64% of VI layoffs were bar & restaurant workers – Hon Flax-Charles
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.
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16 Responses to “64% of VI layoffs were bar & restaurant workers – Hon Flax-Charles”
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.
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...
....
Let's see the August numbers now geniuses.