Quarter of businesses in Pacific fear they will not survive Covid-19 pandemic

A quarter of businesses in the Pacific are not confident they will survive the coronavirus pandemic despite the region largely avoiding the pandemic health crises seen elsewhere, a survey of businesses across the region shows.

Ninety per cent of businesses have lost money, and many are already struggling with the effects of recent natural disasters. Sixty-five per cent have been “negatively impacted” by weather, including extreme rainfall or temperatures, flooding, drought or rising sea levels over the past year, a further survey by Pacific Trade Invest Australia found.

The impacts on businesses are harming Pacific communities all the way down, to the base fundamentals of families trying to put food on tables. While the Pacific has not seen widespread coronavirus infections, the shutting of international borders has paralysed economies, and devastated household incomes.

Read more via The Guardian / Pacific Trade Invest Australia