The extraordinary support of the retail trade of Thessaloniki, Achaia and Kozani with an amount of at least 5,000 euros per business, in the form of compensation and without criteria, demand -with a joint letter to the Prime Minister- the President of the Union of Greek Regions and regional governor of Central Macedonia, Apostolos Tzitzikostas and the regional governors of Western Greece, Nektarios Farmakis and Western Macedonia, George Kasapidis.
It is proposed to provide for this compensation either by legislation or by the publication of a call for aid measures similar to the one that applied to those businesses that were exceptionally suspended during the Christmas period due to local measures to limit the dispersion of Covid 19.
It is described as necessary to restore the principle of equality «following the government's surprise decision to suspend the opening of retail businesses in the Regional Units of Thessaloniki, Achaia and Kozani». As noted, the decision to close shops in the three areas reverses «in a sudden - and rather paradoxical way as other areas with a high epidemiological burden were not exempted from the regulation - the planning of retail professionals in our already multiply affected regions», bringing «adverse consequences on the viability of these businesses as it deprives them of the minimum expected liquidity resources just three weeks before the Easter holiday period. The fact that the exemption from the lifting of the restrictive measures concerns only a small number of regions constitutes a specific condition that requires targeted regulation in order to provide aid to these businesses in the form of one-off compensation to cover the loss of liquidity and costs of retail businesses and to protect jobs.
«Considering that this measure is a minimal recognition of the burden that has been placed on retail professionals who are the backbone of the local economy, we expect you to announce the measure,» the letter concludes.
