Black Sea Commerce and Development Bank is expected to approve and sign around 13-16 investment plans in Greece by 2014, as part of a four-year strategic and business plan, Petros Kontos, director of International Financial Organizations of the Development ministry said on Thursday, addressing a Black Sea Region Business Forum in Thessaloniki.

The bank, in a report, said it expected to approve each year around four new activities in Greece, totaling 47.3 million euros annually, raising the value of investment activities in the country to 212 million euros in the four-year period. Black Sea Bank financed a total of 12 projects in Greece in the period 1999-2011.

A survey, presented by Northern Greece Exporters Union (SEBE) and the Federation of Hellenic Enterprises (SEB), showed that Greece is at the bottom in enterprises’ revenue as a percentage of exporting activity in the European Union.

“Only 9.0 pct of Greek enterprises record revenues from export activity, with Greek enterprises’ exports accounting for 2.0 pct of total revenues, down from an average rate of 4.6 pct in the EU,” Anastasios Alexandridis, executive vice-president of SEBE told the forum. He stressed that Greece has not yet taken full advantage of exporting opportunities offered by the creation of a single market and noted there were hurdles towards more export activity: lack of skilled staff, lack of funding sources and lack of information and knowledge of international markets.

Dimitris Lakasas, president of SEBE, said Greece needed to negotiate a new development plan, a new “Marshall Plan”, combined with a new lending agreement.

Ioannis Patsiavos, an official from SEB, said the Black Sea region, with a population of 350 million, offered a great potential for Greek enterprises.

A total of 33 enterprises from 12 Black Sea region countries participated in the forum, along with 55 Greek enterprises, with 250 business meetings held. Alumil Group said it planned to expand activities in Central African countries, such as Congo and Cameroon. Kleemann Hellas said it has raised its market share in Turkey through its subsidiary Kleemann Asansor, founded in 2011, to 12 pct ranking among the biggest players in the sector.