PARIS, Aug 30 — France will turn off the fire-hose of aid to help businesses through the Covid-19 pandemic, instead directing funds where most needed, the government’s accounts chief said yesterday.The government wants to “look at what is really being lost, rather than just what is being said”.
“We are ready to help the sectors that really need it,” Dussopt told Radio J ahead of a meeting with leaders from industries still suffering from the pandemic, including tourism, small businesses and culture.As an example, Dussopt cited the restaurant trade: “In some regions, the number of visitors is the same as before, it is even higher than in July and August 2020, which were months that were not affected.
Instead of simply complaining about the difficulty they face hiring, he said, employers “have an interest in making the careers they offer more attractive” — by increasing salaries, for example.Moreover, economic growth is forecast at six per cent this year, with the government hoping for four per cent in 2022.