Corona crisis Further help for business in sight

Status: 06/18/2021 5:51 p.m.

The states are urging to continue Corona aid for companies until the end of the year – Federal Minister of Economics Altmaier indicated readiness. Support for domestic exporters has already been extended. There are signs of an extension of the corona aid for companies that have been particularly hard hit by the pandemic. The economics ministers of the federal states demanded that the funds previously planned until the end of September be continued until the end of the year. The federal government pays the previous “Bridging Aid III”.

Extension after the summer break if necessary

Federal Minister of Economics Peter Altmaier (CDU) made it clear after a meeting with his country ministerial colleagues that he is not averse to an extension. One will look at the situation and, if necessary, extend the help after the summer break. The corona aid only applies to companies that can demonstrate a sharp drop in sales and can trace them back to the pandemic. As the economy is currently picking up again and more business is being done again, the number of companies eligible to apply is falling.

Altmaier: So far, 105 billion euros have been transferred

So far, a total of 105 billion euros have been transferred to companies as corona aid, said Altmaier. Roughly half of these are loans and half are grants that do not have to be repaid. In addition, there is money from the federal states. According to Altmaier, the state support has paid off: “Together we managed to prevent a loss of substance in the German economy.”

Against the background of the lower number of infections and the lifting of restrictions, Altmaier said the economy was “coming to a new start faster than many feared”. Growth is picking up – this year it will be 3.5 to 4 percent and in 2022 it will be more than 4 percent. The economy will have reached pre-crisis levels by spring 2022 at the latest. “That means, we are hopefully out of the worst,” said the CDU politician. When the bridging aid, which ran until the end of June, was extended by three months as “bridging aid III plus”, he was in any case in favor of continuing it until the end of the year.

Aid to exporters continues

Meanwhile, the corona aid for domestic exporters has already been extended until the end of the year. They were decided in July 2020 and should actually end this month. “Even if the economic situation has improved significantly in the past few months, the corona pandemic continues to pose challenges for the export industry,” the Ministry of Economics justified the decision. “Some companies are only now feeling the stresses with a delay.”

“Security signal” to the economy

North Rhine-Westphalia’s Minister of Economic Affairs, Andreas Pinkwart, spoke out in favor of continuing to support sectors such as the trade fair industry. After all, they would “presumably not yet be able to work in the fourth quarter in the way they normally would at normal times”. In addition, the FDP politician considers the extension of the bridging aid to be a good precaution for possible rising incidences in autumn. Then you would “not have to put on a new program from the hip”, but would have already been prepared. Saarland’s Minister of Economic Affairs, Anke Rehlinger, considers the prospect of the extension of the aid to be “a protective signal” to the economy. “We have to take care of the industries that are still suffering from the pandemic.” She stressed that the time should be used to prepare for all eventualities in autumn and winter. Should one be forced to make restrictions again because of the pandemic, there could be “other, smarter measures” that would take into account aspects such as a high vaccination rate.

Situation in trade fair industry “catastrophic”

The corona pandemic hit large parts of the German economy hard. In the meantime, things are looking a little better again, also because restrictions have been relaxed and restaurants and cafes are open again, for example. However, the situation in some sectors such as the trade fair industry is still very tense.

Jörn Holtmeier, managing director of the trade fair association AUMA, described the situation in his branch as “catastrophic”. The first industry get-togethers would take place again in September, but the number of trade fairs until the end of the year was clear. There have been many rejections. “If a stand builder finally gets another order for his first trade fair in November or December, but then does not receive any more money from the state in October, this can extremely worsen the already tense financial situation of his company.” Then company bankruptcies are possible. It is mainly about stand builders, caterers and private trade fair organizers. Exhibition companies that belong to municipalities and the state are not entitled to federal corona aid.

Around 231,000 employees

Holtmeier is also in favor of extending the aid until the end of the year. This was just a safety net, he said. “Some companies will get orders again beforehand and make sales, they will not have to use the help.”

According to AUMA, Germany’s trade fair industry has around 231,000 employees. This not only includes organizers and stand builders, but also companies with a strong trade fair business – a hotel, for example, which does most of its business with trade fair visitors, is proportionately included in the number of employees. Since March 2020, according to the Ifo Institute, the crisis in the trade fair industry has led to economic damage of an estimated 40 billion euros: Dealers could no longer buy anything at the industry get-togethers, and there were no more visitors who would spend money on restaurant visits, hotel stays or taxi rides

