The support measures for employees and the economy were presented by the Minister of Labor, Welfare and Social Insurance, Ms. Zeta Aimilianidou, as shown below:
1. Special Plan for Complete Suspension of the Company's Operations
Season: January 2021
Salary Subsidy Rate: 60%
Beneficiaries of the Special Plan are:
i. legal entities or natural persons (employers) who are under mandatory full suspension according to the Decrees of the Minister of Health for the period 1 to 31 January 2021 and do not work either by telework, by home delivery or by delivery to a professional establishment. Number of Employees of the Company: up to 9 employees
ii. Legal or natural persons (employers) who are under mandatory full suspension according to the Decrees of the Minister of Health during the period 10 to 31 January 2021 and do not work either by teleworking, home delivery or delivery to a professional estate.
Number of Employees of the Company: up to 9 employees.
Employee Coverage Rate: 100%
iii. Economic activities (and with a separate employer registration number) located in shopping malls and were on mandatory full suspension and do not work either by teleworking, home delivery or business premises, or for the period from 1 to 9 January 2021 or for the period from 1 to 31 January 2021.
Number of Employees of the Company: more than 9 employees
Employee Coverage Rate: 97%
The allowance for each employee will be 60% of the salary with a minimum of € 360 and a maximum of € 1.214 euros for a period of one month.
- Beneficiaries will be only persons whose purposes will be for profit.
- Certified Public Accountant Report is required.
2. Special Plan for Partial Suspension of the Company's Operations
Beneficiaries are legal or natural persons (employers) who can work only by teleworking or by delivery at home or by delivery to a professional establishment.
Season: January 2021
Salary Subsidy Rate
Turnover Reduction and Employee Coverage Rate
- For companies that have a turnover reduction of 30% - 40%
- 45% of all employees.
- For companies that have a turnover reduction of 40% - 65%
- 65% of all employees.
- For companies that have a turnover reduction of more than 65% - 80%
- 75% of all employees.
- For companies that have a turnover reduction of more than 80%
- 97% of all employees.
In support of small businesses, for companies that employ up to 3 people, all 3 employees will be subsidized.
The allowance for each employee will be 60% of the salary with a minimum of € 360 and a maximum of € 1.214 euros for a period of one month.
Beneficiaries will be only persons whose purposes will be for profit.
Certified Public Accountant Report is required.
3. Special Plan of Hotel Units and Tourist Accommodations
The mentioned Plan is addressed to any hotel unit or tourist accommodation that carries out economic activity in any Province of the Republic. Participation in the Project can be done as follows:
Season: January 2021
Turnover Reduction Rate / Completeness Rate
- more than 40% reduction in turnover for the corresponding winter period of the previous year for companies that were active
ή
- occupancy less than 60% for businesses that were not active during the corresponding winter period of the previous year
The turnover reduction rate / occupancy rate should relate to the entire reporting period (monthly).
- Employee Coverage Rate for Companies that will be reactivated: 90%
- Employee Coverage Rate for Businesses that will not be reactivated: 97%
- Salary Subsidy Rate: 60%
Prerequisites for participation in the Plan:
- Not to have dismissed any employee until the end of March 2021, except for reasons justified by dismissal without notice. It is understood that companies will not be able to lay off employees for financial reasons during the above period.
- The employer will have the obligation to pay contributions to the Funds for which the Social Insurance Services are responsible for collection, 2,8% of the amount of the Special Allowance to be paid to the employees who will participate in the Plan. In the balance of the salary paid by the employer for those who work in the company, the corresponding contributions will be paid, as it was valid until now in the Plans.
- Businesses (hotels / tourist accommodation) that will operate only cafes and restaurants will be considered reactivated.
- Non-reactivated Enterprises will also be considered the enterprises (hotels / tourist accommodation) that perform maintenance / repair works or other related works that can not be considered as normal works in the object of the mentioned enterprises.
- They will not be included in the dates for which applications are submitted, the periods of paid accumulated daily wages and the balance of the paid annual leave of the employees.
