The government has decided to extend measure 60/40 until March 2021, when the upcoming parliamentary elections are expected. A promise was also made that more money would be allocated. With them, the measure would be in effect until September 2021. However, this decision is pending and was not taken at today’s government meeting.
“Today we extend the measure 60/40 until the end of March, and in the coming weeks we will guarantee its implementation until September 2021. We continue to support tourism and transport with the measure 80/20, and from January 1 we introduce the aid of 75/0 for closed businesses”, said the Prime Minister Boyko Borissov and added:
“Today we are allocating BGN 300 million from the budget for 2021 to extend the measure 60/40 until March, which will save 180,000 jobs. And with another BGN 300 million, we guarantee the implementation of the support until September.”
The government has also decided to extend until March 31, 2021 the deadline for payment of compensation in order to maintain employment in the amount of BGN 290 per month to workers and employees and self-employed persons in the sectors „Transport“, „Hotels and restaurants“ and “Tourism”.
“Eligible applicants for the measure are employers from the sectors of passenger and urban transport, passenger land transport, hotels, restaurants. Self-employed persons with activity in the same sectors, as well as freelancers, and sole traders are also entitled to assistance in this line”, said the Minister of Labor and Social Policy Denitsa Sacheva.
So far, BGN 43 million have been paid under the measure and about 30,000 jobs have been preserved, according to the Council of Ministers. Another BGN 40 million have been provided for its extension until the end of March, which will be allocated by the Operational Program “Human Resources Development”.
At the same time, criticism of the government has not stopped, and it comes from both the opposition and a number of experts and businesses. The reason is that the measures are defined as untimely and late. In addition, they do not reach everyone who needs them. A few weeks ago, a survey showed that more than 70% of companies disapprove of the actions of Borissov’s cabinet. It also became public knowledge that a small part of the widely advertised funds for the troubled companies were actually paid. This delay causes irreparable damage to the business. The opposition and many citizens continue to demand the resignation of the government because it cannot lead the country out of the COVID crisis. According to them, with these measures the only goal is to buy votes for the upcoming parliamentary elections.
