Let us open, at least at half the capacity: Restaurants
Around 60,000 of hotels, restaurants have been counting losses since the Covid-19 outbreak and 10-15% have been closed permanently
Hotels and restaurants across the country have suffered losses amounting to Tk90,000 crore until now owing to restrictions imposed to curb the spread of Covid-19, according to the Bangladesh Restaurant Owners Association.
At a press conference at Dhaka Reporters Unity in the capital on Monday, it demanded that the government allow hotels and restaurants to open and entertain guests as usual in compliance with health safety guidelines and social distancing.
If that is not possible immediately, people should at least be able to begin dine-in services at half the capacity with the remaining seats vacant, the association said.
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The sector has suffered the most in the pandemic, said the association's President Osman Gani.
Around 60,000 of all hotels and restaurants have been counting losses since the Covid-19 outbreak and 10-15% have been closed permanently.
In the ongoing lockdown, about 80% of the outlets have remained closed. Only 2-3% of all hotels and restaurants have the ability to provide take-aways, parcels and home-delivery services.
As many as 30 lakh employees and two crore people directly and indirectly involved in the sector have been living in despair after losing jobs and income, said Osman Gani.
He said it was a conspiracy against local businesses to keep restaurants closed allowing only online delivery services.
"Some international online delivery companies have taken over the market and as a result money is being siphoned out of the country," Osman Gani alleged.
Giasuddin, owner of Bismillah restaurant at Bangla Motor in the capital, said his income from the food outlet had come down by 80-90% during the lockdown and customers taking out parcels were fewer than before.
"Of the 15 staffers I had, seven are on the payroll. I had to lay off the rest of them due to lockdown."
Sujan Khan, manager of another restaurant at New Eskaton in Dhaka, said the restaurant had delivered food packages amounting to only Tk7,000 throughout Monday, whereas daily sales before the lockdown had hovered between 35,000-40,000.
Amid the shrinking business, owners have laid off many workers.
One of them is Al-Amin, who returned home to Noakhali before the Eid festival. He had worked as a waiter at a Dhaka restaurant for seven years.
"I called the owner several times to ask to be allowed to re-join work, but the owner said he would not be able to give me back the job unless the lockdown was lifted."
The association's Secretary General Imran Hasan demanded that restaurant and hotel owners be given long-term loans from the Tk20,000 crore stimulus package allocated for small and medium enterprises, and owners and workers of the service sector be vaccinated on a priority basis.
He also said the government should formulate a policy for food delivery through e-commerce, takeaways, parcels and digital services through setting a maximum of 10% in commission.
Firoz Alam Sumon, joint secretary of the orgasnisation, said the government conducted drives to ensure that 15% VAT was paid at restaurants in upscale areas, such as Gulshan and Dhanmondi in the capital, while being lenient towards others.
He said all restaurants should be brought under taxation and no more than 10% VAT should be imposed.
