Hard hit event venues sector seeks government assistance

AMMAN — Wedding venues, party halls and event planning businesses took a big hit from the ongoing coronavirus crisis as industry losses jumped to approximately JD800 million, according to President of the Wedding Venues and Planning Businesses Association Mamun Al Manaseer.

“The loss of JD800 million would demolish the sector in case the government does not step in to rescue one of Jordan’s key sectors,” Manaseer told The Jordan Times in a phone interview on Tuesday.

“The sector is going through an unprecedented storm,” the president expressed.

“The wedding season is almost over, there have not been any reservations and the whole situation is getting out of control, therefore what we are asking for is not to reopen the venues and party planning businesses all at once, but to get support and start putting words into action,” he added.

The association suggested a set of solutions aimed at reversing its losses, especially given that the sector is still closed. Among the solutions proposed to the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Supply and Jordan Chamber of Commerce is stopping lease agreements as of March 15, 2020 until the reopening of the sector.

The cancellation of all taxes, as well as, the fees required from landlords until further notice and without any additional fines are also among the association’s suggestions, according to Manaseer.

“Bank facilitates of 2 per cent interest rate need to be provided and the amount borrowed by one wedding venue should not be less than JD30,000, and the bank loans should be repaid in monthly instalments after six months of the sector’s reopening,” Manaseer said.

“Owners of wedding venues and planning businesses should also be exempted from licence renewal fees and from all rent cheques during the shutdown period. We also aim to stop the ongoing landlord-tenant dispute. Everyone should collaborate and this is a hard time for everyone, he added.

There are nearly 1,100 wedding venues and 400 event planning offices, which directly employ between 30,000 to 40,000 people and they work in coordination with 27 other sectors, while creating job opportunities for more than 100,000 employees in the Kingdom, according to the president.

“Couples who were supposed to get married this year are concerned whether or not they will get their money back, but I assure them that their rights are protected,” Manaseer noted, while adding: “After 90 days of the sector’s reopening couples who paid and did not have their wedding will get their money back, but what we need first is to come to terms with the reality during this pandemic and respect each other.”

Meanwhile, Mahmoud Haroun, who owns a wedding venue in Amman, said that the sector’s situation is “catastrophic” and that a large percentage of wedding halls are for sale.

“No one paid attention to our sector. We were neglected from the beginning and now we are facing big losses,” he expressed.

“There are many businesses that have large gatherings, including cafes and restaurants, which means they are dangerous places for contracting the virus, but they are allowed to open,” Haroun concluded.