More firms included in loan scheme

The Finance Ministry has decided to allow the inclusion in the fifth phase of its cheap state loans program, known as the “Deposit To Be Returned,” of 10,000 enterprises active in retail commerce, food service, tourism, culture, sport and transport that were forced to close due to the coronavirus.

A joint decision with the Development Ministry provides that the companies in the sectors damaged by the Nov-Dec lockdown and which started operating between Nov 1, 2019 and Feb 29, 2020 and between Aug 1 and Oct 2020, are eligible for the fifth phase of the program regardless of their turnover or gross revenues.

The myBusinessSupport platform will reopen especially for those companies that have already submitted expressions of interest after the completion of the current state loans period on February 2, for the process of acceptance of the state resources, with a February 8 deadline.

On Wednesday 203,964 recipients of the fifth phase collected a total of 639 million euros. The average loan (of which only 50% must be repaid) per recipient came to €3,133. Independent Authority for Public Revenue data show 269,420 enterprises have already confirmed their application for state support.

Source: ekathimerini.com