The Association of Lithuanian Hotels and Restaurants staged a protest on Tuesday, entitled "the last business supper", to demand subsidies and the permission to resume services from April 15.
One year after the first quarantine came into effect in Lithuania, the association says many of the businesses are facing collapse.
“Already 9,000 of our employees are jobless. We see that this is only the beginning,” Evalda Šiškauskienė, head of the association, said during the protest in Vilnius’ Kudirkos Square.
“It’s a shame, because this sector is in the most socially vulnerable – women over 60, youths, students, [because] the work doesn't require specialist training,” she said.
According to the association, their sector has received almost no government support, despite generating some 5 percent of the country’s GDP and employing around 42,000 people.
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To support the sector, the association is asking to remove the 100,000-euro cap for subsidies for businesses and are calling to support employees returning to work, cover furlough pay, as well as rent and expenses.
Last week, the association asked the government to allow to partially resume services in indoor cafes and restaurants and to fully reopen outdoor venues, as well as massage and catering services in hotels.
Meanwhile, the country’s Economy Ministry says that the catering and hospitality sector has received 4.94 million euros in subsidies over the past six weeks, as well as 2.92 million euros in loans.
The sector has received the second-highest number of subsidies behind the retail industry, according to a statement issued by the ministry before the protest. It also says that more subsidy schemes are being rolled out.
Currently, 1,644 hospitality and catering firms have received subsidies, according to the ministry.
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