Third of Japan CEOs see 3-month emergency wreaking havoc

Apr 14, 2020 | News On Japan

Apr 14, 2020 (Nikkei) - The spread of the new coronavirus is rattling even Japan's largest companies.

A Nikkei survey of 129 presidents and chairmen of the nation's biggest companies found that 32.7% feel that there will be an impact to their business continuity if the state of emergency lasted three months.

Half of them said they wanted the government to take measures to stabilize employment, and some asked for more financial support to help with operating cash.

The emergency declaration covers seven prefectures, including Tokyo and Osaka, and runs through May 6. Local authorities have asked people to avoid going out and have placed restrictions on some business activity. The emergency may be extended, depending on the trends in infections, potentially dealing a heavy blow to business.

The survey revealed that just 3.2% are worried that a one-month state of emergency will impact the survival of their business. But if it lasts two months, the figure rises to 7.4% and jumps to 22.1% if it stretches to three months.

The share of those worried about their company's survival reaches 44.3% if the emergency lasts up to half a year, and 50.6% if it continues for up to a year.

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