66 businesses across 13 municipal councils have closed down due to COVID-19

66 businesses across the 13 municipal councils have closed down due to the impact of COVID-19 to date.

This has been revealed by the Minister for Local Government Premila Kumar who says 25 businesses in Suva, 14 in Nausori, 16 in Labasa, 7 in Lautoka and 4 businesses have closed down in Nadi.

While delivering her ministerial speech, Kumar says this information is based on the survey carried out by the Municipal Councils by simply checking the shops to see whether they are empty or not and if the fit-outs were taken off.

Kumar says a more detailed study is being undertaken by Municipal Councils by looking at the business licenses they have issued.

She says their damage assessment showed that most of the businesses closed are restaurants and liquor shops.

Kumar says this is simply because most of these businesses relied on the disposable income of Fijians and the tourism industry which is in a coma due to the COVID-19 crisis.

She adds that it is clear that we must prepare for a very different picture for the remainder of this year as COVID-19 is taking a devastating toll on the global economy and Fijian businesses are feeling the impacts already.