Coronavirus: 30 million euros to “save” ferry companies (Castex)

The government will release around 30 million euros in order to “save” the ferry companies, half of which for Brittany Ferries, in difficulty because of the consequences of the Covid-19 crisis, Jean Castex announced on Tuesday.

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“We have decided to reimburse all employee contributions, as requested by professionals, for the 2021 fiscal year,” the Prime Minister told the National Assembly, assuring that this gesture represented some 30 million euros. Fifteen million euros are intended in particular for Brittany Ferries, said Jean Castex, referring to “an exceptional effort” to “overcome this extremely difficult course”.

65,000 cancellations and postponements

The shipping company had to close many lines between France and England and resorted to emergency measures put in place by the government to reduce costs, including short-time working and a state guaranteed loan (PGE ) in the amount of 117 million euros. Brittany Ferries carried just 200,000 passengers in July and August compared to 780,000 a year earlier. Since the announcement of the British quarantine, it has recorded 65,000 cancellations and postponements for September-October.

At the beginning of September, the Minister of the Economy Bruno Le Maire had mandated the Interministerial Committee for Industrial Restructuring (Ciri) to study the situation of the company. The body will have to identify “structural measures which we continue to discuss”, underlined the Prime Minister, who was questioned on the subject by the deputy of Morbihan Paul Molac (Freedoms and territories).

(With AFP)