2023-07-02 02:15:09
Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire asked insurers on Saturday to extend reporting deadlines, reduce deductibles and quickly compensate professionals who are victims of the riots, towards whom banks are called upon to show understanding.
“We have asked insurers to be as simple as possible in handling procedures” and to “reduce deductibles as much as possible”, declared Mr. Le Maire in front of journalists after having received representatives of traders, hoteliers and restaurateurs. , insurers and bankers in Bercy. For the Minister, “compensation must arrive as quickly as possible”, “within deadlines which must be counted in days and not in weeks”.
“One call is enough! »
He invited the victims of damage and looting to quickly declare the claims to their insurance. “A call is enough, or an email, or an SMS! “We have planned to extend if necessary to extend the reporting deadlines,” he added.
“Declaration deadlines must be extended, but insurers must also adapt the recognition of claims”, remarked Philippe Coy, president of the Confederation of tobacconists. “I don’t think there will be enough experts in the short term, each member should be able to photograph the damage in order to be able to repair without waiting for an expert report,” he told AFP.
VIDEO. “Poverty”, “anger”, “relaxation”: why stores are looted by rioters
The professional organization France Assureurs assured AFP that its members were “all mobilized” to respond to the victims of the riots. “Accelerating compensation is particularly crucial to allow professionals whose work tool has been degraded or even destroyed to quickly restart their activity”, she noted. Not a word, however, on franchises for now.
Bruno Le Maire also asked the banks for “the greatest understanding in terms of processing deadlines” from the professionals concerned.
200 retail chains attacked and looted
The President of the French Banking Federation Philippe Brassac assured that they were “present, fully mobilized to respond in a personalized way to the needs of their customers affected by the recent riots”. A deferral of payment of social and tax charges for companies in difficulty will also be possible. Traders are also calling for a delay in the repayment of state-guaranteed loans (PGE) granted during the health crisis.
After four nights of unrest, there are about ten shopping centers and more than 200 retail chains attacked and looted – including 15 burned down -, 250 tobacconists but also 250 bank branches, stores of all sizes, fast food establishments… “It is hyper critical and there is really very significant damage”, indicated to AFP Alain Di Crescenzo, president of CCI France (the chambers of commerce and industry).
Extend sales?
“We are at several thousand shops”, with a predilection for sporting goods, food and optics. A balance sheet all the heavier according to him as many security guards have asserted their right of withdrawal.
Each CCI has opened a crisis unit — including psychological –, according to Mr. Di Crescenzo, who is also calling for aid to compensate for deductibles, operating losses if they are not insured, the payment of security guards and Partial unemployment. He also wants, more prosaically, priority in the police stations for traders so that they can easily declare their claims.
For Murielle Bourreau, vice-president of the French Federation of merchant associations, the gesture of Mr. Le Maire “will not be enough”. “I hear yet another postponement (of charges) after the one we had after the Covid, which we had after the pension reform or the yellow vests. I think that the traders will be taken by the throat once again, ”she said on the set of BFMTV, denouncing the passage of too heavy compensation procedures. In addition, the possibility of extending sales for one week for affected businesses is being studied.
“The sales started very well, tourism is doing very well. We have so many chances, so many assets in this country, we must preserve them,” pleaded Olivia Grégoire, Minister Delegate in charge of SMEs and trade in particular.
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