The Gozo Tourism Association welcomes the extension of the wage supplement till the end of June, 2021, as announced this morning by the Minister for Energy, Enterprise and Sustainable Development Dr. Miriam Dalli. This measure, once again based on loss of turnover, will continue supporting the hard-hit businesses by the COVID-19 related economic downturn.
The Gozo Tourism Association also notes Government intention that the wage supplement measure will not end abruptly in June, 2021, but is forecasted to continue until the end of 2021, with the government continuing to provide this support to the businesses which are worst hit by the pandemic.
Furthermore, the Gozo Tourism Association appreciates that after the latest announced measures and including the closure of Restaurants and Snack bars, the full wage supplement is being extended to these effected catering establishments.
The measures announced today appropriately address the urgent needs of the hardest hit businesses and especially in retaining their workforce thus saving job losses.
The Association also notes Government’s disposition for dialogue with the various stakeholders and including the Gozo Tourism Association. It is hoped that such consultations allow the introduction of further schemes that can further mitigate the negative impact of covid-19, and for which the Gozo Tourism Association has been lobbying these last past months