koronavirus.hr (17.03.2020) A minimum wage will be provided for persons with disabilities for retention in employment. Employers can pay the financial compensation due to the quota for the employment of persons with disabilities later.

tpa-group (17.03.2020) Deferral of payment of social security contributions. The measure would be implemented by the amendment of the General Tax Act that would allow to the Minister of Finance to issue special regulations governing this area. Late penalty interest would not be charged during the deferral period and statute of limitation would not run. Per information provided during the Government session, the intended deferral in settlement would be 3 months with potential extension to additional 3 months, and taxpayers could also request settlement in instalments under certain conditions.

tootukassa.ee (23.03.2020)

Temporary subsidies will be paid to those employees whose employers are significantly impacted by the current extraordinary circumstances. The subsidy will grant an income for the employees and help the employers to surpass temporary difficulties without having to lay off their staff or call bankruptcy. The subsidy is paid, when an employer is in a situation where they comply with at least two of the following terms:

• The employer must have suffered at least a 30% decline in turnover or revenue for the month they wish to be subsidized for, as compared to the same month last year.
• The employer is not able to provide at least 30 percent of their employees with work.
• The employer has cut the wages of at least 30% of employees by at least 30% or down to the minimum wage.

The amount of the subsidy will be 70% of the average monthly wage of the employee. The maximum amount of the subsidy is €1000. In addition to that, the employer must pay a wage of at least €150 to the employee. The employee will receive at least the minimum wage of €584 from the Unemployment Insurance Fund and their employer, collectively. 

mra.mu (31.03.2020)

The Government of the Republic of Mauritius has decided to implement a Self-Employed Assistance Scheme (SEAS) through the Mauritius Revenue Authority (MRA) to assist self-employed persons who have suffered a loss of revenue as a consequence of the lockdown in the fight against Covid-19. A self-employed individual who is in business, or a tradesperson operating in the informal sector, e.g. a mason, a cabinet maker, a plumber, a hairdresser and an artist is entitled to join the assistance scheme provided he is a Mauritian national above 18 years of age and who has been in business for the last 3 months. Eligible self-employed individuals and tradespersons will receive a financial support of Rs 5,100 each for the period 16 March 2020 to 15 April 2020. They must submit their applications online on MRA’s website.

webmanagercenter.com (23.04.2020)

Le ministère des Affaires Sociales entamera, à partir du 4 mai prochain, le versement de la seconde tranche des aides sociales exceptionnelles dans le cadre de la lutte contre la propagation du coronavirus, au profit des familles nécessiteuses et familles en charge d’enfants, de personnes âgées et de personnes à besoins spécifiques. Lors d’un point de presse tenu jeudi 23 avril, le ministre des Affaires sociales, Habib Kchaou, a expliqué que le ministère entamera aussi le versement d’une nouvelle aide sociale d’un montant de 200 dinars au profit des familles en charge d’enfants, de personnes âgées et de personnes à besoins spécifiques. Le ministère versera aussi une nouvelle aide de 60 dinars à l’occasion du mois de ramadan au profit des familles nécessiteuses en plus d’une autre aide de 60 dinars à l’occasion de Aid El Fitr.

mmtimes.com (28.04.2020)

The Ministry of Labour, Immigration and Population will provide social security benefits for insured workers from factories and workshops which are temporarily suspended for inspections. According to the release, workers who registered for social security under the Social Welfare Program will receive 40 percent of their salaries based on insurance fee for the unemployed days in accordance with the Social Security Law.

Le phénomène massif de départs d’une partie de la population des grandes métropoles françaises lors de la mise en place du plan de confinement peut s’analyser comme une manifestation supplémentaire – et spectaculaire – du processus de sécession des catégories supérieures à l’œuvre dans la société française. Jean-Laurent Cassely et Jérôme Fourquet livrent leur analyse, basée notamment sur deux enquêtes inédites. 

