The demand for eBooks has skyrocketed, more families are doing their shopping online and having your takeaway delivered at any time of the day has never been easier. Despite this unprecedented situation, there is a silver lining; such delicate circumstances have created the much-needed push for businesses to become more attuned to their customers and their requirements.

The financial and economic repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic have left various businesses and industries across the globe reeling from a range of issues; from liquidation, to the struggle to retain employees, to completely overhauling their customer services and operations overnight. Previously, I have spoken several times about technological advancements and the manner they are likely to shape businesses’ modus operandi.

It is within this context that I would say that from the challenging times brought about by COVID-19, positivity has bloomed within our business community, as opportunities were identified and adopted. From developing new projects to enhancing the skills of our workforce, several businesses have taken this predicament in their stride, actually coming out stronger and with a more competitive edge.

I must divulge that each day that passes amid such circumstances the landscape of business operations metamorphoses by the second. This is evident in the shift of new methods introduced by businesses which enhance their efficiency to keep on delivering to their customers.

In hindsight, we can rightly say that COVID-19 has accelerated our journey into the future. It has forced companies to adopt and adapt quickly to change. Some opted to redesign their products or services, some shifted to manufacturing products that have come in high demand during such circumstances. For others it was a great opportunity to develop further their ideas to better their services. Such changes, which enhance the very concept of business, should be preserved, and strengthened in our daily life post COVID-19.

It is good to note that the economic support measures we have implemented over the past few weeks have ensured the survival of some 83,000 jobs, through some 18,204 applications by businesses to Malta Enterprise for the COVID Wage Supplement.

It was indeed of great satisfaction that very recently the European Commission praised and approved the Maltese Government economic support measures aimed at safeguarding businesses and self-employed as well as thousands of employees.

Such proactive stance at all levels is a clear testament of the self-employed and businesses’ resilience and their commitment to fully retain their original staff complement.

Notwithstanding, or perhaps this is simply my reasoning through a millennial’s tech-driven mindset, that among the several economic support measures provided, the telework scheme caught my attention the most; that is the incentive of up to €4000, which accelerated businesses’ efforts to adopt to new technologies and which I personally anticipate will forever change the way business will be managed.

Over 300 companies applied to benefit from the telework scheme, aimed at helping businesses pursue their operations during this time of imposed isolation. For years telework was seen as some kind of leisurely and not very productive approach to work or even perhaps a privileged benefit for the few. COVID-19 has brought the benefits of telework to the fore in a big way. We may be witnessing the inception of a different algorithm of how our workforce operates.

But now as a country we need to move onward and upward. Against this rapidly evolving scenario we need to shift our focus on finding and implementing the best means to re-stimulate the economy once this public health threat has been overcome. Intense discussions have now firmly shifted from the creation of an exit strategy to a restart strategy.

With this new approach in mind a number of measures were presented to the Health Authority for the gradual lifting of a number of restrictions on several sectors of the economy. This will help to put the economy gradually into gear while ensuring that the country does not run into the risk of a second wave of COVID19. It is also therefore highly encouraging to note that all stakeholders have been highly proactive in putting forward their own well-studied measures to ensure the best possible outcome with regard to maintaining the appropriate balance between health safety and economic performance.

Notwithstanding the urgency of helping our economy get back on its feet as soon as is viable to do so, I must assure all stakeholders, especially those who have been severely impacted by this unfortunate situation, that the economic support measures launched by the government will not be stopped abruptly when businesses reopen, but will remain in place until the substantial recovery of businesses can be gauged.

Given the turbulence we have and are still experiencing, the popular perception might be that our main goal is to come up with a viable exit strategy; however, we all need to look beyond and prime ourselves for the moment when we will have to hit the ground running. At this point, this is what we actually should be talking about, businesses and life well beyond COVID-19. Therefore, it must also be reminded that throughout the transition from an exit to a restart strategy, it remains crucial that everyone works hand in hand for our economy to resurge successfully once again.

Silvio Schembri is Minister for Economy, Investment and Small Businesses