APIT – Press Release COVID-19

Because of the pandemic situation we are currently experiencing, which affects all sectors of the economy, APIT comes, first of all, to show solidarity with the sector it represents and with all those who, to this day, continue to maintain firm in the mission of accompanying, informing, clarifying and entertaining the portuguese, whom we ask to stay at home.

Secondly, we would like to inform you that in time we sent the Secretary of State for Cinema, Audiovisual and Media - with whom we have been in contact since the beginning - a document that contains the measures that, immediately, we consider to be crucial for the sector to survive.

To know:

Simplified Lay Off that contemplates the possibility of applying this mechanism to workers who are affected by the partial stop of the company's activity, with the interruption or suspension of projects, even if the company remains in operation;

Clarify this regime in order to frame companies whose activity instability and inconsistency does not allow them to fit in the total stop, nor in the consideration of the homologous period, whose reference is perfectly random;

Support workers in the service provision regime, who every day help us to produce in portuguese (namely actors and technicians), with our companies already acting with a social conscience to protect them, and asking the Government to include them in the financial support that it is being promoted;

Create a specific credit line for the audiovisual sector, which will help to create some financial capital, cash and investment when all returns to normality, in order to prevent the use of general credit lines that doesn’t comprises neither accompanying, the specialties of this sector.

Thirdly, to mention that we have been working together with the Confederation of Commerce and Services of Portugal, seeking to improve the rules that have been appearing to deal with this crisis, never experienced before.

Finally, we appeal to all agents in the sector so that, in this difficult time, we continue to work together, in order to promote original portuguese creation and production, and so that after this pandemic crisis there can be, on the part of all operators, a reinforced commitment to independent production of national television, which has always worked to create differentiating content, disseminating the portuguese language and culture throughout the World.