The employers from the hospitality industry (hotels, restaurants and cafes) asked for a moratorium on inspections, for technical unemployment benefit for the sector’s employees who had to stay at home due to the pandemic and to lift some of the restrictions imposed by the National Extraordinary Public Health Commission. For their part, officials of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Social Protection said these restrictions, including the ban on working after 10am applying to hotels, restaurants and cafes, were imposed due to the alarming situation caused by COVID-19 and to the higher number of infected patients hospitalized in a serious state, IPN reports.
In the hearings held by the Parliament’s commission on economy, budget and finance on February 23, Aneta Zasavitski, president of the National Association of Restaurants and Recreational Facilities of the Republic of Moldova, said their turnover decreased significantly and the revenues are now lower than the costs. The restrictions affected the companies and their personnel, including their families. The Labor Code does not stipulate mechanisms for easily laying off the personnel that are not needed and compensations that the business entities cannot cover need to be paid.
The employers from the hospitality industry invoked the lack of balance between restrictions and support. They complained their turnover declined to 60-70%, but they have to pay the same taxes and costs related to rental and public utilities.
National Extraordinary Public Health Commission deputy head Tatiana Zatyk, secretary of state at the Ministry of Health, Labor and Social Protection, said the cases of infection became more serious and necessitate longer treatment and this is worrisome. The situation is most difficult in the municipality of Chisinau. It is impossible to improve the state of affairs and to help the health system to at least survive in the absence of restrictions concerning crowdedness and of protective rules. Other states managed to reduce the cases owing to though bans.
Secretary of state at the Ministry of Home Affairs Gheorghe Balan said that over 8,300 inspections at companies of the hospitality industry have been carried out so far this year. There were penalized 18 managers, 48 employees and over 140 visitors. Penalties are imposed only in case of flagrant and systemic violations.
Vasile Vulpe, head of the Economic Policies and Business Division of the Ministry of Economy and Infrastructure, said the hospitality industry suffered the most because of the pandemic crisis as this sector implies the greatest interaction with the people. The Ministry’s data show that over 13,000 employees work in the sector. A number of programs were launched to support this industry, but a number of initiatives are yet to be put into practice.
MP Alexandru Slusari, a member of the aforementioned parliamentary commission, noted that about 200 million lei was earmarked for subsidizing jobs this year. A part of this money can be allocated to the hospitality industry.
All the proposals are to be finalized during five days, but the measures with a budgetary impact can be adopted by Parliament only if they are approved by the Government. The current acting Cabinet does not have such a power.