Cette crise sanitaire mondiale a bouleversé le quotidien et les projets des Français qu’ils vivent en France ou ailleurs. C’est d’autant plus vrai quand on vit à l’étranger et loin de ses proches. Que ce soit pour des raisons personnelles ou financières, de nombreux expatriés envisagent aujourd’hui de rentrer en France. Nous avons recueilli leurs témoignages.

leparisien.fr (22.04.2020) Auditionné par la commission des Affaires sociales du Sénat, le ministre des Comptes publics a souligné d'emblée « le caractère exceptionnel et changeant » de ses prévisions budgétaires. Le cru 2019, meilleur que prévu avec tout de même une perte de 1,9 milliard d'euros, « nous paraît loin aujourd'hui », tant le millésime 2020 est parti pour pulvériser tous les records.

Face à l'épidémie de covid-19, le gouvernement a annoncé dès le mois de mars des mesures exceptionnelles afin d'aider les entreprises à faire face à la baisse d'activité, parmi lesquelles la possibilité de reporter les cotisations sociales. Cette possibilité de report se transforme en exonération pour certaines.

the Government of Iraq (12.04.2020) Covid-19: Iraq’s Higher Committee for Health and National Safety announces emergency monthly grant to families impacted by curfew. The grant is only available to Iraqi citizens who are residing in Iraq. Government employees, those receiving state pensions, social security payments or any other income from the state are not eligible to apply.

The Corona (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic affects social and economic life equally, employed, and unemployed. This pandemic situation is a danger to the health of an undetermined number of people and at the same time to public safety and order. It has a significant impact on everyone's life. It affects all economic activity and therefore the whole world of work. Safety and health protection and the start-up of the economy can only work in unison if a stop-and-go effect is to be avoided.

The special occupational health and safety measures developed by the OSH consultancy and training provider Besus.net aim to protect the population by interrupting the infection chains, to safeguard the health of employees, to restore economic activity and, at the same time, to create a flat infection curve in the medium term. They are available in

• English
• German and
• Swedish

Kindly note that the order of priority from technical to organizational and personal protective measures must be observed.

The Corona (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic affects social and economic life equally, employed, and unemployed. This pandemic situation is a danger to the health of an undetermined number of people and at the same time to public safety and order. It has a significant impact on everyone's life. It affects all economic activity and therefore the whole world of work. Safety and health protection and the start-up of the economy can only work in unison if a stop-and-go effect is to be avoided. The special occupational health and safety measures developped by the German-Swedisch based consulatncy Besus described  in

• German
• English and
• Swedisch

aim to protect the population by interrupting the infection chains, to safeguard the health of employees, to restore economic activity and, at the same time, to create a flat infection curve in the medium term. The order of priority from technical to organizational and personal protective measures must be observed.

The Haitian Times (29.04.2020) In anticipation of an onslaught of COVID-19 cases, Haiti’s president, Jovenel Moïse, has created an historic public-private partnership, the Commission Multisectoral de Gestation de Pandemic COVID-19, to coordinate the country’s resources and response to the looming pandemic.

The Department of Labour Inspection (DLI) of the Ministry of Labour, Welfare and Social Insurance in Cyprus has published “Simple Guidelines  for the Protection of workers on construction sites from COVID-19” in 6 languages, Arabic, Bulgarian, English, Greek, Romanian and Turkish.

Κορωνοϊός (Covid-19) Με την τρέχουσα πανδημία του Κορωνοϊού (Covid-19) στην Κύπρο, η επαναδραστηριοποίηση της πλειονότητας των επιχειρήσεων και των εργαζομένων πρέπει να γίνει σε κατάλληλες και ελεγχόμενες συνθήκες ασφάλειας και υγείας στην εργασία έτσι ώστε να εξαλειφθεί ή να μειωθεί στον μέγιστο δυνατό βαθμό ο κίνδυνος εξάπλωσης του ιού στους εργαζόμενους και στο κοινωνικό σύνολο. Στο πλαίσιο διαμόρφωσης κατάλληλων συνθήκων και περιβάλλοντος εργασίας, το Τμήμα Επιθεώρησης Εργασίας, του Υπουργείου Εργασίας, Πρόνοιας και Κοινωνικών Ασφαλίσεων, ενημερώνει τους εργοδότες, τους εργοδοτούμενους, τα αυτοεργοδοτούμενα πρόσωπα και τους άλλους εμπλεκόμενους για τις υποχρεώσεις τους καθώς και για τα μέτρα που πρέπει να λαμβάνονται σύμφωνα με τη νομοθεσία για την ασφάλεια και υγεία στην εργασία. Σημειώνεται ότι οι οδηγίες αυτές είναι συμπληρωματικές και δεν αντικαθιστούν τις υποχρεώσεις που επιβάλλονται με τον περί Λοιμοκαθάρσεως Νόμο και τα σχετικά Διατάγματα που εκδόθηκαν ή με οδηγίες άλλων εμπλεκομένων Αρχών. Επιπρόσθετα αναφέρονται χρήσιμες ιστοσελίδες/εγχειρίδια/οδηγοί που σχετίζονται με την επιδημία του Κορωνοϊού (Covid-19).

