Government of the Virgin Islands (15.09.2020) Over 1000 small businesses have qualified for the economic stimulus grant ranging from $1,592 to $7,955 and will begin to receive their cheques beginning this week. The Small Business Sector Grant Programme was established for the purpose of assisting Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs)  affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, in meeting operational expenditure, while stimulating economic activity by facilitating the circulation of money within the Territory.

Government of the Republic of Benin (10.09.2020) The Council of Ministers took specific measures in the agricultural sector strongly affected by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ilo.org (17.09.2020) Closing the social protection coverage gap, worsened by COVID-19, will require additional sources of financing.

EU Reporter (27.08.2020) German coalition parties agreed on Tuesday (25 August) to extend measures to cushion the effects of the coronavirus crisis on Europe’s biggest economy at a cost of up to €10 billion, including prolonging a short-time work scheme and freezing insolvency rules, write Andreas Rinke, Holger Hansen and Madeline Chambers and Joseph Nasr in Berlin. 

koreaherald.com (11.04.2020) Foreign subscribers of South Korea’s national health insurance are eligible for premium assistance in a COVID-19 bailout, the state health care service said Saturday. From July 16, 2019, foreign residents staying over six months are required to enroll in the national health insurance plan. Previously, the subscription was optional for those staying longer than three months. As of last year, the number of foreign subscribers to the national health insurance plan reached 1,212,475.

koreaherald.com (11.03.2020) The National Health Insurance Service said the lower 20 percent of the income bracket will receive about 30 to 50 percent reduction in premiums from March through May. For the worst-affected Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province’s Gyeongsan, Cheongdo and Bonghwa, the bottom half of income earners will be given the partial premium waivers. The lowered payments are a part of Korea’s disaster relief subsidy plan announced March 30 to cushion financial blow from the outbreak for the financially vulnerable.