time, the IRES (corporate income tax) and the TASI (urban maintenance and construction tax) and the Imu (real estate tax) of factories, warehouses and stores in 2020 will be suspended at the same time.

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Centegross and Cna Federmoda also asked the government to provide practical support from the national supply chain for enterprises operating in Italy, and to subsidize the investment in digitalization of enterprises.

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Centegross chairman Piero Scandellari said fast fashion companies could be the labs and locomotives for restarting businesses. The resumption of Centergross involves a great deal: the fast fashion business center has 6000 employees and 600 enterprises, with a total turnover of 5 billion euros in 2019. Scandellari added: "we are ready to return to work and will be stronger than before."

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To curry leather

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Unic (Italy Leather Industry Association) includes 1200 enterprises and approximately 18000 employees. The association predicts: "assuming that the second half of April or the end of the month can be resumed gradually, considering the characteristics of the leather industry supply chain, the leather industry in Italy will record at least 25% of the total turnover in 2020, with an additional loss of 1.5 to 1.8 percentage points per week."

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Italy tanning enterprises have important components in the world: annual sales volume is 5 billion euros, equivalent to 65% of the total euro area, accounting for 22% of the world. Most of the revenue (75%) came from overseas markets, as well as areas such as fashion, furniture and automobiles.

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Unic chairman Gianni Russo asked the government to take steps to gradually reopen business: "we note that in recent weeks the government's measures to cope with the spread of the epidemic are changing. As leather industry is not clearly included in the list of necessary industries, our tanning manufacturers have suspended business activities since March 25th. During this critical period of production activity this season, the continued pressure will bring significant pressure on all enterprises and their regions. "

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Shoemaking

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Assocalzaturifici (Italy Footwear Manufacturers Association), which covers 4300 enterprises and 75000 employees, has an annual turnover of 14 billion 300 million euros, with a surplus of about 5 billion euros. Like Unic, Assocalzaturifici chairman Siro Badon said continued downtime would hinder the resumption of normal production levels at least a year and affect the cash flow necessary to maintain business operations.

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Assocalzaturifici's first appeal is to resume work from around April 14th, then to reduce taxes and provide additional financial support, including

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Suspension of tax payments from April to June

Tax credit is granted according to 60% of turnover in 2020.

All enterprises' duty on safety and security measures shall be duty-free.

Through the Italy national loan agency CDP set up a fund to open additional financing quota.

Extend the repayment plan of state guaranteed new loans to 10 years.

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The list also includes more flexible working hours (shifts, holidays), extended payment of work security (CIG), and exemption from the responsibility of employees for the contagion of new crown pneumonia.

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Leather goods

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Assopellettieri (Italy leather manufacturers' Organization) also organized an online press conference to appeal to the government. In addition to the resumption of work, the core issue is corporate mobility. The Association says the government needs more protection in this regard, rather than merely developing a so-called "liquidity act".

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Assopellettieri chairman Franco Gabbrielli said: "at this time, our role is to make the capital flow to small and medium enterprises, which requires close attention to the decrees to be implemented. The intention is not enough, and the most important thing is to simplify procedures and give enterprises a sense of stability."

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Not long ago, the furniture industry in Italy and the Italy National Fashion Association (Camera Nazio) Nale della Moda Italiana, hereinafter referred to as "CNMI", also called on the government to lift the ban ahead of schedule and resume work as soon as possible.