The federal government officially confirmed on Friday evening that it will be extending financial support measures for people in Belgium affected by the fallout of the coronavirus crisis until 31 March.
The agreed-upon package of economic support measures that will remain in place until the end of March concerns fiscal, labour market and social measures.
The events sector, which has been directly affected by closures aimed at blocking the spread of the virus, especially when all events were banned, will have its social security obligations reduced up to the end of March, according to a government press release.
Businesses in this sector are also eligible for a tax credit for non-recoverable expenditure due, for example, to cancellations.
All businesses with indoor activities, from the hospitality to cultural sector, now also qualify for the crisis-relief package known as the “droit-passerelle de crise” if they experience a 40% turnover loss, down from a previous threshold of 65% to offset the fallout as a result of restrictions such as social distancing measures.
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The latest package also includes the payment of a monthly bonus of €25 for beneficiaries of the integration income, either the guaranteed income for the elderly named GRAPA, or an income replacement allowance, ARR.
At the start of December last year, the government decided to extend certain measures into 2022 in view of the uncertainty linked to the appearance of the micron variant and its impact on the health situation but did not give an exact date.
This included the extension of the temporary unemployment scheme (for force majeure or quarantine reasons) and the extension of the bridging scheme for businesses that temporarily closed their doors.
