"We must work in the interests of France": CPME Sud calls for the formation of a new "pro-business" government.

The CPME Sud had chosen the date for this back-to-school press conference weeks ago, almost at random. It's definitely doing things right. Its president, Marseille native Alain Gargani, took the opportunity to deliver the message of the region's entrepreneurs this Tuesday morning from the Old Port of Marseille.

"Are we working in the general interest when we make a political move? Wasn't the political stability of France more important than entering a path he knew was lost?" the leader asks about François Bayrou's choice to demand a vote of confidence from parliamentarians.

A few hours before the Prime Minister's official resignation, the CPME Sud is therefore calling for a "government starting tomorrow. Every day lost, our businesses will never find it again." Because the indicators have once again gone into the red, "whereas before the summer, the regional economy seemed to be holding up." Increasing insolvencies, longer payment deadlines and strain on cash flow...

"We also see that more and more business leaders are directly requesting liquidation, but they are giving up." In this context, the CPME Sud is calling for "a pro-business government" that, above all, does not increase or create new taxes, and restores institutional stability.

"All these parties only work in their own political interests; on the contrary, we must work in the interests of France. They must find the lowest common denominator that unites them, and that is the VSEs/SMEs, because they are the ones who create wealth in the regions," assures the regional president of the employers' organization, which has 365,000 members across France.

Exempt SMEs from corporate tax

Because the spokesperson for SMEs in Provence and the Côte d'Azur already has some ideas for giving the economic fabric some room for maneuver; "for example, very small businesses/SMEs pay 50% more corporate tax (IS, Ed.) than large groups. Yet they don't have shareholders, they keep reserves that are taxed. Why not exempt these reserves when they are kept within the company?"

Another option: exempt overtime from taxes and channel a portion of the tax relief proceeds toward salary increases. Beyond that, Alain Gargani also calls on banks to support businesses during this difficult time. "They must not stick to overly strict criteria, otherwise it will accelerate the damage."

More locally, the president of the CPME Sud indicates that he is continuing discussions with the Region, to reconsider the implementation of the Mobility Payment tax, which last spring sparked anger among local employers' organizations, notably the UPV and UPE06. It even created a rift between the CPME Sud and the Var region.

These differences have now been resolved, says the official, who has announced his arrival on September 25 in Toulon, alongside the national president of the CPME, Amir Reza-Tofighi, and the president of the UPV, Véronique Maurel, at the Var.up trade fair.