Business Support Schemes Set To Run Through Winter

Some business support schemes are due to be extended into the winter and early part of next year.

Most of them are currently set to expire at the end of next month, but there have been calls to extend them further because of the decision to delay the final lifting of restrictions to September.

Nightclubs won't reopen and stand-up drinking in pubs and bars isn't due to be allowed until at least the start of September.

Those schemes that don't extend into the winter are set to run until at least September.

The Business Loan Guarantee Scheme is currently the only package set to run until the end of September.

"The idea is to retain some of the schemes through the winter months to recognise the fact that some business sectors have not been able to make money this summer to keep them viable.

"A number of sectors have been impacted by the current restrictions - namely the stay at home order, the delay of the move to Stage 7 (of the roadmap) and the maximum household gathering of 20 persons." - Senator Lyndon Farnham, Economic Development Minister.

Some sectors that were no longer eligible for government support could be readmitted to these schemes as a result of the latest restrictions, such as the decision to advise many people to work from home.

Senator Farnham also confirmed to Scrutiny that the same rules will soon apply to events in public spaces and events in private gardens.

He says a solution has been agreed in principle and an order is being worked on now.

"That, I think, will help the beleaguered events industry - the events industry has probably been the hardest hit (by the pandemic)"