AMMAN — Businesses have gradually started to work normally since the beginning of this month, now that restrictions imposed by the
COVID-19
pandemic have been eased, but it will take some time for many to recover,
especially those that suffered most.
اضافة اعلان
Omar Al-Awwad, the head of the
Jordanian Union of Restaurant and Confectionery Proprietors, said that the impact of the
government’s mitigating measures related to the pandemic, which went into
effect at the beginning of this month, is limited and does not directly affect
the sector.
He urged that measures take into account the
slow commercial movement and the decline in demand for restaurant and
patisserie products.
Awwad also complained about the high prices
of certain products, such as oil and grains. The price of vegetable oil rose
from JD24 to JD30 in two days and the price of a tonne of chickpeas rose by JD420
in one day, he said, adding that restaurant price lists must be adjusted, as
restaurants began to lose significantly within a few days.
According to the government, Awwad said, this
is not due to the impact of the pandemic alone, but also to the war between
Russia and Ukraine.
Awwad said that the Ministry of Industry,
Trade, and Supply is not dealing with the price increase correctly, and urged
the to monitor the markets and the apparent chaos in prices, as well as to come
up with plans in support of restaurants, which have been severely affected from
the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The
government should ask banks and financial
institutions to postpone payment of installments and extend the period taken by
various government institutions to grant official licenses to restaurants, said
Awwad, adding that restaurant owners are currently “drowning” in debt and on
the verge of bankruptcy.
Overall, Awwad said, the sector has
deteriorated by more than 80 percent, and is not expected to improve anytime
soon; rather, the situation will worsen “as long as the government, and
particularly the Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Supply, does not cooperate
with this sector”.
Restaurant owner Husam Al-Akash told
Jordan
News: “I am now thinking of closing the restaurant I have”, adding that
what most impacts the sector is the citizens’ low purchasing power, “which has
led them to avoid eating out as much as they used to.”
Another major reason for the problems restaurant
owners are facing today are the high prices of basic products, he said, adding
that restaurants did not raise their prices, and therefore their losses are
significant.
Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Supply Spokesman Yanal
Al-Barmawi said that the ministry is going to look into the issue of price
hikes this week and that a statement explaining the measures that will be taken
may be issued soon.
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