The image of dozens of people climbing the To Vo gate took pictures, causing public outrage. Facebook photo “To Vo Gate is a rare and very special landscape in Ly Son. This rock arch was formed from volcanic sediment millions of years ago… This place has many cracks, which is a vital location prone to vulnerability. The waves destroy… But I don’t understand why there are dozens of people climbing up to dozens of pictures at the same time” – Mr. Tran Van Nguyen, a resident of Ly Son, pressing. To Vo Gate. Photo: T.Truong Mr. Truong Dinh Thuan, Deputy Head of the Culture and Information Office of Ly Son district, said that To Vo gate is about 20m long, the top of the gate is 4m higher than the sea surface, the narrowest point is about 2m wide. In recent years, the structure of To Vo gate is being eroded by sea waves, especially in the rainy and stormy season. “Every year, tens of thousands of tourists come to visit. Since 2017, Ly Son District People’s Committee has posted warning signs that no more than 7 people go up To Vo gate at the same time. However, many large groups of tourists still deliberately climb up. Go up to To Vo gate to take pictures, causing bad influence on this stone arch “- Mr. Thuan said. The local government advises tourists not to take pictures when traveling in Ly Son. Photo: T.Truong According to Mr. Thuan, in addition to To Vo gate, in Ly Son, there are many landscapes formed from volcanic sediments for millions of years; Therefore, when traveling to Ly Son, tourists need to be very careful and pay attention to the recommendations of local authorities to avoid unnecessary events.

Trau tree, also known as oil painting tree, often grows in mountainous areas with moderate slope. Trau is a large tree, up to 8 meters or more high, smooth body, diverse leaves, sometimes with deep lobes, when cut shallow, sometimes whole and heart-shaped, glossy top surface, dark color, underside. translucent, pale color. The flowering season usually starts in April and usually flowers before young leaves appear. By September, there is another flower crop. The fruit of the previous flower will ripen around October. These days, when visiting the Northwest, almost anywhere can be satisfied to see the white Trau forests growing on the hillsides. Hoa Trau is a simple flower with the same root. Each flower has 5 petals, white, purple spots on the nail. Hoa Trau grows in clusters and is quite fragrant. Trau does not require much soil, but where the soil does not have moderate porosity, the soil is not cool and is not good, Trau trees die quickly. In suitable soil, the Trau tree grows very fast, flowers immediately in the 2nd or 3rd year, the branches grow in horizontal and even layers, even after a few years it can grow up to 12 – 15cm. Hoa Trau is also one of many flowers associated with the life of ethnic minorities in the Northwest. The pure and gentle Trau flower bosses give the viewer a relaxed feeling. Currently, Trau’s main use is to use oil presses to blend paint, sweep over the fabric to avoid wet rain, with high export value. Dry Trau is only used as a fertilizer in the field. Also for making medicine. At that time, the Trau kernel will be burned into charcoal, powdered with pig fat to treat impetigo, pimples. Water must not be swallowed. Hoa Trau adorns the Northwest streets … … often adorned the villages in the border areas.

That is the area of ​​Dance cave in Ninh Binh. Every year around May and June, when entering the lotus season, the lotus flower blooms, creating an extremely poetic, majestic, overwhelming scene … This clip was posted on Instagram @muacaves and quickly attracted the attention of netizens. In which, many international friends give compliments to the Vietnamese landscape, many people plan to visit here during their trip to Vietnam: – @travel_journal_photo: Too great. Miss Vietnam so much! – @cantalupimartin: I will be coming to Vietnam in March 2022. March is also the lotus season, right? – @daisykim_insta: It looks so peaceful. Before that, the images of this lotus lagoon were “stormed” on the Internet many times. (Photo: @shipped_away, @vietsui)

Located at the southernmost tip of Argentina, Panagonia is known to the world as the largest sub-Antarctic ice zone in the southern hemisphere. The Patagonian ice sheet consists of three main zones, North, South and Cordillera Darwin. It holds up to 5,500 gigatons of ice, enough to raise the global sea level by 15 mm if it melts. Dubbed the frozen kingdom, this place has beautiful scenery, is a world-famous tourist destination, for those who are passionate about exploring nature. This land possesses majestic mountains, glaciers with pristine beauty and dense forests possessing unique vegetation. The magical beauty of Patagonia constantly changes at every moment of the day as well as the four seasons of the year. The view becomes especially attractive in winter, when the snow is inundated. The reflection of the ice makes fanciful light sources shine from all directions, overwhelming visitors. Unfortunately, climate change is putting natural wonders at stake. Due to the rising earth temperature, glaciers of Patagonia are thinning at an average rate of 1.8 m / year. If this process is not reversed, this kingdom will be in danger of being wiped out in the near future. Some other images of the frozen land of Patagonia. Ice creates extremely majestic wonders. The ice stands in the middle of the eye-catching colors, standing out in the gray of the weather. Thick ice stands out at dawn. Invite readers to watch the video: Popcorn beach is only available in Spain / VTV Travel.

