Romanian Govt. to subsidise rents in the shopping malls closed during pandemic

Retailers in Romania will be able to access funds worth RON 160 million (EUR 33 mln) to cover their rent costs for the period when their activity was affected due to the state of emergency and state of alert.

An inter-ministry commission coordinated by the Economy Ministry met again on Tuesday, July 7, to finalize the regulation based on which the financial support will be given, Economica.netreported.

The program is part of the national investment and relaunch plan the Government presented last week. The program’s guidelines are currently in the making, according to the Economy Ministry.

The ministry’s representatives also advised the mall owners and retailers to reach an agreement so that the funds received from the state can help both.

As the authorities closed the malls in Romania during the state of emergency caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been disputes between the mall owners and retailers on how to share the financial burden. Retailers suggested that they shouldn’t pay any rent for the period when their stores were closed while some mall owners continued to charge them rents.

(Photo source: Pixabay.com)