In order to address the significant challenges facing hotels and restaurants, and after consulting with industry associations, the Council of State has decided to implement a specific financial assistance program for businesses in the sector.
This one-time support amounts to a total of 6 million francs; it will be calculated based on revenue from previous years and may be up to 25,000 francs per business. The platform for submitting applications will open on December 14.
This extraordinary support for businesses in the hospitality and restaurant sector is part of the COVID-19 relief measures adopted by the State Council since the start of the pandemic. It comes in response to the significant difficulties reported by industry representatives, which were caused in particular by the measures taken to limit the spread of the pandemic. It also responds to the recommendation adopted by the Grand Council, calling for special non-repayable aid to be provided to this sector. This measure complements the decision taken by the State Council and announced on December 8, 2020, to raise the exemption from the turnover tax for public establishments to 5,000 francs.
This measure consists of a non-repayable financial grant calculated for each institution at 1.5% of its average 2018–2019 revenue subject to the Law on Public Institutions (LEP), plus an additional 1,500 francs per institution. The maximum grant amount is set at 25,000 francs. This grant applies to all public institutions with 2018–2019 annual revenue of 70,000 francs or more. Eligible businesses will be identified and notified directly via mail early next week so that they can immediately begin the application process and receive a payment before the end of this year. Applications may be submitted through January 31, 2021.
The State Council would also like to acknowledge the excellent partnership it has with GastroNeuchâtel and the regional chapter of Hôtellerie Suisse, organizations it consulted before implementing this measure. The Department of Consumer Affairs and Veterinary Services and the Department of Economic Affairs will be able to count on the valuable support of GastroNeuchâtel, as the association will be directly involved in processing applications.
At the same time, the State Council is finalizing Neuchâtel’s regulations regarding cases of hardship, which will be announced next week.
