DCED Business Waiver Process Flawed

Auditor General Timothy L. DeFoor has released a performance audit of the Wolf Administration’s waiver process for businesses that asked to remain open early in the COVID-19 pandemic. On March 19, 2020, Gov. Tom Wolf ordered Pennsylvania businesses that were not categorized as “life-sustaining” to close to help slow the spread of COVID-19. Businesses could ask to remain open by applying for a waiver from the state Department of Community and Economic Development. Pennsylvania did not follow federal guidelines, preferring to repeatedly modify a more restrictive approach. 

“This audit revealed a flawed process that provided inconsistent answers to business owners and caused confusion,” DeFoor said. “While the pandemic certainly presented some unique challenges, the process was hastily assembled on the fly and unevenly administered and should be reformed before anything like it is ever used again.” Click here for more.