Salary relief grant details to be finalised by next Monday
THE FINANCE Ministry said details on the salary relief grant will be finalised by next Monday.
The ministry in a release Wednesday said, in light of the concerns surrounding possible temporary unemployment during the covid19 pandemic, the Government wished to assure the public that it is currently in the process of implementing a temporary salary relief grant of up to $1,500 for a period of up to three months.
“As stated at the press conference on Monday March 23, and as reported in all media (Tuesday), the details, application procedures and qualification criteria for the grant are expected to be finalised within seven days…(that is) by Monday March 30.”
The ministry stated after this date qualifying members of the public will be able to apply through the designated offices and the processing of applications will run its natural course.
“It should be noted that the grants will be given on a case-by-case basis, depending on the personal circumstances of the individuals involved.”
At the media briefing Monday, Finance Minister Colm Imbert announced Government has created a special $400 million temporary unemployment grant for people who may be affected by the impact of its covid19 precautions on the economy.
Imbert called the new salary relief grant the “most important measure” that his team had come up with “because we recognise because of the measures taken and because of the issues associated with this pandemic there will be people unemployed.”
People who have been temporarily unemployed or displaced as a result of the pandemic will be eligible for a grant up to $1,500 a month for three months in the first instance. The grant will be administered through the National Insurance Board, because it already has data on all the people in the PAYE (pay as you earn) tax system.
“We will give them the money for each unemployed individual who is temporarily displaced. We will work out the details and qualification criteria in due course over the next (week) or so,” Imbert said. He estimated the grant would cost $400 million over the next three months “but we thought it was necessary.”
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