Suren Naidoo
By Suren Naidoo
David Maynier, Western Cape MEC of Finance and Economic Opportunities, on Thursday, called for the UIF Covid-19 Temporary Employer-Employee Relief Scheme (Ters) to be extended to tourism businesses along the Garden Route and other Covid-19 hot spots that are being impacted by new beach bans and other restrictions to trade.
Maynier said he had written to Tourism Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane to request that the national government extend the relief scheme to businesses and employees operating in the Garden Route District and other hotspots, for the duration of time the additional restrictions apply to these areas.
The Ters benefit was established to assist employees who lost income due to the coronavirus and regulations limiting economic activity during the various levels of the lockdown.
Maynier has also asked Kubayi-Ngubane’s department to consider any additional relief measures that can be provided to the hard-hit businesses.
“There is no doubt that the announcement by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday 14 December that the Garden Route District would be declared a [Covid-19] hot spot and that alongside this, all beaches would be closed in the Garden Route for the festive season will deal a devastating blow to the economy of the district which is heavily reliant on tourism for its survival,” noted Maynier.
He said the province’s position on the matter “was made clear” during its consultations with national government, adding that Western Cape Premier Alan Winde and the Garden Route District are challenging this decision.
(For more on this story visit moneyweb.co.za)
