Bartlett es reuneix amb Craft Vendors per discutir estratègies per mitigar l’impacte COVID-19

De Jamaica Ministre de Turisme, Hon Edmund Bartlett has met with craft vendors, one of the key sub-sector groups in tourism, to discuss strategies to reduce the impact of Covid-19 on their businesses.

“With the closure of our borders and general measures instituted to reduce the spread of the disease, tourism has come to a halt leaving many workers and businesses displaced.

In my meeting yesterday, held via teleconference, with heads of various craft associations, i had fruitful discussions on the way forward and highlighted some of the financial arrangements being put in place to help these vendors,” said Minister Bartlett.

The Minister has also had meetings with travel agents and the transportation sub-sector to discuss strategies to help reduce the impact of COVID-19 on their businesses as well.

The island’s tourism has come to a halt following restrictive measures to help reduce the spread of the disease.

“I am aware of the severe difficulties being encountered by our suppliers and recently devised, with my colleague Minister of Finance, a grant of 1.2 billion dollars to businesses operating in tourism and related sectors,” said Minister Bartlett.

In addition to this grant, the government has been implementing fiscal actions to cushion the economic impact of Covid-19. These include:

• Debats amb els bancs comercials perquè proporcionin flux de caixa temporal
• suport a les empreses i als consumidors dels sectors afectats mitjançant ajornament de pagaments de principal, noves línies de crèdit i altres mesures
• Introducció del programa Covid Allocation of Resources for Employees (CARE) que té quatre elements:

1. Introducció del suport als empleats empresarials i transferència d’efectiu (BEST Cash), que proporcionarà una transferència temporal d’efectiu a les empreses dels sectors objectiu en funció del nombre de treballadors que mantinguin ocupats.
2. Supporting Employees with Transfer of Cash (SET Cash ) – which will provide temporary cash transfer to individuals where it can be verified that they lost their employment since March 10, (the date of the first Covid-19 case in Jamaica) due to the Covid-19 virus and this will be available for a specific period.
3. Fons especial de préstec suau per ajudar a particulars i empreses que han estat durament afectades.
4. Supporting the poor and vulnerable with special Covid-19 related grants.

Minister Bartlett added that, “This is a unique time as we all grapple with this novel pandemic but together we are working to come up with the best possible solutions to ensure we recover.”