The Restaurant Association is calling on the treasury to come up with targeted financial assistance that reflects the dire situation its members find themselves in.
In a letter to Rt Hon Grant Robertson our CEO, Marisa Bidois talks of the Alert Level 4 lockdown sending business scrambling to save thousands of dollars worth of stock, pay wages at normal rates and pay ongoing overheads, all while revenue remains at $0 for the majority of businesses.
While our members are committed to doing their part for our nation, there is a need for the Government to acknowledge and compensate those businesses that are bearing the majority of the cost associated with the current response to COVID-19.
The Restaurant Association is calling on the Government to consider establishing an operations lockout subsidy for employers: targeted support that will pass directly to business owners locked out of trading at Alert Level 4, 3 and 2 due to Government guidance.
Many of our industry have been barred from earning any income at all for 92 days of the last 459 days (20%), and then restricted to earning no more than 50% of their income due to seating, safe distancing and single server rules for an additional 76 days, (another 16% roughly). It does not add up in the eyes of industry.
“We want to be clear that this is not about profiteering. The cold hard facts of the matter are that we will see a huge number of business closures putting thousands of people out of work if this industry is not offered something to help it get through these enforced closure periods.”
Marisa Bidois Restaurant Asscoiation CEO
You can read the letter to the Finance Minister here