No Financial Lifeboat - Daily Post

August 5, 2020 | Tag: Daily Post | By: dailypost.wales

Charter boat owners who run fishing and pleasure trips from ports across Wales say the Welsh Government is not offering them a financial lifeboat during the corona virus outbreak. See link above for full story.

Update February 2021

North Wales’ licenced charter boat fleet brings into the area in excess of 10,000 tourists each year for trips and cruises around the North Wales coast, including landings on Islands, eco trips, angling, diving and wildlife trips. These businesses are now facing utter collapse and the prospect of going out of business permanently because they are one of many sectors being failed by the Welsh government’s lockdown support packages. Charter Boat owners who were only allowed to operate at 50% capacity for three months out of the last thirteen, have received no support in all this time and their businesses are now about to close permanently. Most boat charter businesses have to pay annual Boat Insurance, boat servicing costs, safety coding and equipment, plus upwards of £1K in Harbour/Port fees. These are paid annually to their local County Councils yet they are ineligible for the COVID-19 Small Business Assistance Scheme because they do not operate from a building and do not pay Business Rates. We have called on the Welsh government to see sense but unfortunately, this has fallen on deaf ears.

Still No Grant Aid for North Wales Boatmen

July 7, 2020 | Tag: COVID-19 | By: Ray Crowe

After consultation with the North Wales Regional Representative from Business Wales, it is apparent that we are still not eligible to apply for grant aid under the Economic Resilience Fund (ERF). The COVID-19 Economic Resilience Fund (ERF) was set up to provide financial assistance for eligible businesses and organisations who are facing operational and financial challenges as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak and to help them through the economic consequences. Although North Wales Boatmen's Association members fall very much into this category we cannot take advantage of it. Another letter has been sent to Welsh Government's North Wales Minister, Mr Ken Skates MS outlining our predicament. We eagerly await a decision from his office.