Alberta businesses need more help despite new COVID-19 restrictions exemption program grant

Late final week, the Alberta authorities introduced a one time fee of $2000 for small and medium sized companies who select to implement the restrictions exemption program.

However some within the Edmonton enterprise neighborhood say extra helps are wanted.

“The $2000 that we’re getting is type of like placing a band assist on a gaping wound proper now,” 1st RND proprietor Mo Blayways mentioned.

“Whereas it’s very a lot appreciated, it’s sadly not sufficient to assist dig us out of the entire that had been going to be in.”

Blayways defined with the added prices of labour and signage to implement this system, the money doled out by the province will run out rapidly.

“From a monetary perspective, I don’t know that you could quantify the precise quantity that it could take to make this simpler on folks, however I do know there isn’t a vast quantity of funds to go round both,” Blayways mentioned.

The Canadian Federation of Unbiased Enterprise mentioned many homeowners who’ve chosen to implement this system are struggling.

Including the typical small enterprise in Alberta has extra that $330,000 of COVID-19 associated debt.

“Solely a 3rd, round 30 per cent of Alberta small companies are again to creating regular gross sales for this time of yr,” CFIB director of provincial affairs Annie Dormuth mentioned.

“We’ve by no means actually seen an uptick above 35 per cent all through this whole pandemic.”

It holds true for Blayways, who says heading into the autumn they “actually observed a drop off in gross sales” when the restrictions exemptions program got here into impact.

The restaurant proprietor says he wish to see extra data and readability on all these provincial packages — however for now he hopes this funding is out there quickly.

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“On a regular basis might be anyone’s final day in enterprise lately and sadly having to attend 4 to six weeks isn’t a possible choice for anyone,” Blayways mentioned.

The province says it’s working to get the grant program up and operating as quickly as attainable and that it needs to be prepared within the coming weeks. It provides, it would additionally monitor the state of affairs and asses if additional helps are wanted.

Blayways mentioned the perfect answer to getting his companies again on monitor is to get again to dwelling with out restrictions.

The province has additionally launched one million greenback grant to assist prepare employees to implement the REP and the wonderful for harassing workers has additionally been doubled from $2000 to $4000.