| | |  Business News | May 2009 
Mexico Business Takes a Blow
 The News
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| | (Larry Bennett Photography) | |
The fact that confirmed swine flu deaths and new infections appear to have dropped significantly certainly gives some validity to the decision to send the nation into partial shutdown.
Even so, the fact of the matter is that businesses and entrepreneurs are suffering deeply, and we can't simply write that off as an unfortunate byproduct of a necessary measure. Considering the sorry state of the economy before the flu epidemic hit, it is certain that the losses they are incurring now will be the final nail in the coffin for many businesses.
In the D.F., no restriction has been more controversial than City Hall's move last week to force restaurants to cease sit-down service. Moments after the restriction was announced, the Canirac restaurateurs association was declaring it a "coup de grace."
The city has said it will pay restaurant workers 50 pesos per day to make up for lost wages, but it and the federal government must consider other actions as well. Perhaps a temporary tax waiver or free public utilities during the shutdown would help businesses. It would also show that the government is willing to give up some of its own income as it asks the private sector to do the same.
We'd also like to see a little less hyperbole from Canirac. On Friday, a spokesman called the take-out-only restriction a "failure" and said that 99 percent of city restaurants had temporarily closed because of it. That figure seems a bit exaggerated considering the number of establishments we've seen hanging out a "para llevar" sign. Business was going to suffer regardless of the take-out-only rule, so more measured complaining would be in order. |
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