François Asselin, president of the General Confederation of Small and Medium Enterprises (PME), received Tuesday by Prime Minister Jean Castex, calls on Europe 1 for "support" and "investment" for companies, before the new measures against the Covid-19 announced Wednesday evening by Emmanuel Macron.

INTERVIEW

Faced with the deterioration of the health situation in France, Emmanuel Macron must decide.

The Head of State addresses the French at 8 p.m. to announce new restrictive measures, in order to limit the spread of the Covid-19 epidemic.

The preferred scenario, according to information from Europe 1, is general confinement for a renewable period of four weeks.

A blow to economic activity.

François Asselin, president of the General Confederation of Small and Medium Enterprises (PME), details on Europe 1 the measures necessary, according to him, for the survival of companies. 

More flexibility for the EMP 

"Support and investment", asks the president of the Confederation of SMEs, the day after the meeting with Prime Minister Jean Castex.

"We must broaden the toolbox of support measures. Several scenarios are useful for the exit of the loan guaranteed by the State: to be able to have an additional year of franchise," he quotes.

"We must be able to postpone it [the reimbursement of the EMP, editor's note] by an additional year."

"An envelope of 300 billion has been voted by Parliament for the EMP, 140 billion euros will be consumed at the end of the year, 160 billion euros remain. We could make loans guaranteed by the Consolidated state ", adds François Asselin, who details the concept.

"I consolidate all the debts of my business and if my economic model is viable I spread them over ten years, if necessary, to be able to bounce back". 

Rent tax credit 

Another major issue: the payment of rent.

“When you are closed, unfortunately you have to continue paying your rent. Among the lessors, you sometimes have the former trader, the former craftsman: we are not going to deprive them of their pensions. So we have to set up a loan tax, Bruno Le Maire is working on it, "assures François Asselin.

"I hope that the solution he must ask soon will be up to the stakes". 

"It's been two months since we made our proposals: tax credit, use the security deposit to shunt three months of rent ...", details the president of the CPME.

"We must immediately anticipate the measures that the government will take on the pandemic field."