I-vi.3 Positive actions for the creation of companies by women
3.6.3.I-vi.3 Positive actions for the creation of companies by women (Azioni positive per l'imprenditoria femminile)
3.6.3.1. Aim
To promote fundamental equality of opportunity between men and women in economic activities and the creation of companies
3.6.3.2. Legal basis
- Law 215 of 25.2.1992;
- Decree of the Ministry of Industry of 5.12.1996 in agreement with the Ministry of the Treasury on the procedures for submitting applications and granting benefits;
- Decree of the Ministry of Industry of 20.12.1996 defining the criteria for selecting applications (composition of the sponsoring body, type of activity proposed, new employment foreseen, planned investment in each new employee, links to specific regional development programmes, extra-regional or extra-national effects of the proposed activity, etc.).
3.6.3.3. Contents
These provisions aim to:
- favour the creation and development of companies by women, including cooperatives;
- promote the training of women as company heads;
- facilitate the granting of credits to companies run by women or with a majority of female employees;
- favour the management of family companies by women;
- promote initiatives by women concerning the creation of companies in the most innovative sectors.
The following benefit from the provisions:
- cooperative societies and companies with at least 60% female employees, joint-stock com-panies of which at least two-thirds of the shares belong to women, and individual companies run by women;
- companies, associations, institutions, societies for entrepreneurial promotion, centres for train-ing and professional orders which promote training courses in business management and in the supply of advice and technical assistance which employ at least 70% women.
A National Fund has also been set up for the promotion of the creation of companies by women through:
- capital contributions of up to 50% of the costs of acquiring installations and equipment needed to create or modernise a business;
- contributions of up to 30% of the costs of acquiring services intended to increase productivity, organisational innovation, transfer of technology, etc.
These contributions can increase respectively to 60% and 40% for people working in certain disadvantaged regions specified by the European Union and which are the subject of common development actions (Decree 2052/88).
The criteria and methods for granting these benefits are fixed by the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Crafts, together with the Ministry of the Treasury. The provisions also foresee the possibility of granting reduced-rate financing by credit establishments, for amounts below ITL 300 million and a duration of no longer than five years (50% of the reference rate in effect for the sector in question).
A committee for the creation of companies by women was set up within the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Crafts with the task of providing guidance and general programming activities within the framework of interventions laid down by law, as well as the promotion of studies, research and supply of information on companies created by women.
Moreover, the regions participate in defining programmes which disseminate information and in setting up advisory and technical support services for activities covered by the provisions in question. 30% of the fund is reserved for these initiatives.
3.6.3.4. Financial resources
The Law makes provision for funding of LIT 10 billion for each year from 1992 to 1994.
3.6.3.5. Institutional support
The Ministry of the Treasury; Ministry of Industry, Trade and Crafts.
3.6.3.6. Duration
Funding for this measure was planned up until the end of 1994. The measure was not imple-mented in 1995, 1996 or the beginning of 1997 because the implementing regulations (cf. above-mentioned regulation of 20.12.1996 published in Gazzetta ufficiale of 24.4.1997) had not yet been passed.
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