Businesses fearful that Covid restrictions may derail festive cheer at the tills have prompted the Scottish Chambers of Commerce (SCC) to write to the First Minister as she prepares to announces possible new restrictions tomorrow.
Dr Liz Cameron, chief executive of the SCC, has written to Nicola Sturgeon ahead of an update to Scotland’s Covid-19 strategic framework is due to be published.
Ms Cameron said businesses in leisure, hospitality and retail make the most of their takings in “the golden quarter” in the run up to Christmas and urged the Scottish Government to “seriously consider the economic damage that a return, or expansion of current restrictions” would cause.
She said: “This is a critical time for Scotland’s businesses as we enter the golden quarter over the festive period where many businesses make most of their earnings for the year, and our members remain concerned about the impact that an expansion of Covid-19 restrictions and vaccine certification will have on them financially.
“Many businesses have gone above and beyond what is required of them when it comes to supporting public health measures, investing millions to ensure the safety and well-being of our employees, customers, suppliers, and communities.”
She said that businesses would happily back the expansion of vaccine certification “if the evidence being provided was clear”.
She added: “However, we remain unconvinced at this time that the public health benefits of an extension to the scheme outweigh the negatives for individuals, businesses and the economy.”
The letter argues that a return, or expansion of current restrictions would risk jeopardising recovery by creating more uncertainty for businesses as well as undermining consumer confidence.
Further, any change in policy requiring staff to once again start working from home would have a “devastating” blow on town and city centres that are reliant on passing trade from office workers.
Ms Cameron that there is very little evidence that such a move would increase safety.
She said: “The modelling being put forward by the Scottish Government fails to demonstrate that ‘workplace’ transmission is taking place in office settings, and with office occupancy and return rates remaining low, a further encouragement of home working will have a devastating impact on our town and city centre economies, which rely on office worker footfall, and which are already struggling to adjust to changes in consumer behaviour and competition from on-line retailers.
“A return to a stronger message on encouraging home working from the Scottish Government, after months of collaborative working with businesses during which it was agreed that a gradual and phased return to offices could be done safely, would be a considerable step backwards.”