- Certified Public Accountant Report is required.
4. Special Plan of Economic Activities Related to the Tourism Industry or Economic Activities which are directly affected by Tourism
The Scheme in question is addressed to any company (legal entity or separate Employer Registration Number): whose economic activity is related to the tourism industry or carries out an economic activity that is directly affected by Tourism
Participation in the Project can be done as follows:
Season: January 2021
Turnover Reduction Rate
The following can be included in this Plan:
(a) Those companies that will not be active during the period from 1 January 2021 to 31 January 2021 (ESA Form11),
- Number of Employees of the Company: up to 3 employees
- Employee Coverage Rate for Companies that will be reactivated: 100%
- Employee Coverage Rate for Businesses that will not be reactivated: 97%
- Salary Subsidy Rate: 60%
(b) Those companies mentioned above and are active if they have or anticipate a decrease in turnover of more than 40% for the period from 1 January 2021 to 31 January 2021 compared to the corresponding period of the previous year and the decrease in turnover due solely to the state of their business due to the coronavirus pandemic COVID 19. In case the company did not operate during the corresponding winter period of the previous year, then the comparison will be made with September 2019 and the month in question (EEA10).
- Number of Employees of the Company: more than 3 employees
- Employee Coverage Rate for Companies that will be reactivated: 65%
- Employee Coverage Rate for Businesses that will not be reactivated: 97%
- Salary Subsidy Rate: 60%
(c) Any company during the period from 1 January 2021 to 31 January 2021, for some time was active and for some time was inactive, must submit a separate application for each period depending on the case (ESA.10 and ESA .11).
- Number of Employees of the Company: more than 3 employees
- Employee Coverage Rate for Companies that will be reactivated: 65%
- Employee Coverage Rate for Businesses that will not be reactivated: 97%
- Salary Subsidy Rate: 60%
Prerequisites for participation in the Plan:
- Not to have dismissed any employee until the end of March 2021, except for reasons justified by dismissal without notice. It is understood that companies will not be able to lay off employees for financial reasons during the above period.
- The amount that can be paid as Special Unemployment Benefit for a period of one (1) month, not including Sunday, can not exceed € 1.214 or be less than € 360.
- The employer will be obliged to pay contributions to the Funds for which the Social Insurance Services are responsible for collection, 10% of the amount of the Special Allowance to be paid to the employees who will participate in the Plan. In the balance of the salary paid by the employer for those who work in the company, the corresponding contributions will be paid, as it was valid until now in the Plans
- They will not be included in the dates for which applications are submitted, the periods of paid accumulated daily wages and the balance of the paid annual leave of the employees.
- Certified Public Accountant Report is required.
5. Special Unemployment Support Plan
The Plan is addressed to:
- any person who is registered as a regular unemployed person in the Public Employment Service Register throughout the month of January 2021.
- received an unemployment benefit for which he has exhausted the right to payment within the period from January 2020 to December 2020 and
- is located in the Republic of Cyprus at the time of implementation of the Special Plans.
The Special Allowance is equal to an amount € 500 for a period of one month and is not provided for any period for which the unemployed person receives unemployment benefit, sickness benefit, maternity benefit, paternity benefit, statutory pension or any benefit from the Special Plans.
6. Special Plan for Certain Categories of Independent Employees
The application for this Special Allowance is submitted by self-employed employees:
i. who are not employers and are registered in the Register of Social Security Services or and
ii. who are employers and employ up to two (2) employees and are registered in the Register of Social Security Services, in one of the following professional categories:
- Photographers
- Car Rental Owners
- Guides and guides for tourists and visitors (eg to archeological sites, museums, galleries, etc.)
