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64% of VI layoffs were bar & restaurant workers – Hon Flax-Charles

- April survey also showed business reduction in sector by 61 to 100%
Although bars and restaurants were allowed to offer take-out services during the majority of the COIVD-19 curfew period, some 64% of workers in the industry were laid off with significant revenue reduction in that business sector new economic stats on the pandemic has revealed. Photo: Internet Source
Junior Minister for Trade and Economic Development, Hon Shereen D. Flax-Charles (AL) released the stats yesterday, September 14, 2020, during the launch of economic grant payments to aimed at Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise businesses (MSMEs). Photo: Facebook/File
Junior Minister for Trade and Economic Development, Hon Shereen D. Flax-Charles (AL) released the stats yesterday, September 14, 2020, during the launch of economic grant payments to aimed at Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise businesses (MSMEs). Photo: Facebook/File
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI – Although bars and restaurants were allowed to offer take-out services during the majority of the COVID-19 curfew period, some 64% of workers in the industry were laid off and significant revenue reduction was felt in that business sector, new economic statistics on the pandemic has revealed.

Junior Minister for Trade and Economic Development, Hon Shereen D. Flax-Charles (AL) released the numbers on September 14, 2020, during the launch of economic grant payments to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise businesses (MSMEs).

Bars & restaurant sector suffered heavily – Hon Flax-Charles

“A business impact survey conducted by the Government of the Virgin Islands in April 2020, revealed that the majority of bars and restaurants experienced a significant reduction in business activity, between 61% and 100%”

She said a significant amount of layoffs came from bars and restaurant workers, representing 64% of the total lay-offs for the period, adding that the pandemic resulted in premature closure of the tourism industry.

How Flax-Charles also revealed that given the survey was conducted earlier in the year, more layoffs would have occurred. “Fast forward to September, these statistics have probably worsened as the economic activity in the Territory fluctuates with new pockets of the virus emerging.”

She said the Government, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Eastern Caribbean COVID-19 response programme to assist MSMEs in the food services industry, made some $40,000 available to businesses in the restaurant sector.

Supplementing loss in revenues

With 10 businesses set to receive $4000 each, Hon Flax-Charles said the funds will go towards supplementing loss revenues, assisting in the retention of employees and stimulating economic recovery in the Territory, among other objectives.

While the businesses benefiting from this special grant were not named, Premier Andrew A. Fahie (R1) said 6 of the businesses come from Tortola, 2 from Anegada, and 1 each from Virgin Gorda and Jost van Dyke.

The businesses include 5 restaurants, 3 foods vans and two café/sacketts, with 50% of them being female-owned. A further 1,039 businesses in the Virgin Islands are set to receive small business grants through a COVID-19 economic stimulus plan piloted by Government.

16 Responses to “64% of VI layoffs were bar & restaurant workers – Hon Flax-Charles”

  • Hmmmm (16/09/2020, 17:56) Like (1) Dislike (2) Reply
    There smart but very smart stupid
  • lol (16/09/2020, 18:31) Like (19) Dislike (1) Reply
    $4000 to supplement losses and retain staff HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! Really?????
  • Oh Well (16/09/2020, 18:36) Like (7) Dislike (42) Reply
    Who cares it was mostly down islanders lay-off it did not affect locals so who cares
    • @oh well. Thanks. Don't blame U (17/09/2020, 03:44) Like (66) Dislike (1) Reply
      That's exactly the message she is sending. And UR smart enough to pick it up... Message of division, trying to be slick.... Why tell us about April. This is September and it's getting harder and harder for all businesses... Only when they stop getting pay They will understand..
  • Tong (16/09/2020, 19:30) Like (15) Dislike (3) Reply
    Meanwhile we who work with cruise ships and were the first to be shut down, haven't even been considered for Stimulus or even received anything.
    • lost (16/09/2020, 19:50) Like (29) Dislike (2) Reply
      name something that only cruise ship passengers use? I'm lost.

