foreignaffairs.com (18.03.2020) This week, the government announced that it would distribute a one-time cash transfer to households without a “regular source of income.” About three million families fall into this category, and they account for some 20 percent of the population. For the poorest families, the transfer will cover about a month’s worth of expenditures.

aseanbriefing.com (27.03.2020) The government has injected 1.5 trillion rupiah (US$104 million) into its subsidized housing program which is expected to cover financing for a further 175,000 new homes. 800 billion rupiah (US$55 million) will be used to cover interest payments with the rest going to paying for subsidies.

aseanbriefing.com (10.03.2020) The government prepared funding totaling 4.6 trillion rupiah (US$324 million) for the Affordable Food Program (Sembako Murah) to boost local consumption. This program was initiated by the President during his re-election campaign in 2019 and aims to enable 15 million low-income households to purchase staple food products at discounted prices. As part of the stimulus package, low-income households will also receive 200,000 rupiah (US$13.97) per month in financial benefits, an increase from 150,000 rupiah (US$10), for the next six months.

cnbc.com (16.03.2020) Economy Minister Roberto Gualtieri said the new measures would be approved next month. Monday’s decree is immediately effective and provides 3.5 billion euros ($3.9 billion) to help the hard-pressed health service and 10 billion to support families and workers, ministers said. It extends parental leave, offers funds to families to pay for babysitters, and suspends all firing procedures begun after Feb. 23. Gualtieri has said several times that “nobody must lose their job because of coronavirus.”

timesofindia.indiatimes.com (27.03.2020) NEW DELHI: The government on Thursday announced a Rs 1.7 lakh crore package focused on emergency cash transfers into bank accounts of the poor, along with providing free foodgrains, pulses and cooking gas for three months in a bid to cushion them from the impact of the coronavirus lockdown and economic disruption caused by the disease. 

thenewsminute.com (13.03.2020)

In a gesture of goodwill, the Kerala government has started measures to deliver ingredients for mid-day meals to over three lakh children studying in anganwadis, which have been closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This is to ensure the undisrupted supply of meals to the students. Since Tuesday, schools, colleges, educational institutions and anganwadis have been shuttered. Exams are being conducted for students in high school. The decision to continue mid-day meals for anganwadi children has come as a relief to many.

government.is (21.03.2020) The authorities, in cooperation with the Icelandic Federation of Labour and the Confederation of Icelandic Employers, have ensured that quarantined individuals will receive pay while they are in quarantine; however, during that time, other rights, such as sick days provided for in wage agreements, do not apply. This applies to the period from 1 February through 30 April 2020, and it applies to those who are unable to work while they are in quarantine.

government.is (21.03.2020) During the next 15 months, people can withdraw a monthly sum from their voluntary pension savings, to a maximum of ISK 800,000.

government.is (21.03.2020) A one-off child benefit payment will be made on June 1, 2020 to all families with children under the age of 18. Parents with an average monthly income below ISK 927,000 in 2019 will receive ISK 40,000 per child and those with higher income will receive ISK 20,000 per child.

government.is (21.03.2020)