According to the New York Times billionaire Jack Ma – China’s most famous businessman – is away from the limelight. Close people revealed that he spent his time painting and practicing tai chi. The Chinese government is bringing a series of technology corporations into sight. The enormous wealth and influence of these businesses are said to be beyond the limit. Jack Ma, Alibaba e-commerce conglomerate and fintech (finance and technology) company Ant Group are Beijing’s biggest targets. European and American authorities have been trying to tighten control of the tech giants for years. However, they cannot make a big difference like what happened to the Alibaba founder in China. The Chinese government insists that businesses must commit to placing social stability above profits. Tencent founder Pony Ma (left) and billionaire Jack Ma at an event in Beijing in 2018. Photo: New York Times. The unprecedented “punishment” campaign The Beijing government is not just tightening the control of Alibaba. Ant Group CEO Simon Hu resigned in March. Just a few days later, Pinduoduo founder Colin Huang stepped down as chairman. Also in March, at a meeting, Tencent founder Pony Ma proposed stricter rules for Internet businesses, including Tencent. He also has a “voluntary meeting” with the country’s antitrust agencies. Last week, China’s antitrust agency summoned top 34 Internet companies to discuss new rules of fair competition. The discussion revolves around changes in business. Companies are committed to taking it seriously. “The new rules will require Internet platforms to look back on how they innovate in the future. And as a result there will be less innovation,” said Gordon Orr, a board member of Meituan, company. Chinese food delivery, comment. However, New York Times The Beijing government will not be too heavy on Alibaba and other Chinese Internet corporations. Even as tightening oversight, Beijing still praised the group’s contributions to the economy. Pinduoduo founder Colin Huang stepped down from his chair as the company’s chairman. Photo: New York Times. Chinese President Xi Jinping wants the economy to be driven by innovation from Chinese tech corporations, instead of big foreign ones. “It may be too early to declare that Jack Ma has failed”, New York Times comment. “To the success and performance of the Chinese economy, Alibaba is more important than any other business,” commented Richard McGregor of the Lowy Institute. “The Chinese authorities want to continue reaping the benefits of Jack Ma’s company, but on their terms. Beijing doesn’t nationalize Alibaba. The company is just narrowing its operations.” “Alibaba has a perfect opportunity to grow into a world-class company,” said Wang Guoping, an official in Hangzhou city (where Alibaba is located), in the 2000s. “What a world-class company needs most is a soul, a leader, a world-class businessman. I believe Jack Ma meets those standards, “he added. Change your attitude According to Porter Erisman, one of Alibaba’s first executives, in the 2000s, most employees at Alibaba were just trying to make a lot of money. Jack Ma alone had another concern. He fears that one day the company will become too big. And Alibaba could be under pressure for holding huge market power. In 2011, Jack Ma understood that his ambitions could make regulators dissatisfied. Ma quietly took over Alipay – Alibaba’s payment service. That move angered one of Alibaba’s biggest shareholders – Yahoo -. However, according to Jack Ma, that is the action needed to meet the new Chinese regulations. Alipay later became Ant Group. As Alibaba grew, Jack Ma began meeting presidents and movie stars admired by many Chinese businessmen. “That changed the views of Jack Ma about himself and the Chinese government,” said Duncan Clark, Chairman of BDA China, commented. Mr. Simon Hu, CEO of Ant Group, resigned in March. Photo: New York Times. When Jack Ma stepped down as Alibaba chairman in 2019, a Chinese state-run newspaper commented: “There is no such thing as the Jack Ma era, only Jack Ma is part of this era.” Chinese leaders need the private sector to sustain economic growth. However, they do not want this area to exert too much influence on society. In October 2020, when Ant was preparing to go public (IPO), Jack Ma criticized Chinese financial regulators at a conference in Shanghai. He describes the Chinese banking system “operates like a pawnshop.” Shortly after, Ant’s IPO was ordered to be canceled. The Chinese government wants to continue reaping the benefits of Mr. Ma’s company, but on their terms Richard McGregor, senior fellow at the Lowy Institute “In China, it is difficult to say that the emperor is not dressed,” commented Kellee S. Tsai at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, referring to the short story “The Emperor’s New Clothes”. Mr. Ma has also rarely appeared since then. According to the source of the New York Times , in January, he showed up for an internal chat. The staff then shared Mr. Ma’s message to reassure everyone. Recently, the Hurun Report team (based in Shanghai) estimated that for the first time after 3 years, Mr. Ma was not among the three richest people in China. First place belongs to Mr. Zhong Shanshan, a well-known billionaire behind a group of famous bottled water and pharmaceutical companies.

