Tallinn, Stenbock House, 19 May 2020 – Today, by means of video conference, Prime Minister Jüri Ratas met with representatives of entrepreneurship organisations to exchange information about the effects of the coronavirus on entrepreneurship thus far, and to discuss the future plans of the Government and Estonia’s economic outlook. The representative organisations were thankful for the state’s operational action in mitigating the economic effects, and emphasised the importance of opening state borders.
‘The spread of the coronavirus has inevitably been accompanied by very serious consequences for our economy and entrepreneurship’, said the Prime Minister. ‘Alleviating the measures taken to impede the spread of the virus creates prerequisites for the recovery of the economy and the improvement of the situation of companies, but all of this will undoubtedly take time’.
He added that, unfortunately, we are continuing to work under the presumption that while we have managed to confine the first wave of the coronavirus, we must be ready for it to return. ‘In this situation, we must do everything we can to be able to restrict the spread of the virus in the future with the minimum possible side-effects on our companies and workers’, said Ratas.
At the video meeting, the representative organisations were thankful for the state’s operational action in resolving the crisis, and highlighted the importance of the measure compensating remuneration in helping companies to cope and in preserving income for people. Representatives of undertakings also emphasised the necessity of public investments in reviving the economy, and stressed the importance of relieving travel restrictions, giving priority to the Finnish border, for example.
Also discussed at the meeting were preparations for the potential second wave of the virus, this, primarily, by means of preventative measures and local solutions. Involving representative organisations in legislative processes was also discussed.
The meeting with the Prime Minister was attended by Head of the Estonian Employers’ Confederation Arto Aas, Chairman of the Management Board of the Estonian Hotel and Restaurant Association Ain Käpp, Secretary-General of the Estonian Association of Travel Agents Mariann Lugus, Director General of the Estonian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Mait Palts, CEO of the Estonian Traders Association Nele Peil, Head of the Estonian Food Industry Association Sirje Potisepp, and the President of the Estonian Association of SMEs Heiki Rits.
Photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/stenbockimaja/albums/72157714364254181