Restaurants and catering establishments should open as soon as possible, the Association of Catering Establishments (ACE) has said.
In a statement released on Wednesday afternoon, ACE said the easing of measures announced on Wednesday morning is catered toward the implementation of the Tourism Recovery Plan to boost Malta’s economy. The easing of the measures however has left entertainment industries, specifically restaurants, in the dark, ACE had said.
Catering establishments “were never the main source of spread of the pandemic” it said.
It has therefore called for the reopening of catering establishments as well as other entertainment services.
It has also called for Government Covid-19 vouchers, which offer the general public discounts on restaurant and accommodation services, to be issued “immediately” to “kick start the economy and welcome students in a safe, vibrant, alive country”.
Additionally, the ACE added that “if the Authorities are unable to take action on the few criminals, it is unfair that genuine entrepreneurs, employees and their families are suffering for no reason”.
It concluded its statement by saying that it is in discussion with the government in order to ensure long-term sustainability in the catering sector.
Prime Minister Robert Abela announced on Wednesday that Malta is preparing to receive tourists as from 1st June and that the government has 20 million euros set out for helping bars and restaurants make the most of the summer.
Abela said that restaurants and catering establishments will remain closed for the time being and will not be opening alongside non-essential shops on the 26th of April.
The Tourism Recovery Plan, announced by Minister for Tourism and Consumer Protection Clayton Bartolo, is aimed to help establishments struggling in the tourism industry. It will see the boosting of advertisement campaigns, which will promote the narrative that Malta is “an ideal country that one can come to where the measures are respected”.