TRENTON – NJBIA President and CEO Michele N. Siekerka issued the following statement regarding the March 13 Assembly session to vote on a coronavirus bill package and the current impacts of the health crisis on New Jersey businesses and employees.
According to a release, “As we enter upon an incredibly challenging time for New Jersey businesses, NJBIA thanks the Assembly for working on legislation to address the spread of coronavirus and its numerous impacts.
“We are also respectfully requesting that our lawmakers work collaboratively and expeditiously to pass legislation for stop-gap funding and any other programs that will assist our businesses and their employees.
“We are very concerned, in particular, about how our small businesses will be able to weather an economic slowdown. Many operate on very slim profit margins and often do not have extra cash available for events such as these, which are exacerbated by drastic changes in consumer spending and supply chain disruption.
“NJBIA is currently gathering information about the impacts and pain points from our members. We are also exploring how we can assist our small businesses, particularly those who are reliant on customer service and personal interactions in the retail and hospitality industries, manufacturers who need to create in a workplace without the opportunity to work remotely, and social service providers who are at risk of losing their customer base due to this public health emergency.
“We look forward to conveying our information to our policymakers and working with them to assist New Jersey businesses, workers and residents.”
