Small businesses, catering operators and SMEs are among the biggest victims of the country’s lockdown, notes AG in Belgium. Here’s the latest steps that AG are taking to help SMEs recover after Covid-19;
Many local businesses are struggling, some even threaten to go bankrupt. And this while the economic consequences of the corona crisis are likely to be felt for a long time to come. AG is aware of the impact of this crisis on its customers, both individuals and entrepreneurs. The insurer applies the solidarity principle to support the local economy.
Various initiatives in recent months
” Solidarity is the basic principle of insurance, ” said Edwin Klaps, Managing Director of AG. ” And that is more true than ever in these strange times. From the beginning of the lockdown, we have been looking for flexible solutions for the new and urgent needs to protect workers, traders and companies who had to redirect their professional activities voluntarily or out of necessity. ”
In some cases, AG goes even further than the measures taken by the sector to relieve the burden on individuals and companies as much as possible exceptional crisis.
Edwin Klaps : ” For example, we automatically insure catering business for free against accidents at work and / or civil liability (depending on their contract) while delivering meals at home, because this had suddenly become a necessary activity for them, and private vehicles have also become of catering operators or employees who use them for those deliveries are automatically insured. “
AG, more supporter of customers than ever
But AG wanted to go one step further: ” Already at the beginning of the crisis, we asked ourselves how we could meet the needs of our customers after the lockdown and how we could get them back on their feet once the measures would be relaxed, “explains Edwin Klaps.
As the largest Belgian insurer, AG has a very large number of private and business customers. ” They are all suffering from the crisis, one more than the other , of course ,” Edwin Klaps added. ” That is why we conceived the idea of launching a major national action, in which AG acts as a solidarity intermediary between individuals and traders .” A decision that didn’t happen overnight: “We analyzed various options and ultimately opted for the economic principle of ‘helicopter money’. By that I mean that we make cash available to consumers so that they can spend it quickly with traders and contribute to the economic recovery , “clarifies Edwin Klaps.
4 million euros for the recovery of the Belgian local economy
In concrete terms, AG has released EUR 4 million to support its most affected customer traders on the one hand and to reward its ‘total customers’ in Non-life insurance on the other. ” We give those customers purchase vouchers that they can spend with the participating merchants. In total, this involves 200,000 vouchers that customers can spend with 30,000 participating merchants across Belgium ,” explains Edwin Klaps. The offer is very wide, both geographically and sectorally (catering, hairdressers and beauty shops, retail non-food) and over time (spread over the whole summer).
“With this action we want to apply the solidarity principle that is woven into our DNA as an insurer. We thank our most loyal customers with a purchase receipt. We support our customer traders who are struggling because of the corona crisis. And we are fully involved in the recovery of the local economy in Belgium. In this way we show ourselves as a real supporter of our customers, our traders and the economy , “concludes Edwin Klaps.
Practically
In mid-June, AG, in conjunction with its brokers, will propose all affected customer traders to participate in the promotion. In mid-July, AG and the brokers or BNP Paribas Fortis branches will contact their affected retail customers with the offer to register to receive their purchase receipt. The vouchers are valid for 3 months. The process of getting and using the purchase receipts is completely electronic via QR codes. AG collaborates with Hashting, a Belgian start-up that specializes in digital development.
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