Giacomo Meloni has been confirmed as president of Confartigianato Imprese Sardegna. The 60-year-old Olbia-based construction entrepreneur will continue to lead the seven thousand member companies, with 20,000 employees, for the next two years.
The re-election took place this morning in Sennori (Sassari) during the regional assembly of the artisans' organization, which also confirmed the deputy vice president, Fabio Mereu, 47, a passenger transport entrepreneur from Cagliari. He will be supported by two other vice presidents: Elisa Sedda, an appliance repair entrepreneur from Oristano, and Giuseppe Pireddu, an auto repairer from Macomer.
In addition to the president and vice-presidents, the council will also include Norella Orrù and Salvatore Loi (Cagliari-South Sardinia), Marina Manconi (Gallura), Giuseppe Tatti (Nuoro), Antonio Matzutzi (Oristano), Marco Rau and Maria Amelia Lai (Sassari).
"Craft businesses are making a concrete and tangible contribution to economic growth and job creation, thanks in part to Regional Law 949, the quintessential law for artisans," Meloni remarked. "Over the past seven years, thanks to the adoption of Confartigianato Sardegna's policy of observations and proposals, it has made €150 million available through calls for proposals, which have always sold out within minutes."
Among the issues the president, together with the new council, will have to address over the next two years include generational turnover, competitiveness, and a strong focus on young entrepreneurs, which has led the Sardinian artisans' association to establish, for the first time ever, the Movement of Young Artisan Entrepreneurs of Sardinia.
On the island, the nearly 34,000 artisan businesses, representing 20.3% of all Sardinian businesses, employ 64,055 workers, equal to 19.5% of total employment. There are 6,151 women-run artisan businesses, 2,570 youth-run businesses, and 1,745 foreign-run businesses. Specifically, 12,433 artisan businesses are located in Cagliari with 14,143 employees, 12,270 in Sassari-Gallura with 22,692 employees, 6,767 in Nuoro with 9,562 employees, and 2,358 in Oristano with 5,812 employees.
According to data released by Confartigianato, the artisan sector generates 9.7% of the region's added value, equivalent to €3.366 billion (€789 million in Cagliari, €597 million in Southern Sardinia, €1,214 million in Sassari-Gallura, €486 million in Nuoro, and €280 million in Oristano), and 2.4% of the total Italian artisan sector. Of these workers, 32,705, or 51.1%, are employed.
(Unioneonline)