The Amman Chamber of Commerce (ACC) Saturday submitted a list of sectors to the Ministry of Labor, which were 'battered' by the coronavirus crisis. They said urgent measures are needed to address the situation.

The ACC said tourism remains the most affected sector by the coronavirus pandemic. Tourist establishments, travel agents, restaurants, and hotels are among other businesses that are facing challenges that threaten their sustainability.

It listed the main challenges that the tourism and hospitality sectors face including the inability to meet financial commitments, high operating costs and lack of access to soft loans.

The ACC called for the cancellation, deferral or rescheduling of property tax dues, and the issuance of a new defense order to settle the 'controversy' between landlords and tenants over rent during lockdown periods. The chamber also demanded an additional one-year grace period for those who took out loans and the deferral of payments on those loans for tourist establishments. It also called for delaying the payment of income and sales taxes for 2020 and previous years, and rescheduling them to be paid by mid-2022.

The chamber said wedding and conference organizers were hit hard by the crisis. This sub-sector is struggling to cover operating costs including rents, payrolls, electricity and water bills.