The emergency in several Ecuadorian provinces is affecting businesses and large losses are expected for the sector. National impacts could reach $250 million.
After the government of Guillermo Lasso decreed a state of emergency on November 1 in the provinces of Guayas and Esmeralda and extended the measure on November 4 to Santo Domingo deLoss Tsáchilas, commerce suffered the consequences of the actions.
The reduction of opening hours in commercial activity on the eve of the period of the year in which more is consumed has had negative impacts that have alarmed the authorities.
An 8% increase in billing was estimated for the month of November. However, after the measures announced by the government, only a 4% increase could be expected, according to the statements of the executive director of the Chamber of Commerce of Guayaquil (CCG), Juan Carlos Díaz-Granados.
“The trade would lose 250 million dollars during November”, said the director, warning that if this situation were to happen, the temporary employment that is usually done at the end of the year would be jeopardized.
The sector requests a review of the most suitable hours for the current curfew from 9:00 pm to 5:00 am.
Likewise, gas stations suffered significant impacts, with a 25% reduction in their sales in provinces where the state of exception is in force.
For this reason, the National Chamber of Distributors of Petroleum Products of Ecuador (Camddpe) asserts that the reduction of mobility and the closure of commercial activity, which includes gas stations, will not solve the security problems in the region, although “immediate militarization” can I .
Another of the affected sectors is tourism.
According to statements made by Holbach Muñeton, president of the Federation of Ecuadorian Chambers of Tourism, to the newspaper El Universo, while destinations such as Cuenca and Baños, Riobamba and Napo had total or almost full attendance, tourist destinations within the provinces under a state of emergency did not exceed 22% of attendance.
