Featured | Mar 27,2021
The modestly-sized, discreet branch of Tomoca in Piassa kept its doors open to customers looking for a quick sip of coffee for almost seven decades. But following the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the measures being taken to contain its spread, one of Addis Abeba’s most famous roasters has had to temporarily suspend service.
Over the past week, its doors were left shuddered, its employees put on paid leave and its owners left without income.
It is not just Tomoca. Any business that relies on people gathering in a confined space is facing a downturn in business activity. Some of these businesses, such as bars and nightclubs in Addis Abeba, were ordered to close following the first confirmed case of the Coronavirus in Ethiopia.
Many others have chosen to close their doors temporarily because they do not want to risk exposing their employees to the virus. In other cases, businesses have decided to close, for they do not see any purpose in remaining open when people are barely venturing out of their homes and the streets are all but deserted.
For the time being, this has not translated into mass layoffs, but most employees are being forced to take their annual leave. Meanwhile, employers are pleading with the government to bail them out.
In response, the city council is working on a tax relief package for businesses hit hard by the partial economic lockdown. However, experts are not sold on the idea that this would be of any value, since businesses are not earning any profit for the government to tax anyways. They argue that soft loans will be more beneficial.
Without extensive and early support, businesses warn that they will not be able to weather the storm if it lasts for several more weeks or months and that employees will pay the steepest price.
"We simply couldn't keep our employees without work," said Bethlehem Tilahun, owner of the roaster Garden of Coffee. "We had invested a lot in our employees, but in the end, it is a matter of survival."
You can read the full story here
PUBLISHED ON
Apr 04,2020 [ VOL
21 , NO
1040]
Featured | Mar 27,2021
Fortune News | Dec 05,2020
Fortune News | Apr 02,2022
Agenda | Dec 07,2019
Fortune News | Jun 29,2019
Life Matters | Nov 18,2023
Viewpoints | Oct 30,2021
Agenda | May 02,2020
Sponsored Contents | Mar 28,2022
Verbatim | Feb 17,2024
Dec 22 , 2024 . By TIZITA SHEWAFERAW
Charged with transforming colossal state-owned enterprises into modern and competitiv...
Aug 18 , 2024 . By AKSAH ITALO
Although predictable Yonas Zerihun's job in the ride-hailing service is not immune to...
Jul 28 , 2024 . By TIZITA SHEWAFERAW
Unhabitual, perhaps too many, Samuel Gebreyohannes, 38, used to occasionally enjoy a couple of beers at breakfast. However, he recently swit...
Jul 13 , 2024 . By AKSAH ITALO
Investors who rely on tractors, trucks, and field vehicles for commuting, transporting commodities, and f...
Dec 21 , 2024
The main avenues and thoroughfares of Addis Abeba have undergone an impressive faceli...
Dec 14 , 2024
Ethiopia's monetary policy has shifted conspicuously in recent years. Gone is the era...
Dec 7 , 2024
For decades the Ethiopian Petroleum Supply Enterprise (EPSE), a state-owned giant ent...
Nov 30 , 2024
In the corridors of government offices worldwide, the question of how much to pay mem...
Loading your updates...