The business community calls on the Government to ease quarantine
The economic downturn in many countries around the world is a side effect of the introduction of coronavirus prevention measures by governments around the world. Increasingly, economists argue that the economic crisis should have occurred under any circumstances, and it is clear that the global pandemic has only accelerated this process.
They also note those areas that will suffer the most from the effects of quarantine. In particular, the American edition of the New-York Post defines that the virus, first of all, energy, financial and banking sectors, industry and production, the sphere of services and technologies are hit by a virus.
Today, businesses around the world are calling on their governments to liberalize quarantine. Ukrainian business does not stand aside from this world process.
On December 3, 2020, the Ukrainian Association of Furniture Manufacturers, which includes 242 companies, including retailers, material suppliers, designers, and manufacturers, also addressed the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine with an official request for quarantine liberalization.
Today, the furniture industry of Ukraine is more than 5,000 enterprises and more than 100,000 jobs. The main part of furniture enterprises belongs to micro and small businesses, ie individuals who are self-employed and a few other employees.
In 2019, the furniture industry of Ukraine created a positive trade balance of 302 million US dollars, exporting $ 674.3 million. The domestic market of home furniture only in Ukraine is estimated at 650 million US dollars, as well as furniture for public places (schools, offices, hotels, restaurants), where the main sales channels are shopping malls, salons, specialty stores, markets, and online. playgrounds. The latter account for only 7-8% of the total. That is, during the quarantine, the furniture industry of Ukraine closed almost all channels of furniture sales.
UAFM appealed to the government to allow the operation of furniture shopping centers, as in such facilities at the same time there is 1 person on more than 100 m2. In addition, it should be borne in mind that modern shopping centers have a high frequency of air exchange, which creates a safe environment indoors. All this helps to maintain compliance with all sanitary norms both inside the shopping center and warehouses or offices.
To this end, by January 1, 2020, the business community asks the government to allow the operation of trading platforms that sell furniture and components with all appropriate safeguards and compliance with applicable law. UAFM guarantees the strict observance of sanitary norms, namely:
● Providing employees with personal protective equipment (masks, gloves) at their own expense
● Availability of antiseptics
● Intensified wet cleaning of all surfaces using disinfectant solutions
● Maintaining the social distance between visitors
● Strict control over the number of people on the premises
● Strictly adhere to all sanitary norms inside the premises, both for production and for other needs of manufacturers: warehouses, offices, etc.
Representatives of the Ukrainian furniture industry do not ask the state for preferences or assistance, they want to be able to work to stand side by side with the government and help it fight the disease, as they have repeatedly helped in defense against an external aggressor or in resolving internal problems.
