brac.net (14.05.2020) Almost 18 million people live in extreme poverty in Bangladesh. The impact of COVID-19 on their livelihoods has been catastrophic. Research by BIGD and PPRC shows a 73% drop in income in households living in extreme poverty when measured in the first week of April 2020 compared to two months prior. The biggest challenge during COVID-19 is how to get relief to these people, who often live in hard-to-reach areas.

EURACTIV.com (04.06.2020) The upcoming German EU presidency intends to take up an initiative for an EU framework for minimum income systems. Shannon Pfohman looks at what this should look like.

moldpres.md (21.04.2020) According to Sergiu Railean, a string of fiscal, financial and banking measures were proposed to urgently back the business environment, as well as the mechanism of subsidizing the enterprises, in order to preserve the jobs and salaries.    „These measures imply subsidies, postponements of taxes and duties, cutting the basic rate on loans. Thus, the salary taxes of the employees whose work was ceased following the decisions taken within the emergency state will be fully subsidized from the public budget. Sixty per cent of the salary taxes for the employees of the companies hit indirectly will be recovered. Also, the share of the values added tax (VAT) was reduced from 20 to 15 per cent for the HORECA sector. We have managed to simplify the procedure of registration of the essential medicines, we de-blocked the work of agricultural markets, so that the native farmers can sell their season goods,’’ the official noted.     

moldpres.md (13.05.2020) The government will allocate over 6.5 million lei from the intervention fund to the Interior Ministry for providing one-off allowances to employees infected with COVID-19 during the fulfillment of the job duties, as well as to the Health, Labour and Social Protection Ministry and local public administration authorities for the providing of one-off allowances to the medical system employees infected with COVID-19.    

Reuters (04.06.2020) German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s coalition on Wednesday agreed on a stimulus package worth 130 billion euros ($146 billion) to help companies and workers in Europe’s largest economy recover more quickly from the coronavirus pandemic.

- Parents will get a cash handout of 300 euros per child. This costs 4.3 billion euros.

- The government stabilises the social security system, which includes public health care and unemployment aid, with a cash injection of 5.3 billion euros in 2020 and additional funds in 2021. This helps both companies and employees by keeping their social contributions below the 40% threshold of income.

World Economic Forum (19.06.2020) When the Great Lockdown finally ends, a strong economic recovery that benefits everyone will depend on improved social safety nets and broad-based fiscal support, writes the IMF. From being more generous to the poorest, to helping people find jobs, here are three attributes of a good social safety net.

tchadmedia.com (14.04.2020)

Le Chef de l’Etat Idriss Déby Itno a instruit le recrutement immédiat de 1638 agents de santé avec indemnités dans le cadre de la lutte contre le Coronavirus.

tchadmedia.com (14.04.2020)

In an announcement to the nation on 14 April 2020, the President of the Chadian Republic decided to pay the water company's bills for six months and electricity bills for three months from 1 April 2020 (for domestic uses only).

 EURACTIV.com (18.05.2020) Temporary unemployment schemes operating across Europe could struggle to save the jobs of leisure and travel sector workers facing drawn-out or partial recoveries from the COVID-19 pandemic, even if they help industries that rebound quickly.

latinamerica.undp.org (May 2020) The growing crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic has dire implications for Latin American societies. As is often the case, the most vulnerable segments of society, especially those living in extreme poverty, are being hit the hardest. This article identifies strategies and specific responses designed to achieve three goals: (1) reduce epidemiological risks to save lives; (2) protect livelihoods; and (3) ensure human capital accumulation. Epidemiological externalities as well as humanitarian concerns demand universal social inclusion. In order to protect the health and lives, livelihoods, and the human capital of the poor and vulnerable, it will be essential to, first, implement targeted and decisive interventions at the local level that go beyond transferring cash; second, allocate adequate amounts of resources to fund income support and these other key interventions; and, third, rely on local actors and grassroots organizations for the interventions to be effective. 

lawafrica.com (May 2020) The purpose of this paper is to examine current state interventions taken to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 using social protection in Uganda in comparison to what is happening in Kenya and South Africa. This paper will also briefly examine the impact of legal framework in supporting the right social protection in COVID-19 responses. Since social protection is wide, the focus shall be on the non-contributory/tax-financed social protection schemes and programs as these relate with supporting rights of the vulnerable sections of the society as opposed to contributory schemes.

Africanews (26.05.2020) Sunday’s announcement by His Excellency President Matamela Ramaphosa in response to the Corona virus epidemic brings much needed hope to the country. It also enables SASSA to accelerate the pace of paying out the COVID-19 Social Relief of Distress grant. In terms of the move to level 3 of the lockdown, government services will commence full reopening from 01 June 2020. At the moment SASSA is operating with a third of its staff during level 4 and a move to level 3 will increase human resource capacity drastically so that payments are made quicker than it is the case currently.