Chamber of SMEs: Public health measures welcome, economic measures are required with great urgency

The Malta Chamber of SMEs confirms its agreement with the public health measures announced earlier.

Many businesses in the non-essential category have themselves decided to close in the past week due to lack of business and also unjustified risk for their staff and spreading further the disease. Malta has now effectively made another decisive move towards the lockdown.

As a Chamber of SMEs we thank the health authorities as well as all the essential private sector operators. Pharmacies, operators in the food chain and other front-liners are working tirelessly to continue supplying their service in this time of need. We emphasise with the public and private sector about observing public health direction so that this time of sacrifice reaches the desired objectives.

Greater clarity is required from the authorities about the exact list of operations that will be allowed to continue. As an SME Chamber we are in receipt of many queries asking about further details on the latest announcements.

These include dispensing opticians, queries related to working behind closed doors, deliveries that were planned as well as repair services. We call on government to publish the full information that would be required with such announcements since immediate decisions affecting human resources would need to be taken.

Unfortunately these announcements were not accompanied by the necessary economic support measures. The UK government made such announcements a few days ago and these were accompanied by strong measures that avoided much pressure on enterprises and their employees. The UK government in fact announced wage subsidies covering 80% of wages up to €2,700 a month per worker. Similarly the Danish government has committed to cover 75% of workers’ salaries, up to €3,000 for the coming months.

The economic pressures are extremely worrying and an emergency response mechanism is needed today. Employers and their employees are trying to push through impossible situations that are affecting their day-to-day life and mental health, hoping for a breakthrough in discussions.

A message of economic hope is necessary for our country and community not to go into a further deteriorating economic state.