Status: 11/16/2021 10:18 a.m.
The majority of the federal states are in favor of an extension of the Corona bridging aid for companies. It should actually expire at the end of the year.
Companies should be able to apply for the Corona bridging aid III Plus beyond the end of the year. This is what the majority of the federal states demand, as a survey by the chairman of the conference of economics ministers, Andreas Pinkwart (FDP), showed. The query was carried out among the state economics ministries and senate administrations. Accordingly, only Brandenburg and Schleswig-Holstein have spoken out against the extension, as Pinkwart announced.
Pinkwart himself, Minister of Economics in North Rhine-Westphalia, also spoke out in favor of extending the aid until March next year. At the same time, the federal states expressed the “urgent request” to “appropriately extend” the deadline for the final settlement of the Corona aid in order to relieve the burden on the approval authorities.
Associations refer to the tense corona situation
In view of the increasing number of new infections, the acting Federal Minister of Economics, Peter Altmaier (CDU), had voted for an extension of the aid. The uncertainties for companies have risen sharply again. With an extension of the aid the winter months could be covered and a “thread break” in the economic development could be prevented, he explained.
Business associations such as the Hotel and Restaurant Association are also calling for the aid money to be extended until the end of March. In view of the sharp rise in the number of infections, the event industry also pointed to a situation that was worsening again: “The fourth wave of corona is here, events and orders are being canceled, jobs are being lost and income is falling again or is completely disappearing,” said the Federal Conference on Event Management with. This situation calls for an extension of the aid programs for the self-employed as well.
Help will be available until the end of the year
Bridging aid is available to companies that anticipate a corona-related drop in sales of at least 30 percent. These companies get their fixed operating costs reimbursed by the federal government. The application deadline for the aid funds had already been extended at the beginning of October and is now valid until the end of December.
Help for self-employed people, whose turnover fell as a result of the pandemic, is also available until the end of 2021. You can get support of up to 4500 euros with the Restart Aid Plus. In the conference of economic ministers starting tomorrow, further measures to support companies are to be discussed.