Par
Julia Gualtieri
Published on
Jan 23, 2025 at 6:00 p.m.
At the end of 2024, the Regional Court of Auditors published a report online highlighting the “worrying financial situation” in which the SEMM (Mixed Economy Company of Montévrain) finds itself. Since 2020, the accounts of this public-private company have been in the red. So much so that the Court asked for it to be closed “as quickly as possible”. Of which act.
Objective: to limit potential losses for the town of Montévrain, majority shareholder, which will not only be deprived of the financial bonus resulting from the development of part of the municipality, but also risks having to absorb the losses.
Interview with Jean-Pierre Bariant, general director of SEMM, who arrived in 2020.
How is it that almost all promotional operations ended in failure?
Jean-Pierre Bariant: These are projects undertaken before my arrival and I have not always had the details. So it's difficult for me to answer. For those that I had to deal with, the projects in Pomponne in particular, my objective was to resell them without too much loss. I partly succeeded. The fact remains that the situation had been complicated for two years and if the operations had been successful, no one would have asked the question.
When you arrive, however, you have cleared all the promotional operations. Did you consider them too risky?
JP.B. : Let's say that some choices might not have been mine. The situation was already delicate. Given our human and financial resources and knowing that the lifespan of the SEMM was limited with the upcoming retrocession of the ZAC, I did not want to take any additional risks.
Your objective was to return to balance in 2023. This is not the case. Is it a failure?
-JP.B. : I arrived in a company which recorded 4 million losses. This year it only has 700,000 and a turnover close to balance. It's not enough, but it's better.
The Court judges that the SEMM does not sufficiently satisfy its obligation to provide information. Have you tried to hide the state of finances?
JP.B. : Absolutely not. Since 2022, we have been using new tools and software. The elected members of the board of directors were very regularly informed, everything is public, there was no secrecy.
The Court of Auditors recommends closing everything. What action are you going to take?
JP.B. : We will follow the recommendations. The senior residence will soon be returned and this will soon be the case for Carré M. We will very soon return the Binâches ZAC then that of Fresnes. From then on, we will close the SEMM. Everything is committed, we are no longer dependent on the administrative rhythm.
What about ZAC bonuses? Can they be paid to the city?
JP.B. : On paper, we owe 6 million. In reality, a little less in terms of the management of the Millésime room. It costs a lot of money. We assumed its costs for the municipality. As for the remaining 5.8 million, we will see at the time of closing. We still have assets to settle. If money comes in, it will be paid to the municipality.
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