Tourism Support to be Extended until Next March

The measures to support the companies of the tourist sector affected by the spread of the corona pandemic will be extended until next March, instead of this month of December, according to the agreement signed between the National Confederation of Tourism, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Tourism.

The employees of the sector will continue to benefit from the 2000 DH of the CNSS indemnities, financed by the Covid-19 fund to manage the pandemic. This is a measure which includes the companies whose turnover has decreased by 25% minimum, provided that they keep 80% of their employees. In addition, the payment of social security contributions will be deferred until the first quarter of next year.

The beneficiaries of these measures are hotels, classified tourist residences, travel agencies, tourist transport companies, tourist guides declared to the CNSS in addition to independent guides provided by the Ministry.

Several professionals have received this extension announced by Mohamed Benchaâboun during the last meeting with the CGEM with much relaxation, especially since the tourist activity remains paralyzed due to the absence of reservations, the closing of borders and the imposition of containment measures in several countries. However, some categories of the tourism sector, such as tourist guides and tourist transport companies, considered that these measures are insufficient to save the sector from bankruptcy, knowing that the social support of the employees is not accessible to all because of the budget cuts and the indebtedness of the financial accounts of the professionals. Moreover, the non-respect of the commitments of the program contract by the banks, concerning the payment of debts without interests of delay. Indeed, several professionals, especially in the tourist transport sector, are demanding the extension of the payment deadline until December next year. This request was the subject of a correspondence they sent to Saad Eddine El Othmani, the Head of Government, for him to intervene and impose on the banks to implement the recommendations and measures to save companies from bankruptcy, knowing that HM King Mohammed VI stressed in his speech their importance in dealing with the repercussions of the crisis.