SFP Vice President Henrik Wickström says that the next government must take action to improve businesses’ growth opportunities. Wickström is concerned that small and medium-sized enterprises in Finland lack the courage to develop their operations. Current circumstances, including high energy prices and inflation, have weakened companies’ future prospects.
Wickström lists a few concrete actions for improving conditions for businesses: corporate taxation must not be tightened, it should be easier to hire one’s first employee, and entrepreneurs’ social security must be improved. He also feels that public procurement legislation must be steered towards the EU’s minimum level.
“It is problematic if our public sector is unable to formulate procurement packages that companies feel are worth bidding for. We need to review our public procurement act. Additionally, we must ensure that the number of publicly owned companies does not increase. They weaken private companies’ opportunities for operating on the market,” Wickström says.
Furthermore, Wickström points to the labour shortage as a major hindrance to companies’ growth.
“The fact is that we need a higher degree of labour immigration to ensure we have enough workers in Finland. We must also invest in our education policies.”
“The Finns Party claim to be a business-friendly party, but their immigration policy is detrimental to business. Finland needs growth and we cannot achieve that without addressing our acute labour shortage,” Wickström says.