      I closed 22nd March have lost $1/2million and got stimulus of $5000 spent more flying my staff home and housing them till I could, its a joke and still no date to reopen.
      • Norris Turnbull (17/09/2020, 01:09) Like (5) Dislike (9) Reply
        Lost. Your need becomes a greed putting money in front of the health and safety of people. You probably putting money in front of God.
      • Mark (17/09/2020, 07:39) Like (2) Dislike (1) Reply
        Safari Buses are something only cruise passengers use
  • lol (16/09/2020, 19:32) Like (6) Dislike (14) Reply
    90% laid off was island people
  • STAY CLOSED (16/09/2020, 22:32) Like (12) Dislike (9) Reply
    WHO CARES! Let them remain closed. It's either the home wrecking Spanish women, stripping Jamaican woman or the lawless, unruly young ones bar hopping, getting pissy drunk and making pistarkles of themselves. Let the men go home to their wives, children and the younger generation go invest in a degree or home. STAY CLOSED!
  • Common Sense (16/09/2020, 23:08) Like (27) Dislike (2) Reply
    Get rid of that damm curfew and people will survive and government wouldn't have to pay, simple.
  • U all so out of touched. No solutions. No plans (17/09/2020, 03:35) Like (101) Dislike (1) Reply
    U R coming to the people in Septemher about a report done in April...Shame on you...Things is been getting worst month by month, more people are out of work, more businesses are closing, times are getting harder, the suffering is getting worst...We need solutions..We need practical and sustainable solutions... And 97% of all affected believe that opening up the bordrrs with a real entry and reentry safety and economical plan is the solution... Sad. The country and the economy is held hostage by those who continue to get full salaries monthly.. no empathy. No compassion...St. Lucia. St Vincent. Barbados have workable tested proven plans. they have been moving forward.. "A good entry, reentry plan eill control the importation of tge virus". How long can we continue to blame covid.?
  • Ur new health minister open bordersplan (17/09/2020, 07:22) Like (8) Dislike (2) Reply
    1/ As of October 15th all BVI Ports will be open for the purposes of and to accommodate arriving and departing passengers.. 1/ All departing passengers must know and abide by the covid 19 requirements of Airline and their travelling destination......2/ All arriving passengers must possessed the following..(A) A negative covid 19 test not older than 5 days...(B) Must have a paid confirmed reservation for atlease 3 days from an official posted online listing of all approved facilities,. HOTELS, GUEST HOUSES, APTS, ETC...2/ Arrival testing must be done at the Airport / Seaports by our health professionals, all passengers must contribute $15.00 towards their test, to help defray the medical cost..A taxi booth will be set up inside manage by health authority where all passengers after clearing immigration will pay a taxi fee of $15.00 to take them to their quarantine location,. A taxi will be asign to them, taxis are not to collect monies from arriving passengers, However Taxis will get their fair pay every 7 days base on records.. .3/ . All arriving passengers will be self quarantine 2 to 4 days at their own expense until results are known....4/ If results are negative they get their release, part of the release package is also an email or whats app out lining bvi covid 19 laws..However, if results are inconclusive, or positive they be transfered to a govt facility until such period as the result of a new test is known at $100. Per day includes 2 meals a day...

    As per Cruise Ship...1/ Cruise ships will be given permission and allow to Dock in our Waters or Cruise Pier as of Nov 15th, 2020, for the purpose of disembarking their passengers, however, Captain / Agent, must provide an affidavit stating that all passengers were tested and are covid 19 negative, also a health team will be boarding the ship conducting a rapid test on those passengers that wish to disembark,, ..
    2/ No more than 2 Cruise Ships per day and they must arrive atlease 2 hrs apart which will give our health team suffecient time to conduct their health assesment...
    3/ . All Agents of Cruiseships will be furnished with a copy of BVI Covid 19 laws and must ensure that all disembarking passengers are aquainted..

    There are going to be inconveniences, but they are jus, reasonable and understanding.....

    The New Curfew will be from 5:am. to 11:30pm
    All covid 19 laws will be seriously enforced..

    Ur new health Minister at work...

    ....
  • vip (17/09/2020, 08:43) Like (3) Dislike (4) Reply
    Considering the majority of April BVI was on 24 hour lockdown it doesn't take a genius or a lot of research and surveys to come up with these numbers. Pretty sure an eight year old could write a similar...wait, they probably don't have a new laptop from the pastor or a stable internet connection either.

    Let's see the August numbers now geniuses.
  • Really (17/09/2020, 13:07) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
    Are you serious I thought it was charter companies staff. All charter companies are closed and they have a lot of staff but i never know bars and restaurant out numbered them. Anyway we still waiting on our stimilus package.
  • Local (17/09/2020, 13:39) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Some of y’all talking is bare rubbish reality is I’m a local and I been home from March I had to sacrifice and use what funds I had to try sells stuff to make ends meet I haven’t been able to buy school supplies bills keep coming kids to feed etc so what shit are some of y’all talking


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