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TRALEE Chamber Alliance has broadly welcomed the range of measures from the Government, announced on Saturday, of additional financial supports for businesses, in particular, SMEs and the sectors most affected by COVID19
The announcements from the Government of new supports will be welcomed by businesses, particularly the announcements on commercial rates waivers, supports on tax liabilities, and the new Restart Fund, which aims to provide grants to micro and small businesses.
“This particular scheme is a step in the right direction, as many businesses are facing huge challenges with liquidity and cash-flow,” said Tralee Chamber Chief Executive Ken Tobin.
“Specific additional supports that factor in the unique situation of countyies like Kerry, including a decision on the VAT rate for the most affected sectors, will need to be discussed further with the Government.”
“While the waiver of commercial rates for the period from 27th of March to the 27th of June is welcome, in particular alongside the commitment to support the Local Authority for lost revenue, the measure may need to be expanded further as the county’s businesses rebuild,” he added.
“What businesses have been telling us over the past several weeks is that they need much more support to help fund fixed overheads, staffing costs and provide them with the working capital needed to rebuild their businesses as we move to re-open the economy.”
“Our message to Government has been consistent throughout the crisis, and that is that the economic challenges facing counties like Kerry require considerable support, with specific targeted aid being required. The announcement shows that while this message is being heard, but there is much more that needs to be done.”
“We welcome confirmation that Central Government will support the Local Authority who have waived rates to enable them to continue to provide essential services during the pandemic.”
“We urge Government to ensure that the funds announced today are made available rapidly to businesses to ensure they are able to open in line with yesterday’s announced timelines on the Roadmap to Recovery. We will continue to urge the Government to address critical decisions in relation to the VAT rate for the tourism, beauty and hospitality sectors, as well as supporting businesses to hire back their entire staff with a continuation of the wage subsidy scheme beyond the timelines set out in the Roadmap.”
This is madness!
Kerry is not Cork or Dublin.
If Kerry or other counties have lower numbers of infections then the economically costly lockdown measures should be eased sooner rather than later.
If other areas like Dublin or Cork has to continue in lockdown due to higher infections levels then so be it.
But, it makes sense for other counties with lower cases of infection to resume to more normal levels of freedom of movement and business, supporting the economy and assisting all the more, the affected areas of our nation.
If we want to be successful we will have to adapt to cutting our cloth to measure, not a one side fits all solution or our economy and nation will suffer even more from the cure than the illness!
There has been counties that could have been and should have been up and running weeks ago. While it is of course only logical that other counties could and should be kept in lock down longer.
Ireland has to get more smart, especially going forward if we do not want to return to being a 1950’s or 1980’s economic nut house again.