The certificate should soon be compulsory in the restaurant. The Federal Council could announce the move as early as next Wednesday. The Gastrosuisse industry association is demanding compensation in this case.
“An extension of the certificate to the hospitality industry means a reduction in the guest potential,” said a message on Sunday. There is talk of up to 45 percent. The farmers in the country would expect a “large majority” of sales losses, it is said.
“Almost a quarter of the companies are expecting at least a halving of sales,” says Gastrosuisse President Casimir Platzer in the press release. Only every tenth restaurateur assumes that there will be no decline in sales. Additional restrictions, if any, could further thin out the financial cushion. It should threaten livelihoods. “The reserves have been used up,” said Platzer.
About 30 weeks too
The association calculates that the catering was closed throughout Switzerland for 30 weeks and 6 days during the pandemic. In addition, there were partial closings such as curfew from 7 p.m. and cantonal closings.
The hardship aid had given way. But only briefly. The situation is currently worse than in spring. In a survey by the gastro association, one in ten states that they will slip into bankruptcy if there is another shutdown. Just the introduction of a certificate requirement would cause every second restaurateur to face liquidity problems, it is said.
The association reminds that the hospitality industry is a big employer. And that over 50,000 jobs have already been lost in the industry since the beginning of the pandemic. There is fear that this expansion will continue, especially since changes to short-time work are due at the end of September. “In order to prevent this, any restrictions would have to be financially compensated in the same course,” says the communiqué on Sunday. (ise)