The Horesca secretary general was a guest at RTL Radio on Thursday morning, and showed little surprise over the announcement that bars and restaurants may have to close again next week.
If numbers continue to climb, officials expect the closure to be initiated around Tuesday or Wednesday, given the law passes on Monday. Guidelines have already been issued, Koepp further noted during the interview, which advise business owners not to overstock on food in light of the pending lockdown.
The greatest difficulties are currently faced by restaurants that usually rely on busy lunch breaks in Luxembourg City or one of the other active business zones. Although the Grand Duchy remains the only country in the region where restaurants are still open, the situation still looks dire, Keopp notes: "When you close shop completely, even if it is only for 1 or 2 months, you still need about a full year to break even again."
Koepp also addressed the notion that the Horesca sector has to suffer from the lack of discipline in other areas, an injustice that needs to be financially compensated through government subsidies, he believes: "If another lockdown takes place, all support measures from the first one have to be put back into place, especially those concerned with rent."
When asked about the recent controversy regarding the recruitment of private people for high-ranking positions in education, the secretary general admitted that he liked the idea. The change would also concern the hotel-management school in Diekirch, where Koepp believes expertise from more specialised and field-experienced people may be of great benefit for everyone. "This should not be considered a personal attack on our staff, but more of a supportive measure for our existing teams", Koepp concluded.
