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There are days when Roland Küng (50) doesn’t know why he should get up. “It just doesn’t work,” says the managing director of Hunziker AG. Willisau’s company LU equips events with festival tents and grandstands. But since the crown pandemic, its order books have been empty. Virtually all of the 70 employees have been working short-time since April. The workforce has now been reduced to 55. Küng had to lay off six employees, there was no other way. “The others abandoned the sinking ship,” said the skipper.
Küng’s last hope is help in difficult cases. As a first step, the Federal Council decided to provide 400 million Swiss francs to companies that were particularly affected by the crisis. The cantons bear half of this. In a second tranche, 600 million will be added and the federal government will take over 80 percent.
Businesses have to wait, but can they keep doing that?
But depending on the canton, money can take a long time to flow. Because the millions of cantons can’t just talk like that. Canton of Lucerne no. The canton parliament must first stir up the expected 25 million. After that there is a referendum period. According to the government, it will be February before companies receive aid. If one were to put together an even bigger aid package, it would even be summer, because then the electorate would have to say yes first.
For many it will be too late in February, fears Küng, a board member of the Swiss association of tent builders Tectum. “It is extremely important to the entire industry that the money arrives as quickly as possible.” Because for some colleagues the water does not only reach their neck, but even their nose.
It was fast when doing sports
The entertainment industry is also calling for emergency help. “This worked wonders in sports,” say the showmen, looking at the 115 million Swiss francs that the federal government gives to sports clubs. As A-fonds-perdu contributions, that is, without obligation to reimburse.
Meanwhile, companies must be patient. Y: They fear a distortion of competition if a company in one canton receives money in December and the next in February at the earliest. When there is only a loan for some, but free help for others.
Küng also wants a national solution. Or at least Lucerne will find a way to pay the money faster. For your company, liquidity is assured for a few months. But the help will only come in the next year, and several bosses like him probably won’t be able to avoid laying off additional employees.
