Covid-19 in Bulgaria: EC approves 66.5M euro in state aid
The European Commission has approved 130 million leva, or about 66.5 million euro, in state aid for two schemes to support businesses and individuals affected by the coronavirus outbreak.
The Commission said on November 9 that it approved 100 million leva for a wage compensation scheme to support companies and self-employed persons active in sectors affected by restrictive measures that implemented by the Bulgarian government to limit the spread of the virus.
Under the programme, the aid will take the form of a compensation partially covering the loss of income suffered by the employees and self-employed persons at a rate of 75 per cent of their social insurance income.
This met the State Aid Temporary Framework conditions in that the monthly wage compensation would not exceed 80 per cent of the monthly gross salary of the benefitting personnel or the income of self-employed persons and that the aid would be granted before December 31 2021.
Separately, the EC said on November 8 that it approved 30 million leva in state aid for companies active in the tourism sector, which would take the form of direct grants.
In order to be eligible, companies must have experienced a decline in turnover of at least 30 per cent over 2020, compared with 2019. The aid amount per beneficiary will not exceed 20 per cent of its turnover in 2019, or 1.8 million euro, whichever the lowest.
(European Commission headquarters Berlaymont building. Photo: JLogan)
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