Government relief for businesses and employees should be extended to help save jobs

STATEMENT BY THE CITY’S MAYORAL COMMITTEE MEMBER FOR ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES AND ASSET MANAGEMENT, ALDERMAN JAMES VOS

Businesses which managed to survive 2020 may not see out the next couple of months should there be further lockdowns. That is why I have written to the Minister of Employment and Labour, Thulas Nxesi, to strongly urge him to make businesses and their employees a priority by extending the Unemployment Insurance Fund’s (UIF) COVID-19 Temporary Employer-Employee Relief (TERS) Scheme for the full duration of Alert Level 3. Read more below:

The COVID-19 TERS scheme came to an end on 15 October 2020, which does not take into account the implementation of further lockdowns.

Alert Level 3 currently prevents the sale and transportation of alcohol, bringing many businesses to a complete halt. Other businesses in the hospitality industry specifically are faced with reduced operating hours due to the early curfew of 21:00.

These restrictions have brought businesses to their knees and this is why the TERS should be extended, to ensure that businesses are able to stay afloat, retain their employees and reopen when lockdown restrictions are lifted.

I have already written to Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, to make the case for changing the curfew from 21:00 to 23:00 because every hour of trading is vital to the survival of many businesses across several sectors.

It is time Minister Nxesi extends the TERS in a bid to save what is left of business, which has been crippled by lockdown restrictions.