The New Humanitarian (04.05.2020 ) African governments moved fast to contain COVID-19, but providing support to those hit hardest among the urban poor is more difficult.

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Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation (07.04.2020) 40 kg of rice and 200,000 kyats were donated to each pagoda of 58 pagodas in Ponhea Krek district, Tbong Khmum province, and Cheach commune, Kamchay Mear district, Prey Veng province. In addition, foods and supplies were distributed to 6,580 poor families in Ponhea Krek district, Tbong Khmum province, and Cheach commune, Kamchay Mear district, Prey Veng province.

Center For Global Development (01.05.2020) The Ehsaas Emergency Cash program was launched at the end of March to distribute funds to 12 million families (an estimated 67 million people) whose livelihood has been severely impacted by the COVID-19 epidemic or its aftermath. Each eligible family is entitled to 12,000 Pakistani rupees (PKR), equivalent to $72.07. As of the end of April, 6.6 million beneficiary families representing some 37 million people had already received the payment, for a total of PKR 79.2 billion ($476 million). Cash can be picked up at 17,000 distribution centers set up nationwide, after biometric authentication against the database of NADRA (the National Database and Registration Authority), which houses the digital identity of 122 million citizens. The program has been an important way to get much-needed cash to those affected, but it also presents an opportunity to advance digital payments in a way that benefits the poor—but only if stakeholders seize the moment.

The Federation Ministry of Displaced Persons and Refugees has delivered packages of food and hygiene supplies to returnee families in the municipalities of Drvar, Glamoc and Grahovo. The Ministry representatives presented this assistance in the presence of the Mayor of Drvar Dušica Runic, to the local representatives of returnees.
 
-We have reached out to families who are very important in this type of assistance. There are a large number of returnees in Drvar, Glamoč and Grahovo. These are older families, and quite a few are with young children, so this help will come in handy, given that there is limited movement in these categories. Help is the solidarity we need more than ever. I would like to emphasize the excellent cooperation with the Federal Ministry of Displaced Persons and Refugees. They are the only Ministry in the FBiH Government with whom we have cooperation. We also hope for future support - said Chief Runic
 

After the pandemic was declared, the Federal Ministry of Displaced Persons and Refugees began distributing aid to vulnerable categories of returnees.
 
-After declaring the state of the disaster, we decided to provide the families in need with the necessities of providing basic necessities of life. Today's delivery of assistance covers a total of about 2,000 returnee families in all regions where significant returns have been made. We have supported 300 families in Drvar, Glamoc and Grahovo, seeking help to reach the most vulnerable and multi-member families with children - said the ministry's federal minister for displaced persons and refugees, Edin Ramic.
 

The federal government made a series of recommendations to employers and workers at a broad-based themed session yesterday to prevent coronavirus disease.
 
The recommendations are:
 
- Implement special safeguards to prevent the adverse effects on the health of workers by shortening workers' working hours, if the work process permits them
 
. permits, and work that takes place in one shift should be distributed in two shifts, in order to avoid the concentration of more workers in one place
 
- Give workers directions to work from home, if this is possible due to the nature of the work, or if the work process is allows
 
- Enable the use of annual leave to workers, as well as the use of leave in accordance with the law, collective agreement or employment rules


- Allow workers, parents of minor children up to 10 years, absence from work to a parent if both parents working
 
- cancel all official travel , in the country and abroad, and in particular to cancel business trips for workers diagnosed with chronic diseases. When referring to non-cancellable business trips, workers should be instructed on instructions issued by the competent health institutions and institutions in the areas where they travel, and provide workers with adequate protective equipment (masks, disinfectants, etc.).
 
