Only the real estate, financial, insurance, and health sectors could deal with the situation longer.
The productive and commercial activities in the country are increasingly at the limit of its reserves and economic capacities to face a stoppage of operations, as a consequence of the restrictions imposed by the coronavirus pandemic.
A study by the University of the Americas (UDLA) revealed that in the extreme scenario of total income scarcity, 50% of Ecuadorian companies will not be able to resist beyond 37 days.
The estimates were made based on the balances of December 2018, corresponding to 32,913 companies that report to the Superintendency of Companies. That date is the last cut with information available.
Under this scenario, only three sectors could hold, with zero sales, more than 40 days. Financial and insurance services activities have reserves, on average, for 47 days; in private health care, resistance reaches 43 days; and real estate activities have a mattress for 41 days.
Meanwhile, the most vulnerable sectors are accommodation and food service, where the maximum is 30 days. Other important activities, such as agriculture, construction, commerce and industry, have reserves of between 32 and 39 days, at best.
In general, 25% of companies in the country, especially the largest ones, regardless of the sector in which they operate, could be maintained without any income. For Javier Díaz, executive president of the Association of Textile Industries of Ecuador (AITE), this reality could be more fragile than the study indicates.
He said that the reality of 2018 is very different from the current one, since in 2019 some companies already had liquidity problems. Some companies even request that loans at 0% interest rates be made viable for the payment of payroll in at least the next three months.
Endurance capacity with zero sales
Accommodation and food services: 30 days
Administrative services activities: 32 days
Agriculture: 32 days
Construction: 34 days
Manufacturing: 36 days
Transport and storage: 36 days
Professional activities: 38 days
Information and communication: 38 days
Trade: 39 days
Health care: 43 days
Financial and insurance activities: 47 days
Real estate activities: 41 days
Source: La Hora, social networks
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