#SoseXpress - Press Review 14/20 November

The principle of loyal cooperation, which Municipalities well know and practice, must always guide us to overcome the crisis effectively, avoiding the temptation of leaving others the responsibility of the most difficult choices.

The President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, said during #Anci2020

The Debate of Ideas

 

#Epinomics, the alliance between economists and epidemiologists against the pandemic.

Sharing data and the multidisciplinary research of economists and epidemiologists would significantly help make choices to prevent the diffusion of Covid-19. This alliance would provide significant support to both political decision-makers and the scientific community. The severe Covid-19 emergency needs close relations between research and concrete policies, dialogue between experts and the public, and theoretical and empirical models.

Italy, “black sheep” in Eurozone: the book analyzes our responsibilities.

Why couldn't this enormous economic shock repair the rift between North and South in the European Monetary Union concerning fiscal solidarity? Silvia Marler's book analyzes Italy's responsibilities regarding its role in European integration.

Studies, research, and numbers

 

Online purchases: 19 million purchasers in 2020.

The Nomisma-CRIF observatory "The world after lockdown" analyzed the e-commerce trend in 2020.

The Covid-19 pandemic impact on citizens' lives affected purchases significantly. 70% of the Italians between 18 and 65 made at least one online purchase over the last year. In 2020, 37% of food shoppers have increased their online purchases for food products, and 24% of the Italians for non-food goods. 

 

SMEs post Covid: can new opportunities originate from pandemic?

Deloitte, in collaboration with Intesa San Paolo and Confindustria conducted the survey “The post-Covid SMEs’ needs” on a sample of over 6000 small and medium-sized enterprises. The study reveals that Italian SMEs have a great propensity to change, although severely affected by the health emergency. The interviewed firms declared that they decided immediately to respond to the economic-financial difficulties by targeted actions, for example reconverting production lines or aiming st the internationalization. 

 

ISTAT: in October consumer prices increased by 0,2%

In October, the rate of change of the Italian consumer price index for the whole nation (NIC) was +0.2% on a monthly basis and -0.3% on an annual basis (from -0.6% in September), confirming the flash estimate. For the sixth consecutive month, negative inflation was registered due to the prices of Energy products (-8,7%). Still, the decrease of consumer price indices halved mainly due to the speed-up of the growth of Unprocessed food prices (from +2.7% in September to +3.5).

 

Innovative startups: the report by the Ministry of Economic Development, Unioncamere and Infocamere.

The Ministry of Economic Development, in collaboration with Unioncamere and Infocamere published the new quarterly Report dedicated to innovative startups (demographic trends and economic performances). The Report, updated to September 30, 2020, registered 12,068 innovative startups, increasing by 572 units compared to the preceding quarter. Here the integral version of the Report.

 

Import-export: the September 2020 data by Istat.

In September 2020, seasonally-adjusted data rose by 2.7% for outgoing flows and dropped by 0.6% for incoming flows. Exports grew for non-EU countries (+8.1%) and decreased for EU countries (-2.1%).

Compared to the previous three months, exports increased by 30.4% due to the sharp increase in capital and intermediate goods sales in the EU and non-EU countries. In the same period imports increased by 21,7%. 

 

ISTAT: after 4 months the production in the construction sector is decreasing.

In September 2020, estimates for the seasonally adjusted production index in construction decreased by 8.1% compared to August, following monthly growth in the last four months.

In the third quarter of 2020, the production in construction rose by 50.7% compared with the previous three months, which represented the spike of national lockdown decline due to the health emergency. Here the data by Istat.

 

Covid also put beer sector to the test.

The beer industry is a vital sector in the Country, creating 10 billion euro shared value (9,483 million euro) and providing jobs for 108 thousand households. Since March, due to lockdown, the sector has lost about 21 thousand jobs in six months. The Beer Observatory revealed these data in its fourth Report, "The creation of shared value in Italy's beer sector."

 

Mediobanca analysis of financial statements in the first nine months of 2020.

The Mediobanca Research Area analyzed the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the 9-month financial statements of over global industrial multinationals with an annual turnover of more than €3bn, and the 26 industrial and services companies included in the FTSE MIB index comparing them with the same period of 2019.

 

Over 60 million products sold by Italian sales partners through Amazon stores.

The Amazon report has revealed the data concerning 14 thousand Italian SMEs, which use the online sales channel, highlighting the value-added generated by independent partners.

From 1 June 2019 to 31 May 2020, Italian sales partners registered sales for 75,000 euro averagely compared to 65,000 euro in the same period of the preceding year. Here the data of the Amazon Report.

 

INPS Observatory: the data on temporary employment in January-August 2020.

In the first eight months, Covid impact affected employment severely with a decrease of 35%. From January to August 2020, only 3,305,000 workers were hired, a significant drop compared to the same period of 2019, due to Covid-19 emergency, the following restrictions from March (closure of non-essential activities, limitations to the mobility of citizens) and the drop in production and consumption.

The voice of stakeholders

 

The GDP in the red areas: the data provided by Confartigianato

The red area has extended, and the new restrictions have modified the scenario of the highest-risk areas. The conditions of gravity and epidemiological risk are worsening in five regions where 28,3% of Italian enterprises are located, of which 13,1% are in the orange areas and 15,3% in the red areas. 

Confartigianato published the data by the Observatory “Credito Covid-19”

The third report by the Observatory “Credito Covid-19” reveals that the current crisis has worsened the SMEs’ liquidity despite a slight improvement.

Regarding the Covid-19 impact on SMEs’ financial management, 91% of the panel have registered extraordinary liquidity repercussions caused by turnover decrease and cash-flow difficulties due to delayed payments by end-consumers in 83% cases and enterprises in 61%. The number of enterprises turning to the Association remains high ((84%).

Innovation

 

The National Industry 4.0 Plan.

The National Industry 4.0 Plan is the base of the Italian Recovery Fund. The investment of 24 billion euro includes many crucial points for growth and recovery: 4.0 capital and intangible goods, 4.0 Training for employees and entrepreneurs, innovation, design, and green economy. It will contribute to the Country’s new industrial plan significantly.

Local Authorities

 

The XXXVII ANCI National Assembly ended on November 19.

The XXXVII ANCI National Assembly held in Rome on November 19 was the first digital meeting involving mayors, administrators, institutions, and enterprises who discussed via streaming the most significant issues concerning Municipalities. The speech of the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, was particularly intense. He appealed to unity, cohesion, and cooperation to combat the pandemic and the following economic and health crisis.

The World of MEF

January-September 2020 Tax revenue: MEF data.

The Ministry of Economy and Finance published the Report on the tax revenue in January-September 2020, realized by the Department of Finance and State General Accounting Department. The first nine months of the year registered a decrease of 6,7%, equal to 33,632 million euro less than the same period of 2019.