Clubs: How are we a breeding ground for infection and not buses? – Economy

Miša Relić from the Association of Bars and Clubs told RTS that she hopes the city of Belgrade will reduce the rent in accordance with the situation on the ground and that she will not give up. Those who live off bars have come together and are asking the state for help.

The number of people infected with the corona virus has reached record highs in recent days, hospitals are full and Belgrade’s nightclubs are full. That’s right, at least from the perspective of those wondering why clubs and bars are allowed to function in the midst of an epidemic.

On the other hand, those who live off bars have united, asking the state for help and saying “Let’s breathe.”

The clubs are often called breeding grounds. Miša Relić from the Association of Bars and Clubs said it was all strange.

“It’s just amazing to me that we are a hotbed of infection where we currently work at 25 percent capacity – a restaurant that seats 400 can now accommodate 85 guests and 15 employees,” Relic said.

“I know that there are clubs that have made a calculation and have decided to work outside of these measures, to pay fines because it is logical that they cannot survive with 25 percent capacity. But it is not clear to me how we are a source of infection, and buses that are 31 square meters in which 60 people travel are not a source of infection, “asked Relic.

He also asked that the hotbed of the infection is not the shopping centers where there will be 15,000 visitors who are behind the neck, and that, as he says, the state allows it.

In 400 square meters you have 85 people

Speaking of the bus and club comparison, Relić says that in 400 square meters you have 85 people, that is, 4 square meters per person.

He says that he did not work last night and that a large number of colleagues closed the bars. “We have two options, to work normally and for the state to shut them down and help.”

“We were the first to close on March 12, the state of emergency ended on May 6 and we are still closed, we began working on June 4, and on June 15 they declared us the largest incubator in the country and then we closed the 27. – We worked for three weeks in June, “Relić said.

He pointed out that they got some right to work at the end of August, they worked in September and the first part of October while the orchards could function.

What market

Since the beginning of October, 30 percent of colleagues have not opened winter spaces and 70 percent have started doing something, he noted. “You have a 100 percent market, which realizes that for 400 people, of that 100 percent, you earn for 150 or 180 people; the rest are costs, acquisitions, rentals, security,” Relic says.

If you came from 400 to 100 people, that is, 85 to fully comply with the measures, you are in the red, this cannot be done, Relic explained.

Speaking of the proposals, he says that the Prime Minister heard them in June, when they managed to agree on some things, so that the bars would not close before 11 at night.

According to him, it means little to the clubs, they can’t work until 11 a.m. because they start working from 11 a.m. to 5 or 6 a.m., that’s the working hours.

“Restaurants if you close before 9 pm, you have closed the restaurants. What we agreed with Ana Brnabić is that at least the restaurants will stay open until 11 am,” says Relić.

They ask for a rent reduction

They had a meeting with representatives of the City of Belgrade, where they asked that the rent be adjusted to the accounts according to the situation on the ground.

“We received a 50 percent discount for 45 days when we were completely banned from working – the state rented the facility from us, prohibited us from using the facility we had previously renovated, and sent us 50 percent of the invoice value for the period in which we were prohibited from working. ” says Relić.

He asked why the invoice had been sent. “I rented the apartment and renovated it, you came to close it, here’s your bill, but you can’t use it,” Relic says.

He claims that during the state of emergency, Novi Sad had an 80 percent discount on the rent for all catering facilities, and in Belgrade it was 50 percent.

Novi Sad has a 50 percent discount on all annuities from July 1 through the New Year, and Belgrade has given its caterers 50 annuity discounts for just two months, Relic notes.

They wait for help from the state

Suggest that the state help nightclubs and clubs. “First, we hope that the city will reduce the rent according to how much our capacity has been reduced and we will not give up, we are waiting for a meeting with the mayor and the deputy mayor, we have already had a conversation with Mr. Vesić – they agreed that there will be another meeting. ” he said.

Relic says that they have 17 taxes that they pay to the city of Belgrade for the period the work is prohibited, that is, they are reduced by 80 or 90 percent, and the taxes are paid “in full”, so he wonders on what basis.

They suggest meeting with state leaders to see how the state has helped clubs. “Employees received help, we were left with only contribution accounts, for our employees who have not been able to do their work in the last eight months, six months,” Relic noted.

“I have 20 employees and I accepted help, many of my colleagues fired those workers, they gave them help, but I entered the state program, I have a debt of 6.6 million dinars in the name of contributions for workers who could not work.” on behalf of the rent, on behalf of the company fee, “Relić said.

Relic noted that of the 85 clubs in the Association, only one received a loan.

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