Exporters get tied up in red tape
Export companies in Greece face longer and costlier bureaucratic procedures than their peers in other European Union countries, a survey by the Exporters? Association of Northern Greece showed on Thursday.
The export process takes some 20 days in Greece, while the EU average is just 12 days. Denmark is the fastest place to get things done, with just five days of processing. A container?s export costs 802 euros in Greece, while the EU average is 722 euros.
On a scale of 1 to 12, the quality of customs services in Greece gets 4.8 points, against an EU average of 9 points.
Another headache is the state?s delays with value-added tax returns and the complex process of VAT exemption.
