Suffering catering industry offered government lifeline

In a bid to keep the country’s catering industry afloat amid a protracted pandemic, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis outlined a series of measures in a meeting on Friday with the representatives of the sector.

These measures include the extension of the exemption of businesses from the payment of rent for March and the maintenance of reduced VAT on coffee and alcoholic beverages until the end of September 2021.

There will be an extension of the reduced VAT on transport and other sectors, when they reopen, but also on tourist packages.

Moreover, the compensation of employees by the state via the suspension of employment contracts method will continue until December. In addition, the measure to cover the fixed costs of companies that have been affected since last spring is expected to be implemented in early April.

Mitsotakis also noted the government’s intention to further reduce employer contributions.