(3 minutes read)
· The Covid-19 UIF Temporary Employer/Employee Relief Scheme (TERS) will come to an end, said President Cyril Ramaphosa, while addressing the nation today on developments on the Covid-19 response
· Nearly R53 billion was paid out to over 4.7 million workers from this fund
· Government extended the Special Covid-19 Grant for a further three months, until January 2021, which supports around six million people
The Covid-19 UIF Temporary Employer/Employee Relief Scheme (TERS) will come to an end, said President Cyril Ramaphosa, while addressing the nation today on developments on the Covid-19 response. Nearly R53 billion was paid out to over 4.7 million workers from this fund. The president also extended the National State of Disaster by another month. In his address, the president said that as the economy starts to recover, many of the measures in the relief package are steadily
being wound down.
He said that government recognized that some industries were still not able to operate fully. It would take time for many jobs to return. This is why government extended the Special Covid-19 Grant for a further three months, until January 2021, which supports around six million people.
As part of the transition to a fully operational economy, Ramaphosa said the country’s alert Level 1 regulations will be amended and normal trading hours for the sale of alcohol at retailers will be restored. South Africa’s retail industry has been severely affected by months of the lockdown. The sale of alcohol was banned. The industry said that the first nine-week ban the country had during the hard lockdown had resulted in more than 118 000 job losses. Now the retailers have been allowed to sell alcohol on a restricted basis from Monday to Friday until 5pm.
The majority of SA businesses partnering in their response to Covid-19, warned that a move to lockdown level 3 would result in 200 000 more job losses. The country lost 2.2 million jobs during the second quarter during the hard lockdown which lasted for five weeks. Economic activity was brought to a halt with GDP contracting by 51.2%, quarter on quarter, on an annualized basis.
