GTP Headlines (21.05.2020) Aiming to protect jobs and at the same time keep companies hit by the coronavirus pandemic above water, the Greek government announced the launch on June 1 of the “Syn-ergasia” program. Under the scheme, Covid-19-impacted businesses can slash the working hours of their full-time employees by half without affecting their working agreement.

e-EFKA (23.06.2020) Due to the special conditions due to the pandemic of COVID-19, self-employed can use the benefit of the 25% discount for current May contributions. 

The main condition for the discount - which is optional for any professional - is the timely payment of May contributions.

e-EFKA (03.06.2020) Due to the special conditions due to the pandemic of COVID-19, self-employed have to choose between three (3) alternatives as follows:

This technical guidance identifies 10 policy objectives for decision-makers, policy-makers and national or regional health authorities as they strive to prevent and manage the COVID-19 pandemic in long-term care settings.

IMF Blog (22.07.2020) The practical challenge of quickly getting financial support in the hands of people who lost jobs amid the COVID-19 economic crisis has baffled advanced and developing economies alike. Economic lockdowns, physical distancing measures, patchy social protection systems and, especially for low-income countries, the high level of informality, complicate the task. Many governments are leveraging mobile technology to help their citizens.

socialprotection.org (July 2020) This note describes the main strategies used by, and available to, countries to deliver cash support in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The objective of the note is to inform both ongoing responses to COVID-19 and medium to long term investments in delivery mechanisms that could be used to respond to future crises.

omannews.gov.om (15.04.2020)

Payment of utilities' bills (such as electricity, water and wastewater) are postponed until after June 2020.

aseanbriefing.com (07.05.2020)

Companies in the tourism and garment sectors who want to suspend employment contracts must first submit an application to the Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training (MLVT). The suspended employees can receive monthly allowances from the government. The maximum period for suspension is two months but this can be extended further depending on the circumstances.

aseanbriefing.com (07.05.2020)

Suspension of monthly contributions to NSSF for enterprises in the garment and tourism sectors.

issblog.nl  (26.07.2020) Since March 2020, the Philippines has implemented one of the world’s strictest and longest lockdowns in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has caused severe disruptions in peoples’ livelihoods. The government’s emergency social protection response, the ‘Social Amelioration Program’ (SAP), has also been notably massive, introducing one-off near-universal income protection.