Go out on the street as a last resource

The Restaurant Associations of Gipuzkoa and Bizkaia, together with business associations from the rest of the hospitality value chain, have had to resort to sectoral mobilization in the street to make ourselves seen and heard as an economic and social sector.

The Basque restoration sector has been asked to make a new effort, the umpteenth now, without it being accompanied by a comprehensive rescue plan by the person requesting this effort. The only thing we have received so far have been patches, if not insults in parliament from who should lead the recovery of this country.

We demand that the rescue plan for Basque hospitality be incorporated into the debate on the 2021 budget. A rescue plan that must have the financial support of all Basque institutions. Government, councils and city council ..., although the latter, without a doubt, are the ones that have shown the most sensitivity and closeness to the sector. A comprehensive rescue plan, led by our institutions, which includes:

1.- The modification of the current ERTEs system, so that the Social Security costs are exonerated 100% and the salaries of the workers are complemented up to 100%. Their extension has to last until the companies recover at least 75% of the turnover of the 2019 financial year, necessary to guarantee the survival of the companies and the jobs. Our supplier companies and their workers must also be taken into account in this area, because their turnover has also been seriously affected and they need these measures: they depend to a large extent on the hospitality industry and their sector.

2.- The incorporation of direct aid, non-refundable, that serves to compensate companies for the losses generated since the beginning of the pandemic (lost supplies, supplies, rents, mortgages, etc ...). The 187 million euros quantified 2 months ago have fallen short as a result of the closure of the hospitality industry decreed at the beginning of November. These aid must serve to guarantee the survival of the companies and the employment of our workers. In the specific case of the nightlife subsector, which has been the one that has suffered the most restrictions since the beginning of the pandemic, additional aid must be established to compensate for their losses and pay for the special security measures that they will have to implement when they are allows you to resume the activity.

3.- The review of the rental regulation, which considers the circumstances of a state of alarm, curfew or similar regulation, as circumstances that allow:

- The total elimination of the payment of rents during the periods of total closure of the establishments

- The proportional reduction of the payment of the rents, during the periods of closing of time slots or limitation of uses and of the activity of the establishments.

4.- Adoption of measures that involve the reduction of the tax burden borne by companies and the self-employed, such as the abolition during 2020 and 2021 of municipal taxes directly linked to the activity (terraces, garbage) and the reduction and deferral of taxes (IAE, IBI, etc, ...).

5.- The temporary “oxygenation” of the hotel industry in our cities and towns through the revision and flexibility of the municipal regulations for terraces. Acceleration of response processes to requests for new terraces or existing extensions. Temporary review of mobility and accessibility regulations that facilitate the incorporation of terraces "attached to the façade" and on the road in our streets and squares.

6.- Also at the municipal level, the streamlining of the processes of concession of building licenses and changes of activity for the reform of establishments aimed at adapting them to the new normality and temporary suspension of the expiration of activity licenses (6 months of inactivity).

7.- Promote actions to reactivate demand:

- Commitment to lower consumption taxes, VAT at 4%.

- Do not raise direct or indirect taxes that harm the reactivation capacity and international competitiveness of our industry.

- Boosting investment in attracting MICE and leisure tourism.

Finally, we ask that the reopening of the hotel and catering establishments be in conditions that allow them to work properly and to conduct minimally profitable business. The hospitality industry is not to blame for the health situation, it has taken care to comply with the protocols and recommendations and, on the contrary, it is the only economic sector that is almost entirely closed. This also affects mobility limitations, so that in this way the accommodation subsector and the rest of the companies linked more directly to the world of tourism can once again function with a minimum normality.