The Chamber of Commerce Hawaii asked Gov. David Ige today to take more aggressive action and to provide a unified message in assisting Hawaii’s many small businesses “struggling to keep the lights on due to COVID-19 impacts.”

The Chanber supports the public messages from the lieutenant governor, most of the county mayors and Speaker of the House Scott Saiki, but is asking for a unified, consistent message from Ige.

Its president and CEO Sherry Menor-McNamara sent the governor a letter urging him to take immediate action to provide relief to small businesses to ensure they can continue to operate and and support their workers for the duration of the disruption.

“Businesses, especially our small business community, need direction, help and immediate solutions…to ensure they can keep their doors open and their workers employed to the greatest extent possible,” she wrote. “We, respectfully, urge a more immediate response and commitment to our state’s economic recovery process. Public and private sector partners must come together to support our small business community now.”

The Chamber requested Ige take the following steps:

>>One, unified, consistent message for stricter measures.

>>Expedited expansion of the availability of testing and testing sites.

>>Limited rent and mortgage relief by government, and other mitigating measures.

>>Temporary tax relief or extension of the filing deadline and payments.

>>Loan forgiveness programs and pausing any government debt payments.

To receive COVID-19 updates for the business community from the Chamber of Commerce, go to covid19.cochawaii.org.