Very Heavy, PHRI Complains Of Low Occupancy Rates That Can Affect Employee Housing

Chairman of BPD PHRI of South Sulawesi, Anggiat Sinaga. (Photo Antara)

MAKASSAR - Head of BPD PHRI South Sulawesi Anggiat Sinaga said hotel employees were threatened with being laid off due to hotel occupancy rates continuing to decline following the implementation of Level 4 Community Activity Restrictions (PPKM) in Makassar City.

"It is undeniable that this PPKM has a negative impact on current hotel revenues in Makassar City, which badly affects employees," he said in Makassar, Saturday, July 31.

The impact of implementing PPKM level 4, he said, was that the hotel occupancy rate was only around 10 percent, while in June 2021 it was around 18 percent. "The occupancy rate of hotels is now unbelievably low, currently below 10 percent. Last month it was still up to 18 percent, but now it's below 10 percent," he said.

One of the hotel employees was carrying out his duties. (Illustration Antara)

Hospitality revenue, he said, also declined along with the decline in the hotel occupancy rate, which was only around 40 percent, while last month it was around 60 percent. For comparison, continued Anggiat, as of June 2021 it was between 58-60 percent, now it's only around 38-40 percent.

As a result of this, hotel employees are threatened with being laid off, even some hotels have laid off employees because they are unable to pay salaries from income during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The rest, employees who are still included in a month only come to work 15 times, so inevitably their salaries are cut back like when PPKM was implemented in 2020.

Nevertheless, continued Anggiat as Chair of the South Sulawesi PHRI, it is still worthy to be grateful because the Makassar City Government provides slack in operating hours for entrepreneurs to help the economy in this city as long as health protocols are still tightened. In addition, there is a stimulus for hotel industry players from the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy with a target of disbursing grants of Rp2.4 trillion in July 2021.