The president of AIP – Portuguese Industrial Association, José Eduardo Carvalho, considered that the measures put forward by the Government to help in the recovery of companies affected by the Kristin depression “are good”, however, there is a need to be complemented.
“The measures are good, they go in the right direction, but with each passing day we begin to realize the scale of this problem. At this moment, it is not just the issue of asset recovery that is at stake”, he warned this Monday, February 2, at the end of a meeting that took place in Leiria and brought together at the table officials from NERLEI – Business Association of the Leiria Region, NERSANT – Business Association of the Santarém Region and NERC – Business Association of the Region of Coimbra.
According to José Eduardo Carvalho, the concern also has to do with the shutdown of companies and some unpredictability in the replacement of electricity.
“This will lead to contractual penalties for companies that are unable to work, loss of profits and, therefore, the problem that arises here is not just the effect of the bad weather, but with the problems that are already occurring”, he added.
In the analysis of the Government’s measures, businesspeople understood that some are “extremely important”, an example of which is the issue of licensing, tax moratoriums and the financing package.
However, given the losses and problems that companies face, he argued that “there is a need to complement those measures”.
To journalists, José Eduardo Carvalho also indicated that they will deliver to the Government, in a meeting that will take place this afternoon, a set of suggestions to help companies.
“I believe that tax moratoriums and lay-offs must be extended, that period is not enough, given the scale that exists here. It is also necessary to understand that, when moratoriums are imposed, it is necessary to ensure that the Bank of Portugal is involved in the process and that the moratoriums do not cause ‘defaults’ in companies, which create problems after access to credits”, he concluded.
According to the president of AIP, good practices in the post-fire period and during the Covid-19 pandemic must be used and applied, “obviously in a much smaller territorial dimension”.
“The effects here are very devastating”, he lamented, also indicating that they have no real idea of the scale of the damage, although they estimate that thousands of companies have been affected.
Nine people have died since last week following bad weather. Civil Protection recorded five deaths directly associated with the passage of the Kristin depression and the Câmara da Marinha Grande announced another fatality, to which were then added three deaths recorded due to falls from roofs (during repairs) or poisoning originating from a generator.
The total or partial destruction of homes, businesses and equipment, falling trees and structures, cuts or restrictions on roads and transport services, especially railway lines, the closure of schools and power, water and communications cuts are the main material consequences of the storm, which caused hundreds of injuries and displacement.
Leiria, Coimbra and Santarém are the districts with the most damage.
The Government declared a state of calamity until next Sunday for 69 municipalities and announced a package of support measures of up to 2.5 billion euros.
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