Greece's SMEs face rising costs, financing hurdles and staff shortages

A joint study by the Athens Chamber of Crafts (ΒΕΑ) and KPMG surveyed 382 small and micro‑enterprises across nine sectors in Greece. The research found that 65% of firms see the surge in raw‑material prices as their main burden, while 51% cite energy costs as a critical pressure.

Three‑quarters (74%) of respondents say bureaucratic procedures significantly hamper daily operations, with 34% spending over ten hours each month on compliance tasks. Access to financing is also problematic: 77% consider it difficult, and among the 62% who sought bank loans, 27% had their applications rejected due to high interest rates and strict credit criteria.

Human‑resource challenges are pronounced, as 74% report shortages of qualified staff; 62% say this hampers productivity, and 79% have had to scale back activities because of recruitment difficulties. The surveyed firms call for simplified licensing, better digital public‑service platforms, and tailored financing tools to improve competitiveness and viability.