ByteDance, Baidu and CTrip are committed to ensuring fair competition. Photo: Reuters More than 20 leading Chinese technology companies have publicly pledged to adhere to antitrust principles, after regulators asked them to pay attention to the record penalty for the “giant” e-commerce. Alibaba. In a series of separate statements published by the China Market Regulatory Authority on April 14-15, some of the country’s biggest tech brands – including ByteDance, Baidu and CTrip – pledged will “ensure fair competition”, “do not abuse a dominant market position” and “do not conduct unfair pricing practices”. The pledges come after regulators summoned 34 technology companies on April 13 and asked them to “rectify” any unfair non-competitive practices, and pay attention to in the case of Alibaba. Companies have one month for full reform, after conducting internal audits and adjusting practices that compromise fair competition. Ride-hailing service Didi, video streaming platforms Kuaishou and Bilibili, as well as e-commerce company JD.com were among the parties that have made a public commitment since that meeting. JD.com said it will not force “choose one of the two” behavior on its retailers – where merchants are required to work on only one platform, not on a competitor platform. . This is the policy that Alibaba used to apply. In its statement, Didi pledged that unless necessary for regular business operations, the company will not illegally collect or misuse customers’ personal information. Last weekend, Chinese regulators fined Alibaba up to $ 2.78 billion after a months-long investigation found the company abused its dominant position in the market. Alibaba and JD.com, along with games and messaging app giant Tencent, have greatly benefited from the increasingly technological lifestyles in China and the absence of major U.S. competitors. But as these platforms with hundreds of millions of regular users are growing, public opinion is increasingly concerned about the problem of user data that these companies collect over the long term. According to observers, China has put domestic technology companies on the target to limit the reach of private companies to the daily financial activities of its people. That move could curb their dominance.

Alibaba was fined $ 2.8 billion for alleged monopoly.

JD.com, Meituan and ByteDance lead China’s first group of Big Tech companies to commit to complying with the law after China Market Surveillance Agency (SAMR) asked them to “learn lessons” from Alibaba. Group Holding in Beijing’s latest antitrust investigation.

On April 14, 12 out of 34 tech companies released a public statement pledging to do business in compliance with the law after SAMR warned of Alibaba’s recent antitrust sanctions and conducted self-testing. next month.

Earlier, e-commerce giant Alibaba was fined a record $ 2.8 billion for forcing small businesses to sell exclusive products on the platform. Monopolistic behavior is understood as how businesses eliminate competition of competitors by forcing customers to choose “one of two”.

JD.com has made eight promises including “never taking measures to force sellers to choose either and never abusing a dominant market position or making any exclusive deals. “. The e-commerce group also said it will “never publish illegal advertisements and never sell products of substandard quality”.

Meituan’s delivery staff.

Meituan promised not to impose unreasonable measures forcing sellers to “choose one of the two” and would not abuse its market position to limit competition. In addition, the company is committed to providing full support to the Chinese regulatory authorities. “Once we find evidence of illegal conduct, we will report it to regulators in a timely manner and readily cooperate with any investigation,” Meituan said.

ByteDance, the owners of short video apps TikTok and Douyin, made 13 promises in its public statement. China’s most valuable unicorn company says it will “not illegally collect and misuse user data” and adhere to “minimum guidelines” in collecting data from users. E-commerce platform Pinduoduo said it will “proactively assume more social responsibility”, as well as comply with legal and regulatory requirements.

The rest of the companies are expected to announce their public commitment over the next two days

Beijing’s targeting of key Big Tech firms including Kuaishou, Bilibili and Didi Chuxing comes at a time when the Chinese government is resolutely using antitrust laws and other regulatory methods to halt. out-of-control expansion.

SAMR has accused major tech companies of misconduct such as forcing sellers to choose only one trading platform, abuse of market dominance, abuse of big data to unfair pricing. for certain customers, ignoring poor quality products, leaking customer data, and tax evasion.

“No one is allowed to cross the regulatory lines and not touch the legal red line,” SAMR said on Tuesday.

34 Internet service providers are on the spot, many of which are listed on US and Hong Kong exchanges. Companies were asked to “raise responsibility and give priority to the national interests”.

“Companies must absolutely avoid disordered capital expansion to ensure China’s economic and social security, you must absolutely avoid monopolies to ensure fair competition,” according to Beijing’s statement towards Internet service platforms.

SAMR says companies have one month to do a “self-check and self-repair”, after which the government will conduct follow-up and “severely punish” those companies that fail to address the misconduct.