UPDATE: MARCH 27, 2020
Greetings!

If you were one of the many small businesses on Guam trying to register for SBA's Disaster Loan Assistance program, you may have noticed some trouble while you were trying to register. It was reported that a record number of businesses have been trying to get on line at the same time which impacted the site's ability to process the volume.

We sent a message yesterday to Kenneth Lujan, Branch Manager for the US SBA's Guam Branch Office who advised that the site is back up with some changes. Please scroll below for his response and suggestions on how to submit your documents.

There is so much information out there a nd we understand that it is extremely overwhelming and frustrating to cut through it all. We have been making inquiries to have webinars and teleconferences available for members interested in learning more about how to avail of the various opportunities. As soon as we are able to confirm dates and times, we will be sure to share with you.

The business community has been highly encouraged to complete the Department of Labor's census questionnaire essential for the Government of Guam's eligibility to qualify for federal assistance to receive COVID-19 related to unemployment benefits. If you have already completed and submitted the forms, thank you! If not, please download , complete and submit to: rapidresponse@dol.guam.gov

The Federal Government is focused on getting help to our small businesses who are most impacted by the economic crises associated with this global pandemic. We are providing you with a simple, easy to read summary of the current Senate Bi-Partisan Agreement on "CARES" Act for your reference. The Chamber has sent letters to both the Senate and House majority leaders and minority leaders to keep Guam and the Territories on par with the U.S. States in reference to recovery assistance. You can view our letters by clicking on House or Senate .

Your Guam Chamber has also sent a letter to Speaker Tina Muna-Barnes to implore that the Guam Legislature provide relief for our small businesses by decreasing the Business Privilege Tax. You can view the letter here . If you have a relationship with a favorite senator, please help us get the word out to support our businesses.

We are receiving great response to our membership "Roll Call" which is meant to provide us with the status of your company, how you are managing your business, and/or what your current needs are so we can help you. If you haven't already sent us your updates, you are welcome to respond to this email message. We plan to send updates frequently as things are fluid and changes occur rapidly.

Thank you for continuing to support our local small businesses, our restaurants, grocery stores and fast food places. There have been great support on social media, especially for food and refreshment establishments. Keep the support up!

Thank you for continuing to do your part by staying home, practicing social distancing and being extremely careful in managing hygiene. As always, thank you so much for all you and your company are doing to address the impacts of COVID-19 in our community.

Onward Together,

Catherine Castro
President
Guam Chamber of Commerce

CORONAVIRUS:
UPDATES & INFORMATION FOR YOUR BUSINESS
Dear Members,

While the quarantine extension has been extended by the Governor to April 13, 2020, continued positive cases may jeopardize the lifting of the Executive Order. While we hope that the lifting of the quarantine comes sooner rather than later, we will defer to public health officials as we understand that the health and safety of our people is the most critical consideration at present. It is quite likely that guidance on reopening will vary and that it might be easier for some businesses to open more quickly than others based on circumstances.

However, there are things we can be doing right now to prepare for the resumption of commerce. Perhaps the most important is keeping employees connected to their employer. That is why the Guam Chamber of Commerce has been focused on assistance programs that provide aid to businesses to help them keep paying their employees as we bridge this halt in revenue.

GEDA has put together COVID-19 Economic Recovery Initiatives . We are happy to provide this link to you.

Sincerely,

Christine Baleto
Chairwoman of the Board
ROLL CALL!
We want to hear from you! Please respond to our social media tags and let us know the status of your company: how you are managing your business, or what your current needs are so we can help you. You can also do this by responding to this email.
As noted above, the website to apply for US SBA's programs is back up with some changes. If your company is interested in applying for SBA's Disaster Loan Assistance Program please do the following:

  • Download all the necessary forms for the application and complete, sign and date it.
  • Compile all financial records for the past 3 years including personal financial statements, schedules of liabilities, profit & loss statements, monthly sales forecast, etc.
  • Scan and save each file in a .pdf format and reduce the size of the file. Large files would slow down the uploading process.
  • Once completed, do either of the three options:

  1. Submit the application on-line (https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela);
  2. Email: disasterloans@sba.gov; or,
  3. Mail it to U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155. (Return receipt would be advisable.)

I t has also been suggested that the best times to be online would be 12 noon to 12 midnight when less internet traffic occurs in the Continental U.S.

U.S. CHAMBER RESOURCES
The U.S. Chamber today released the Transatlantic Economy 2020 report, illustrating the importance of continued cooperation between the United States and the European Union, especially in this time of crisis. The report finds the transatlantic economy supports 16 million jobs and generates more than $5.6 trillion in commercial sales a year

GUIDANCE AND RESOURCES

We will update and add to the links below as new guidance and resources become available





For more info, please visit  the CDC’s Guidance for Businesses page .

GOVERNMENT OF GUAM UPDATES
Guam Power Authority


Guam Department of Labor Seeks Your Help

The Guam Department of Labor (DOL) is working to submit an application for the Disaster
Dislocated Worker grant in an effort to maximize Guam’s eligibility for federal assistance to
receive COVID-19 related unemployment benefits. The federally funded grant, if awarded, could potentially provide eligible participants with both disaster relief employment and employment and training activities.

In an effort to get the needed information to identify those in the community that have been impacted, the community is advised if they receive any calls from employees or employers for Disaster Unemployment Assistance, to send the following information to DOL via email at rapidresponse@dol.guam.gov .

For individual employees:
  1. Name of employer that issued the furlough or layoff

For business owners or managers :
  1. Employer name and location
  2. Number of employees laid off or are anticipated to be laid off
  3. Anticipated date and length of layoffs (e.g. 1 to 2 weeks, 3 to 4 weeks, or unknown at this time)
  4. Number of employees with reduced work hours or anticipated number of employees with reduced work hours
  5. When hours were reduced or anticipated date to implement reduced hours
  6. Specifics on reduced work week imposed (e.g. reduce to 32 hours per week, 20 hours per week, 10 hours per week, or unknown at this time)
  7. Duration of reduced hours (e.g. 1 to 2 weeks, 3 to 4 weeks, or unknown at this time)

The Wage and Hour Division provides information on common issues employers and employees face when responding to COVID-19, and its effects on wages and hours worked under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), job-protected leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), and paid sick leave and expanded family and medical leave under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA).
Please keep the Joint Information Center on your radar for the most factual and up to date information about our community and government operations as we get through this pandemic together.
NEW IRS Deadline: July 15th
The Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service are providing special tax filing and payment relief to individuals and businesses in response to the COVID-19 Outbreak. The filing deadline for tax returns has been extended from April 15 to July 15, 2020. The IRS urges taxpayers who are owed a refund to file as quickly as possible. For those who can't file by the July 15, 2020 deadline, the IRS reminds individual taxpayers that everyone is eligible to request an extension to file their return.

GUAM CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
671.472-6311 | info@GuamChamber.com.gu