Survey – Most businesses in Budapest see bleak outlook
Fully 93 percent of businesses in the capital believe their outlook is bleak, according to a flash survey conducted by the Budapest Chamber of Industry and Commerce (BKIK) on the impact of the coronavirus crisis.
The survey covered 1,895 Budapest-based companies, of which 83 percent are microbusinesses, 15 percent SMEs and 1 percent large companies.
BKIK noted that one-third of the companies have their employees working from home, 19 percent have sent them on unpaid leave and 12 percent on paid leave.
The survey shows the ratio of home office work increases in proportion to the size of the company. Fully 80 percent of large companies have shifted to home-office work, while only 51 percent of small businesses have done so.
Altogether 55 percent of medium-sized companies have home-office arrangements in place.
Only one-fifth of the companies had a contingency plan for such situations, but 34 percent of the remaining ones are now drawing up an emergency plan, and 15 percent are considering doing so.
BKIK said 60 percent of the companies have experienced a decline in orders and 40 percent a drop in the number of guests, customers, consumers and clients.
In response to a question about what kind of help they would find useful under the circumstances, 40 percent of the companies said they would support the establishment of a fund to provide preferential credit or guarantees to companies to help them cope with temporary liquidity problems on condition that they maintain their headcount.
Source: MTI
What is SME? Can you always spell out acronym in first reference, as with BKIK. Thank you, and thank you for keeping us informed in this stressful time. Journalism, as lacking as it is in Hungary- is CRITICAL. You have now crossed into the realm of an ‘ essential workforce’.
GLOBALLY – this is the time that ALL governments place major emphasis that delivers EMPATHY broadly and fairly disbursed among it’s People/Population. I have confidence that this will be seen as a “Creed” of the Victor Ordan led Government of Hungary. International media communicating the effects of this novel coronavirus pandemic on Australia, my reading is applaudable to there Government in it’s EMPATHY to it’s nation of 26 million. We must remain totally focused on us the people of this blessed historic beautiful country of Hungary, and that we do not see nor see the “soul” of our country eradicated destroyed in these challenging and difficult times.
We are ALL in this to-gether and have humanitarian roles to play which could simple be asking a question to our neighbour – “are you alright”. Let us be driven by DEEDS – thinking of others not forgetting US but life outside us doing DEEDS.