Morocco’s Restaurant Industry Pushes for New Support Measures Amid COVID-19 Crisis

According to Les Inspirations Eco, the first measures taken by the State to save the national economy, in this period of health crisis, are far from satisfying the main federations which propose new mechanisms to survive. Supported by all the Regional Associations of the kingdom, the National Federation of Restaurateurs (FNR) has requested the adoption of urgent measures to support the companies in the restaurant sector, in the context of the state of health emergency related to the covid-19 pandemic.

The restaurants classified as having a tourist vocation remind the minister that their concerns first relate to the survival of their businesses and the preservation of hundreds of thousands of jobs, throughout the period of loss of activity. Secondly, they insist on the financial support of catering companies for the resumption of activity through the development and implementation of a recovery plan for this sector.

For the president of the FNR, Khalid Abbadi, the professionals complain in particular that the banks currently see a high risk of default for their sector of activity. According to him, the solutions of deferral of deadlines and tax and social charges are unfortunately not enough to save the jobs in this stricken sector. In addition, the FNR and the presidents of the regional associations list the various demands relating to "social and employment", "taxes and taxation" and "banks and financing of the recovery".

With regard to the National Social Security Fund (CNSS), the FNR is demanding the cancellation of contributions for the whole of this year, as well as the extension of temporary unemployment benefits until December 31, 2020. The Federation also proposes that the alcohol license tax, the professional tax and the public domain occupation tax be exempted for 2020-2021.