Restaurant owners are clamoring for tax breaks as well as social and business amelioration from the government amid continued restrictions on their operations.
Eric Teng, president of the Restaurant Owners of the Philippines Association, told the Go Negosyo Forum yesterday the industry is now disabled and deserves discounts.
Teng said restaurants allowed to operate only at 10 percent should get 90 percent discount on their tax payments, permits and fees and those that operate only at 50 percent should just pay half their dues.
“For the longest time, we have been one of the more restricted industries during this COVID (new coronavirus disease 2019) emergency, and in several statements of the government, we are termed as a non- essential business entity. We find it objectionable that we are classified as such… we all treat our employees as an essential part of our industry, and any declaration that we are non- essential is really hurtful and cruel,” Teng said.
Teng said since the pandemic struck, the industry has not been offered any form of amelioration.
“We have not been consulted or communicated with, and yet, today we are going to be part of the 3 Cs (closed or indoor places, crowded areas and close contact) again. That means that we will be further disabled,” he added.
Teng said with COVID to remain unresolved, the restaurant industry “will suffer longer than everybody else.”
He said during enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) when workers who are displaced are given financial assistance, “we (as an industry) don’t get any special support.” Even during modified ECQ, restaurants are not allowed to accept dine-in.
“We need your help. We need your support. We need a dialogue. And may I request that we not be ignored during this time of our crisis,” Teng said.