- Taxi drivers
- Tourist Bus Drivers
- Street food sellers
- Street vendors other than food (excluding street vendors)
- Independent Employees in Hotels
- Independent Employees whose companies are subject to mandatory, complete suspension in accordance with the applicable within the period under reference (1st to 31st of January 2021) Decrees of the Ministry of Health and / or the relevant Decisions of the Council of Ministers
- Self-employed persons whose business is subject to mandatory suspension in accordance with the Decrees of the Minister of Health for any period within January 2021, but is active in similar economic activities (eg home delivery from a restaurant) - Necessary Report of Certified Public Accountant
- Independent Employees whose company has or anticipates a reduction in turnover of more than 80% for the period from 1 January 2021 to 31 January 2021 compared to the corresponding period of the previous year and the decrease in their turnover is due solely to situation of their business due to the pandemic - Necessary Report of Certified Public Accountant.
and iii. if they have or anticipate a reduction in their turnover of more than 40%, or of 80% for those carrying on an economic activity falling within point (11) above, for the period from 1η January 2021 until 31η January 2021 or from 10η until 31η January 2021 compared to the corresponding period of the previous year and the decrease in their turnover is due exclusively to the situation of their company due to the coronavirus pandemic COVID 19. In case they were not employed as self-employed in the previous year, then the comparison will be made with a period preceding 1th January 2021 not taking into account any decrease in turnover for the period from 16 March 2020 until 31 December 2020.
It is understood that for the self-employed persons who fall into category (10) above, the reduction of the turnover will concern the period during which according to the Decrees of the Ministry of Health they were under mandatory suspension for the period January 2021, in relation to the corresponding period of the previous year.
This Special Allowance (weekly) will be equal to 60% of the amount of the weekly amount of insurable earnings, based on which the beneficiary was obliged to pay contributions to the Social Insurance Fund for the fourth quarter of 2019. This Special Allowance is not may be less than € 300 and more than € 900 if it covers a period of four weeks.
7. Special Work Absence Allowance
The application for the Special Occupational Absence Allowance is submitted by private sector employers who employ employees who are on the list of patients with risk factors for serious illness from COVID-19, which have been determined by the Ministry of Health in a Press Release date December 29, 2020 or in any future revision and these employees hold a certificate from their personal physician as to the nature of their illness, in a special form posted on the website of the Ministry (www.coronavirus.mlsi.gov.cy), provided that their employer certifies that the employee cannot, by the nature of his work, work remotely or in a place where they do not trade with the public
Those employers who participate in any of the Special Plans related to the period from 1η January 2021 to 31η January 2021 may not apply for their employees under the provisions of this Plan, but are required to include them in their applications in these Special Plans.
For the period for which the Special Absence Allowance will be paid, the employer is released from the obligation to pay the salary to his employees who received the said Special Absence Allowance from Work.
The period of the Special Absence Allowance from Work will be considered a period of simulated insurance for the purposes of contributions to the Social Insurance Fund and the insurance account of the beneficiary will be credited accordingly.
8. Special Work Absence Allowance for Child Care
The application for the Special Child Absenteeism Allowance is submitted by private sector employers who employ employees who are responsible for caring for children up to the age of 15 and / or children with disabilities regardless of age and cannot work with either teleworking or working from home or with flexible hours and if there is no babysitting / childcare provision.
Those employers who participate in any of the Special Plans related to the period from 1η January 2021 to 31η January 2021 may not apply for their employees under the provisions of this Plan, but are required to include them in their applications in these Special Plans.
For the period for which the Special Absence from Work for Child Care will be paid, the employer is exempted from the obligation to pay the salary to his employees who received this Special Absence from Work for Child Care.
The period of the Special Absence from Work for Child Care will be considered a period of simulated insurance for the purposes of contributions to the Social Insurance Fund and the insurance account of the beneficiary will be credited accordingly.
The Special Work Absence Allowance for Child Care is calculated at 60% of the beneficiary's salary, with a maximum of € 1.214 euros for a period of one month.
The period of provision of the Special Work Absence Allowance for Child Care may not exceed three (3) weeks in total for both parents and the method of calculation presented above will be applied in proportion to the days for which the applicant becomes / three beneficiary.
If one parent receives the Special Child Absenteeism Allowance, the other parent may not receive it for the same period.
Famagusta.News
