Over 40% of gastronomics have not received subsidies, are pro-forgiving of pandemic fines

Kosovo Gastronomers' Association Secretary Arian Vranica says that during the 12-day closure most businesses have not operated with services such as either away or açdelivery, while adding that more than 10m euros of damage have occurred in the gastronomy sector.

Vranica in an interview for Kosovo Press says the subvention process is prolonging, while adding if the subvention process is not complete by 12 June, they will knock again at the finance ministry's door.

This package, which relates to half of the gastronomy sector's salary, closed-type shopping malls and interurban transports and half the rent of all those categories, has been executed since May 12th, means that the execution began, but is partial. I don't know if there's going to be any more, I don't know if there are enough funds in terms of subvention of other remaining categories that have applied on the basis of criteria set by the Government of Kosovo's decision. But there are a considerable number, especially from the gastronomy sector I'm talking about, there are over 40 percent of businesses that report that have not yet received their salaries or rents. So let's see if within the month we're going to have such a subvention”, he says.

According to him, the decision to extend gastronomy hours by 11 p.m. would have to be made two weeks earlier so that the whole opening of industry would now be discussed.

This is very clear as to business capacities to cope with second closure. There has been an extraordinary contraction of liquidity and extraordinary credit barriers, where 60% of businesses have taken loans before pandemic. All these obstacles are extraordinary, so even such delays in wage subsidies and rent is too late. We're too late to make a decision that allows us to operate until 11:00 because it would have to happen at the previous rate. We are hoping that within the month of May 12th, June 12th the complete execution of these tools will, on the contrary, again we will knock at the Ministry of Finance address”, Vranica says of Kosova Press.

The huge loss of gastronomy sector during the pandemic, especially during the closure, according to him would have to serve as an ultimatum for long-term subsidisation of the sector's businesses.

“Mby 10m euros of damage has occurred only in gastronomy and the epidemiology situation in our country again was over 10 per cent, after the 2 weeks passed, after 12 daily shut-down”, he says.

Vranica is for pardoning punishments for those who overstep anti measures - CO VID, even says that even those who have already paid these sentences should be compensated, as Albania has.

“should have equal treatment of all indiscriminately and should have some kind of proportion of institutions in terms of such measures, in view of the retroactive character of this bill that should be initiated. Having such a character, then, except for the forgiveness of the punishment, there would have to be compensation for the damage. Other countries, such as Albania, have practiced this. So that could be taken in Kosovo as well and very useful in improving the business climate”, he points out.

Finance Minister Iron Murati had announced on 12 May through a Facebook post that the same day, payment has been executed for the first group of workers to benefit from subsidies.

The “Commission is considering ongoing applications, so that the other group can process on Friday”, it said in this statement.