Around Soma City, Fukushima Prefecture, where the earthquake on the 16th of this month observed shaking with a seismic intensity of 6 or higher, disasters such as the Great East Japan Earthquake 11 years ago and the earthquake last year occurred one after another, and local businesses borrowed money for repeated repairs. There are urgent voices saying that we can no longer borrow money.
Around Soma City, in addition to the earthquake that observed the shaking of seismic intensity 6 upper on the 16th of this month, the Great East Japan Earthquake 11 years ago, the heavy rain caused by typhoon No. 19 3 years ago, and the earthquake of seismic intensity 6 upper that occurred in February last year. Many local businesses have been hit by a series of disasters and are in debt for repairs.
Of these, Shozo Kanno, who runs an inn near Matsukawaura in Soma City, was washed away on the first floor of the inn by the tsunami caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake and cost 120 million yen for repairs and 10 million yen for last year's earthquake. I used state subsidies, but I'm still paying off my debt.
In addition, the number of passengers decreased due to the influence of the new coronavirus, and we borrowed 20 million yen from financial institutions.
Under such circumstances, it is said that it will be difficult to pay for repairs because the walls and ceiling of the building will be newly damaged by this earthquake.
Mr. Kanno, who is the head of the local inn association, is said to have received many inquiries from other inns that he could not borrow any more due to a series of disasters.
Mr. Kanno said, "Every time an earthquake occurs, my debt increases and I am really in trouble, and there is a concern that if I borrow more money, I will leave a negative legacy for posterity. I would like to ask for support in consideration of "successive disasters". "
Soma Chamber of Commerce “More compensation and support than ever before”
After the earthquake, the Soma Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Fukushima Prefecture conducted a telephone survey of local businesses, and received responses from about 130 businesses. It is said that there are many opinions that it is difficult to recover from this earthquake.
Specifically, he said, "Every time I repair an earthquake, a typhoon, or last year's earthquake, I suffer damage, my debts increase, and my heart is about to break." ", And there are also opinions such as" There is no prospect of resumption and there is a lot of business closure. "
Kiyotaka Kusano, President of the Soma Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said, "In Soma City, there are many business establishments that have experienced major disasters about five times in the last 11 years, such as the Great East Japan Earthquake, Typhoon No. 19, and last year's earthquake, and their debts are increasing steadily. The mental damage caused by the disaster is great, and I am worried that the number of businesses going out of business will increase in the future. "
On top of that, the Soma Chamber of Commerce and Industry will request the government to provide more compensation and support to the business establishments that have been affected by the disaster.
Chairman Kusano said, "In the past disasters, there is a" group subsidy "that the national and prefectural governments provide financial support for 75% of the cost when restoring facilities, but there are too many disasters and 25% of self-financing. I think there are many businesses that feel a heavy burden even if they do so. I would like to ask for more support than ever so that there will be no businesses that choose to close their businesses in Soma. "