The Auckland Business Chamber is calling on the Government to help struggling businesses pay rent during COVID-19.
The request comes after 30 percent of its members who took part in a business confidence survey said they won't survive the pandemic.
Discussing the survey results on Wednesday, Auckland Business Chamber chief executive Michael Barnett said that discussion and a recommendation for a business rent package had been made to the Government.
"I'm hoping the Government will do this one thing because it's the one thing that will have a big impact on business," Barnett said.
“If we can remove rental costs for the next couple of months I believe more businesses will survive.”
Among the businesses surveyed, 47 percent had spoken to their landlord about rent relief. Most (80 percent) had applied for the wage subsidy and slightly less than half (47 percent) were still operating during lockdown.
Just 9 percent of businesses had made staff redundant, which Barnett said is a positive result and indicates that most intend to do the right thing.
"This is not a time to cull, it's time to use your employees to contact customers [and] plan for what your business will look like in four-to-six weeks’ time,” he said.
Survey results also showed that 77 percent think that Government support would help them during lockdown and 70 percent were confident their business will survive the pandemic.
