Bercy receives sectors in difficulty

It is Monday August 30 that Bruno Le Maire, surrounded by his colleagues in charge of Labor, Transport, SMEs, Tourism and Culture, receives in Bercy the representatives of sectors of the economy particularly penalized by the Covid crisis : hotels and restaurants, nightclubs, events, tourism, transport, mountain equipment suppliers, sports halls, distribution, cinema, live shows and heritage.

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The challenge: to decide on the aid that will be granted to them from August 31.

Because Bruno Le Maire announced last Wednesday, during the Medef summer school, the end of generalized “whatever the cost”.

The Minister of the Economy instead wants tailor-made support for businesses.

While the recovery of the French economy is evident (INSEE expects 6% growth for 2021), these sectors could continue to suffer from the health crisis and the constraint of the past in particular.

An adjustment according to the sector and the location

The adjustment to real needs would be made according to the sector and the geographical location.

Finding the right cursor will be difficult for the government as the situations vary.

According to a study taken up by catering organizations, 60% of restaurateurs lost at least 20% of their turnover between July and August when more than a quarter did better than in 2019.

Fixed-cost aid, in force for companies with a turnover of more than 1 million euros, is on the negotiating table.

This measure was due to end on August 31, but some are asking that it be maintained.

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Another crucial point is the repayment period for government guaranteed loans (PGEs).

Currently, borrowers have a maximum period of five years to repay, with an interest rate of up to 2.5%.

For many, this deadline must be pushed back.

Finally, discussions also focus on how to measure the drop in turnover.

Bercy wants to be based on payments by bank card, which is not to the taste of entrepreneurs, for whom cash payments have also severely decreased.