- Employers are obliged, in accordance with the regulations in the field of occupational safety, to ensure regular and intensive implementation of hygiene measures in work and auxiliary rooms, which, among other things, include cleaning and disinfection of premises, as well as regular ventilation and ventilation
 
- Cancel meetings that imply larger number of participants. And the necessary meetings should be organized in as large a room as possible, with sufficient distance between the participants of the meeting (meters to two)
 
- Employers and workers are instructed to act in accordance with the new circumstances regarding the regulation of temporary disability due to new circumstances. instructions from the Federal Ministry of Health
 
- Employers and employees are instructed to act in full compliance with the recommendations of the Federal Ministry of Health given to employers and workers in the territory of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina

http://www.fbihvlada.gov.ba/bosanski/aktuelno_v2.php?akt_id=8505

The Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, at today's urgent, telephone session, proposed that the Law on Mitigation of Negative Economic Consequences Caused by the Virus Crown Pandemic be adopted by the FBiH Parliament in an emergency procedure, in accordance with Article 191 of the Rules of Procedure and Article 186 of the Rules of Procedure The House of Peoples, which stipulates that a law can be passed by emergency procedure only if it regulates relations and issues for which there is an urgent need and if its enactment in a regular procedure could cause adverse consequences for the Federation of FBiH.
 
This law was proposed to mitigate the negative economic consequences for the Federation of BiH economy, given the enormous negative economic consequences that will arise in the coming period as a result of the state of the accident, given that a large number of businesses have suspended their work, leading to a significant disruption of normal business flows.
 
The law prescribes subsidizing contributions for compulsory insurance, suspending the calculation and payment of default interest on public revenues, abolishing the obligation to pay advance payment of income tax, abolishing the obligation to pay advance payment of personal income tax, suspends all administrative, litigation, non-litigation and enforcement proceedings during the balance. accidents, suspension of the calculation of default interest on late payments in debt and credit relations, suspension of enforced collection, maintenance of stability of certain payments, delays in the application of regulations, and the establishment of a Guarantee Fund.
 
The provisions of this law apply to all business entities that meet the requirements prescribed by this law. If other laws conflict with this law, this law shall apply.
 
The Federal Government has today granted to the Institute for Public Health of the Sarajevo Canton the facility of the former Army Medical Center in the circle of General Hospital “Prim. dr. Abdulah Nakash ”, measuring 1,560 m2.
 
The FBiH Department for Joint Affairs is tasked with drawing up a contract with the Institute for Public Health of the Canton of Sarajevo to regulate the issue of fees for utilities and maintenance of infrastructure (consumption of electricity, heating, water, telephone, waste removal and other obligations arising from the use real estate).

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http://www.fbihvlada.gov.ba/bosanski/aktuelno_v2.php?akt_id=8495

- It is a budget item managed by the Government, without the establishment of new legal entities and new employment. In addition, we give the Development Bank a deposit of KM 80 million for the establishment of a Guarantee Fund, as a measure of support for maintaining the liquidity of small and medium-sized enterprises - he said.

He explained that this approach is applied by almost all countries in the region and the European Union, because the Guarantee Fund's resources are multiplying, so that 400 million KM will be available for small and medium-sized enterprises.

President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko signs Decree "On material incentives for healthcare workers".

The document provides for the establishment of an additional monthly allowance for work in conditions associated with infectious diseases. In particular, it concerns employees of health care institutions providing care to patients with infections, as well as those working in conditions associated with infections.

On the instructions of the President, the document was developed by the Council of Ministers. Alexander Lukashenko backed the proposed approaches by instructing the Government to make appropriate payments.

Americas Quarterly (04.05.2020) The pandemic has shone light on the gaps in existing protection programs, but could pave a path to reforms.

oecd (27.04.2020) this note will give an overview of the measures currently being enacted to mitigate the public health situation in different countries of the region, including its social, economic, and governance dimensions.