WILLEMSTAD - In the private sector, business owners fear for the future of their life's work but are nevertheless hopeful and diligent. They are actively considering and exchanging one with another the possibilities of de-escalating within the framework of the necessary COVID-19 measures, which may be useful for the survival of businesses and the jobs involved.

These exchanges take place based on daily practice within the various sectors in which the business owners are active. This is de-escalation, which aims to restart the economy step by step, considering the health guarantees.

In this context, the Chamber of Commerce has made a number of practical proposals to the government aimed at getting the economy going again. These may limit reliance on emergency funds, save jobs, while more businesses can survive this period by working for that future themselves.

It concerns the following proposals:

1. continuation of the license plate of the day system (adapted if necessary) for everyone outside the vital functions in order not to have too many people “on the street” at the same time;

2. all companies that are allowed to open or partially open must take measures to protect employees and / or customers by applying social distancing and by limiting contact with customers as much as possible (although in certain business activities there are few contacts with customers);

3. extend active functions with: takeaway & delivery restaurants, hardware stores, business services (office jobs), agriculture & fisheries, manufacturing plants, swimming pools & gardens, construction activities (including plumber, electrician & installers), freight delivery (currently piling up) ), delivery services, garages and the real estate registry;

4. provide wage subsidies to companies that experience significant losses in turnover or overall loss of turnover;

5. ensure that working time reductions are introduced for the public and private sectors;

6. it remains of utmost importance that the government reduces its costs;

7. introducing a general solidarity tax in the form of a turnover tax, and certainly not a tax on income; the latter will only affect (currently declining) registered workers; it is well known that part of the economy is not formalized;

8. The expected reduction in petrol and diesel prices from May should not be passed on to the consumer, but administered in the Solidarity Fund, including as a buffer after the crisis.