CCI France: simplifying to develop the economy
The President of the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Alain Di Crescenzo, made his third visit to the territory last week on the occasion of the planned transfer of the Maison des Entreprises building to the CCISM. A fervent advocate for overseas territories, he reaffirmed his commitment to their economic development and outlined several avenues for supporting local businesses.
The CCI France network now has 129 chambers, including eleven overseas. According to its president, these territories have major assets, but require special attention in order to better exploit their economic potential. This is urgent in a context of gloom and global upheaval that is affecting all businesses.
Regional diagnosis: a matter of course
During his visit, Alain Di Crescenzo highlighted the difficulties faced by businesses, particularly SMEs and SMIs with deep roots in their local areas. In his view, economic statistics do not always reflect the reality on the ground, making it necessary to carry out more accurate regional assessments in order to identify the real issues and provide appropriate solutions.
The issues encountered have many similarities: insularity, taxation and the cost of living remain significant obstacles to economic development. In this context, ten proposals are to be submitted to the government in the coming days. The objective is clear: to enable France to gain one to two points of GDP and move "from a sluggish country to a country that earns more". Among the priorities mentioned is administrative simplification. The president of CCI France believes that the regulatory environment must be more transparent and accessible to entrepreneurs in order to facilitate the creation and development of businesses.
Territories with high potential
Despite these challenges, the overseas territories are areas of excellence benefiting from a strategic geopolitical position. Their natural resources offer numerous development opportunities, particularly in renewable energies, waste recovery and the blue economy. Sustainable tourism is also an important area of development, with the aim of promoting a greener and more responsible offering, according to Alain Di Crescenzo. However, the lack of skills is a real constraint. To remedy this, he insists on the need to strengthen training programmes, particularly to support people who are distant from the labour market, such as those receiving income support. In 2025, CCI France trained 525,000 people through its network, making it the second largest training organisation in France after the French Ministry of Education.
The Overseas Conference
In order to better identify the needs and expectations of the territories, overseas conferences should be organised by the end of summer 2026 in one of the eleven overseas territories. These meetings will bring together economic and institutional players to develop concrete solutions.
A report will then be presented in Paris, accompanied by a short-term action plan – notably on the simplification of standards – as well as a medium- and long-term vision.
For Alain Di Crescenzo, the days of going it alone are over, and the urgency is real: "We don't have time anymore, the economy is not doing well. We need to move quickly and focus on what doesn't cost much."
