Aid to businesses after the October 3 storms was the focus of the work and debate at the General Assembly of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which was held at the consular chamber’s headquarters.
A unanimous observation: after the initial steps of recovery, the situation remains difficult on the ground, and the scars are still raw. Calculations indicate that nearly 1,800 commercial, industrial, and artisanal businesses were impacted, with half of them being severely affected.
But do these numbers reflect reality?
Because amidst the necessity of cleaning premises and the destruction of production tools, an entirely different problem arises. It is thus necessary to complete and refine the inventory to better understand who needs what and for what purpose.
The Prefecture manages a “permanent consultation table” with all public and associative actors to grasp the problem.
However, repairing damages, partial or total, temporary or long-term suspension of activity, financial problems, and loss of income don’t fall into the same category of responses, and the interlocutors are not the same either.
So, it’s all well and good that a grievance book is being written, but then, it must go beyond that. And, as much as possible, avoid some from taking advantage of the misfortunes of others!
Therefore, it would be better to set aside the rhetoric and complaints of circumstances and focus on restarting the economic machine as quickly as possible. If, subsequently, the State grants a tax and social moratorium, all the better for the beneficiaries.
Doesn’t the proverb say “a blessing in disguise”?
For its part, the Department of Alpes-Maritimes has unanimously adopted a motion to ask the State to act concretely and quickly in the name of national solidarity.
The departmental council voted on October 8 for an aid plan of €10 million. The permanent commission voted €1,680,000, which will be distributed to municipalities as early as this week.
Eric Ciotti, Deputy, President of the Department of Alpes-Maritimes: “I am pleased with the unanimous adoption of this motion, proof of the strong territorial solidarity in Alpes-Maritimes, and I expect national solidarity to finally express itself in turn. Today, the time for declarations is over, the State must act quickly.”
