What level of aid will the state continue to pay to restaurateurs, hoteliers and other bar managers from June? The question was at the center of discussions with professionals in the sector which took place this Monday afternoon at the Ministry of the Economy. Because if the terraces will reopen from May 19, state aid will not begin to fall until the following month. “The watchword of this way out of the crisis is“ support ”, explained Bruno Le Maire, Minister of the Economy, the same morning on RTL. We will keep the entire solidarity fund for the month of May. There will be no change, even if there are partial reopenings. "
In June, change of program.
On this date, it will be a question of making "tailor-made", according to the minister, to respond to this patchwork of economic situations.
Some businesses will resume normal activity, others will remain closed, such as discotheques which will continue to benefit fully from the solidarity fund.
And between the two, a significant number of partially open establishments.
This will be the case in particular for restaurants, bars and cafes.
As for the world of culture and entertainment, but also for events, they will have access to the solidarity fund, regardless of their loss of turnover, announced Bruno Le Maire.
Concretely, it will no longer only be open to those who lose more than 50% of their turnover, but also to those who lose less.
How ?
Tax exemptions at the heart of negotiations
"We are in full negotiation to determine what will be this percentage of degression of the solidarity fund and what will be its duration, because it may be necessary to foresee five to six months of degression if necessary and not three months until August, as the government proposes it, comments on condition of anonymity a negotiator present at Bercy.
In addition, should a threshold be set at 40% of turnover, then 30% or 20%?
Or 30%, 20% then 10%?
We don't have an answer yet, ”he continues.
Read also Covid-19: reopening of bars and restaurants in three stages from May 19
Other topics of discussion on the menu of this meeting, exemptions from charges and partial activity.
On this first aspect, professionals would like 20% when the government offers only 10%.
As for the second subject: "There is no remaining charge until June 30, then it is a question of 15% of the salary in July, then 30% in August and finally 40% at the end of the year. September, which corresponds to the general regime, continues the same source.
But it is too much.
We need to have a pinch of partial unemployment with no out-of-pocket expenses, especially for the Parisian hotel industry.
"
"It is not because the light will come on that customers will come back"
Contacted, the Ministry of the Economy did not wish to advance on figures.
“We are in discussions all week with all sectors.
Everything can change, ”we were told.
"The file is technical because the activities will not resume in the same way everywhere, justifies Jean-Virgile Crance, president of the National Group of hotel chains (GNC), who did not wish to reveal the content of the discussions.
For example, the activity of bars will resume faster than that of restaurants, and that of restaurants will resume faster than hotel activities.
"
Read alsoMaintenance of the solidarity fund in June: "It's a great encouragement", confide the restaurateurs
Still, professionals are impatiently awaiting these details which could be provided next week, during a press conference by the Prime Minister. "It is not because the light will come on that customers will come back," warns Stéphane Manigold, owner of eight restaurants and spokesperson for the collective "Stay open". We saw it last year, between establishments installed along the coasts which exploded their turnover and the big cities, deprived of foreign customers, the situation was not lived in the same way. It is common sense to adapt the aids according to the situations. When a business loses 16% of its turnover, it puts itself in danger. "
