A total of 18,997 businesses in Brussels have already applied for a €4,000 premium to support sectors affected by the new coronavirus crisis, Economic Transition Secretary for Brussels Barbara Trachte announced on Wednesday.
Over 18,700 decisions had already been taken as of Tuesday evening, with refusals mainly concerning unregistered tourist establishments, Trachte said.
"The entire budget that we had planned is sufficient for everyone. The mechanism does not follow the principle of 'first come, first served'," Trachte explained. Checks are also carried out to verify the information transmitted.
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The premium can be granted to any company which has less than 50 full-time equivalents, has at least one place of business in the Brussels-Capital Region and is active in an approved sector of activity such as retail trade or catering establishments.
Around 240 service voucher companies already received, on 6 May, the 4,000 euro bonus to support the sector, Employment Minister Bernard Clerfayt announced.
In addition, 159 companies employing domestic workers applied for the additional aid of 2.5 euro gross per hour for temporary unemployment. These applications for the months of March and April had to be made by 15 May at the latest and concerned a total of 15,264 domestic workers, covering a total of more than 2.6 million hours of temporary unemployment.
The premium can be requested until 1 June and payment of the aid will be made by 5 June at the latest.
The Brussels Times
