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COVID-19 response by CBi supported networks

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Philippines
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CBi
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How CBi supported networks are addressing COVID-19

Bahamas

Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers’ Confederation (BCCEC)

  • The chamber has prepared national preventive protocols with the Government.

  • They also share daily updates with their members.

  • It is also planning to assist with business continuity. Acknowledging that 55% of GDP is connected to the tourism sector, the economic impact of COVID-19 is expected to be very high. The chamber has worked with the Ministry of Finance to design and eventually roll out an economic stimulus package, particularly for SMEs. The private sector has also been asked to contribute to the package, as the Government would not be able to absorb the entire cost. In order to incentivize the private sector to support, the package also recommended future concessions. They noted the challenges for the business community particularly as they are still recovering from Hurricane Dorian.

  • The Chamber is liaising closely with CARICOM.

Cote d’Ivoire

Plateforme humanitaire du secteur privé de Côte d’Ivoire (PHSP Côte d’Ivoire)

  • The Government introduced containment measures (closed schools, restricted entry to the country, etc.) and advised the private sector to support.

  • PHSP Côte d’Ivoire has raised awareness among its members of the risks and hygiene practices to ensure people understand the importance of curbing the spread of the virus. On 20 March they organized a conference with Institut Pasteur en Côte - the organization responsible for testing in the country.

  • The network has also met with UNDP and the Red Cross to discuss business continuity. They have collected and discussed the needs and challenges of the private sector. They are also planning to leverage the knowledge of the Red Cross and hand out flyers to companies to communicate on the risks.

Haiti

Alliance pour la Gestion des Risques et la Continuité des Activités (AGERCA)

  • Alliance pour la Gestion des Risques et la Continuité des Activités (AGERCA) met with the Ministry of Health on 19 March as the first confirmed cases of COVID-19 were reported in the country. The Ministry has asked AGERCA to support national efforts and the network now participates in daily meetings with the National Emergency Operation Center.

  • The network has coordinated private sector contributions from the private sector such as internet connection and call minutes for the members of the National Emergency Operations Center and personal protective equipment (PPE) to hospitals. AGERCA and Digicel have set up a free COVID-19 Emergency Call Center through which nurses can respond to questions from the public.

  • The network uses social media and sends out messages through the Emergency Call Center to raise awareness of COVID-19, its implications and critical containment measures. They also send out regular situation reports.

  • AGERCA is also working closely with the American Chamber of Commerce and the Haitian Chamber of Commerce and Industries. They have created a crisis unit to be able to guide the private sector.

Kenya

Humanitarian Private Sector Partnership Platform for East Africa (HPPP)

  • While only a few infections have been confirmed, the Government is acting fast to contain the spread of the virus. They have also consulted with the private sector (including KEPSA, Global Compact Network Kenya, HPPP) and are now putting together a “Kenya Compact” with task forces to explore impacts on and potential solutions from the private sector.

  • HPPP is also joining consultations with UNHCR to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on refugee settlements and communities in Kenya that are not necessarily part of national plans.

  • The network is also raising awareness among members on the pandemic.

  • Some HPPP members have also taken action for example in response to the President’s request to banks and mobile money providers to consider reducing costs of transactions to encourage cashless modes of payment. Safaricom waived fees on its mobile money transfer service M-Pesa for transactions below Ksh1,000 ($10).

Madagascar

Private Sector Humanitarian Platform (PSHP) Madagascar

  • PSHP Madagascar initiated a meeting with WHO on 18 March before any cases of COVID-19 had been confirmed in the country. Over 50 companies participated to learn about the context, receive guidance, exchange know-how and ask questions. As Madagascar has recently faced pneumonic plague and measles epidemics, participants also discussed lessons learned in addressing other diseases.

  • PSHP Madagascar has a health commission that has previously addressed the pneumonic plague epidemic in the country, but is now also providing communications support and raising awareness of COVID-19.

  • The network is working with a number of critical partners such as the Ministry of Health to share information and raise awareness among critical companies such as banks and telecommunications operators. The network also coordinates support from the private sector, such as the AXIAN Group (diversified entity operating in five key sectors: Real Estate, Energy, Telecoms, Financial Services and Innovation) that has offered support national authorities and communities.

  • On 22 March, the network joined an emergency conference call with WFP, BNGRC, major telecommunications operators and some companies from other sectors to discuss and evaluate the capacity of the telecommunications operators in supporting response efforts.

  • PSHP Madagascar is in discussions with UN agencies / World Bank on potential cash transfer activities.

  • PSHP Madagascar has also discussed COVID-19 response and private sector engagement with Plateforme humanitaire du secteur privé de Côte d’Ivoire (PHSP Côte d’Ivoire).

  • The network is working with the National Risk and Disaster Management Office of Madagascar (BNGRC - the operational lead of the Operational Command Center), Ministries (such as the Ministry of Public Health and Ministry of Interior and Decentralization), the Municipality of Antananarivo, subnational authorities and UN entities (UNICEF and WHO) to share information, raise awareness and channel private sector contributions.

  • The network has also coordinated contributions such as internet connection for the Operational Command Center, personal protective equipment (PPE), food, water and financial resources. As Madagascar has recently faced pneumonic plague and measles epidemics, PSHP Madagascar members have also been able to share lessons learned in addressing other diseases.

