OGUK Hosts Webinars to Help Firms Through Pandemic

Oil & Gas UK (OGUK) is hosting a series of webinars for its member companies to learn more about the support available to them in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

The organization’s first webinar took place on Thursday and focused on the furlough scheme, which is the business support package the UK government has made available to employers through the temporary coronavirus job retention scheme. Attendees heard an overview of how the furlough scheme works and had the opportunity to ask an expert panel questions.

OGUK is scheduled to host a second webinar on April 14. This will focus on the coronavirus business interruption loan scheme (CBILS), the Covid-19 corporate financing facility (CCFF) and VAT relief.

Speakers for this webinar are scheduled to be announced closer to the time. Emily Taylor, OGUK’s continuous improvement manager, has encouraged participants to send in questions before the webinar to EmTaylor@oilandgasuk.co.uk.

“Many companies in our industry, especially in the supply chain, are still financially fragile after the previous downturn so the UK Government’s commitment to supporting both workers and companies is very welcome,” Matt Abraham, OGUK’s supply chain director, said in an organization statement.

“It’s now crucial for us to ensure these companies understand how they can effectively access the money they need to maintain their cash flow through these challenging times,” he added.

OGUK describes itself as the leading representative body for the UK offshore oil and gas industry. The not-for-profit organization, which was established back in April 2007, counts BP, Chevron, ExxonMobil, Shell and Total among its members.

As of April 9, the UK has seen 60,737 confirmed cases of the virus, with 7,097 deaths, according to the latest figures from the World Health Organization (WHO). The total number of confirmed cases and deaths, as of April 9, stands at 1.43 million and 85,522 respectively, according to WHO.

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