The Premium Cigar Association (PCA) has a plan to help its members recover from the negative impact of COVID-19. PCA is encouraging Congress and the Trump Administration to take action to adapt its “Blueprint to Post-COVID-19 Recovery” plan. In its recovery plan, the PCA is calling for an exemption and streamlined premarket review and Substantial Equivalence process for premium cigars. It also pushes for established guidance for businesses on temporary liability protection, paycheck protection program reform that would allow for businesses to have more time to fully spend the funds, continued postponement of deadlines for certain tax filings and collection, and a restoration of business entertainment and food & beverage tax deductions, among other recommendations.

Here’s what the PCA had to say about its Blueprint for Recovery plan:

Across the country, COVID-19 has decimated small businesses in nearly every industry —limiting sales, requiring new protocols, shuttering stores, and resulting in droves of people heading to the unemployment line. The Federal government has provided several beneficial programs to mitigate the negative economic effects of the pandemic, such as the Paycheck Protection Program that has saved Main Street businesses during the downturn, but many of the challenges remain. As the country continues to reopen and address the far-reaching consequences of COVID-19, policymakers must create favorable conditions for brick and mortar small businesses and family owned manufacturers to revitalize, rebuild, and recover. Easing the regulatory burden on small businesses is an essential ingredient in the recipe for recovery.

The Premium Cigar Association, representing 3,000+ retail tobacconists, 30,000 employees, 250+ premium cigar manufacturers, and millions of consumers across the country, recognizes the extreme financial difficulties placed on our industry in the wake of the COVID-19. PCA calls upon Congress and the Administration to take action to create conditions where our members can not only rebuild and recover, but eventually grow their businesses. We hope that Congress and the Administration will consider four key areas that are critical to recovery for our industry include: FDA Regulatory Relief, Small Business Program (PPP) Reform, Liability Protection, and Tax Policy.

The House and Senate are currently negotiating another wave of COVID-19 relief and you can voice your concerns with Congress and support our Blueprint for Recovery by sending a message that only takes minutes to send. If your business is undergoing a specific challenge or if you have ideas on additional governmental relief measures, contact our Director of Federal Affairs Joshua Habursky at joshua@premiumcigars.org or (814) 881-1618.

You can read the PCA’s “Blueprint to Post-COVID-19 Recovery” plan in full by clicking here. You can also use PCA’s web form to contact Congress to voice your support of the plan by clicking here.

For all the latest news from the Premium Cigar Association, visit premiumcigars.org.