Mexico

The Centro Nacional de Apoyo para Contingencias Epidemiologicas y Desastres (CENACED)

  • The first meeting was hosted on Thursday 12 March. The UN Resident Coordinator, Pan-American Health Organization, Mexican health authorities and various other organizations presented the situation and possible scenarios.

  • The private sector is currently looking for WHO recommendations, increasingly working from home and exploring other containment measures.

  • CENACED does not yet have a response plan, as they are waiting for the authorities to share more information about the capacity of the healthcare system and specific needs. The network continues to inform its members about the developments.

Pacific

Pacific Business Resilience Network (PBRN)

  • PBRN is raising awareness among its members on the pandemic and sharing resources.

Philippines

Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF)

  • The Business Emergency Operations Center (B-EOC) was activated on Monday 16 March, though PDRF started monitoring the situation from the outset and have been working closely with the government and the UN Country Team in response planning. PDRF noted that they also need to still be prepared for natural disasters.

  • As there are no protocols on pandemics yet, the network and its partners are learning as they go. They have four task teams that work on different areas, including elaborating on roles and responsibilities, and looking at planning (scenarios).

  • The network is also part of a UN communications working group and works together with WHO, Department of Health and others to push out messaging (i.e. not creating their own communications materials, but rather using existing ones). PDRF is trying to amplify and risk translate these messages for the business community.

  • PDRF response planning focuses on containment measures and the needs of health care workers. The short term immediate response goal is to transport medical front liners and tents. The intermediate goal is to provide PPEs for medical front liners. The longer-term response involves (upon identification of specifications) provision of testing kits, ventilators and digital X-ray machines. So far they have:

    • Issued a funding call to be able to buy personal protective equipment, masks, testing kits and ventilators. As shortages have led increases in prices and a bidding war over supplies, the UN has offered to work with PDRF and do joint procurement for larger quantities.

    • PDRF raised 1.5 billion Philippine pesos (approximately US$30 million) from companies to fund the distribution of grocery vouchers to urban poor residents in the Metro Manila Area (more here and here).

    • To assess how they can best support micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises, PDRF released a survey to collect information and start planning for recovery.

Sri Lanka

Asia Pacific Alliance for Disaster Management Sri Lanka (A-PAD SL)

  • When the epicenter of the crisis was still in China, the Asia Pacific Alliance for Disaster Management Sri Lanka (A-PAD SL) partnered HSBC, Hongkong Red Cross, Aitken Spence Cargo and a Sri Lanka based distributor of face masks to arrange the procurement, freight service and distribution of the masks to Wuhan. A-PAD SL is sharing messaging from the Government with the private sector to raise awareness of the situation. They are also exploring who could supply personal protective equipment and medical equipment.

  • A-PAD SL provided support to the DMC in Sri Lanka to set up a COVID-19 Emergency Call Centre.

  • They are also engaged in a nation-wide social media campaign to raise awareness about personal preventive measures, business continuity, curfew regulations and other critical topics. A-PAD Sri Lanka partnered with supermarket chains to introduce guidelines on shopping etiquette for purchasing when curfew is lifted.

Turkey

Business for Goals platform

  • Recognizing that health and economic impacts are closely connected, the network decided to focus its efforts on supporting the government containment measures. It is monitoring the situation and has started to mobilize the private sector.

  • B4G platform has a three step approach to addressing COVID-19:

  1. Risk communications: The network is sending regular situation reports to its members. The first one focused on raising awareness of the risks, explaining what can be done at workplaces to contain the spread of the virus and how companies could prepare for potential closedowns.

  2. Best practices: The network is planning to provide suggestions on how and for what policies should companies lobby. They will also explore advisory services and financing mechanisms to help companies cope with the economic impacts of COVID-19.

  3. Opportunities: Acknowledging that COVID-19 is a “game changer” for some sectors, the network will try to identify what opportunities it may provide for companies to re-invent or improve their operations.

  • The network is preparing a response plan.

  • B4G platform has issued the "Survey on Impact of COVID-19 on Enterprises and Needs" to understand how their member companies perceive COVID-19. Of the 780 companies that responded, 54% reported a drop in sales of more than 50% (71% in southeast of the country). The survey results indicated that 36% of small- and medium-sized enterprises have halted operations due to COVID-19.

Vanuatu

Vanuatu Business Resilience Council (VBRC)

  • The Vanuatu Business Resilience Council (VBRC) rolled out nation-wide pandemic business continuity planning materials and ran BCP workshops. The Government's Public Service Commission approached the VBRC to run business continuity trainings for all of the key government ministries with 9400 staff. This took place over 5 days.
  • VBRC activated their members via the private sector clusters and has been supporting the National Disaster Management Office cluster groups particularly around logistics and health. The network facilitated the quarantine of people on the last commercial flights into the country at one of the VBRC member resorts. They also arranged donated COVID-19 test kits and medical supplies to be imported from China.
  • The VBRC economic recovery cluster worked with the Government to develop the country's stimulus package for business and employees. They worked with the Department of Labour and the National Superannuation fund to ensure recently unemployed people have access to draw down part of their savings due to the economic loss to families.