In an effort to clear up some confusion regarding the COVID-19 Temporary Employer/Employee Relief Scheme (TERS) benefits, the Minister of Employment and Labour signed an amended Directive on 16 April and a Correction Notice on 20 April 2020 respectively.
R2W - Level 4 Return to Work
As you heard on Saturday the 25th of April, the Minister of Trade Industry and Competition (dtic) announced a proposal for which sectors would be able to return to work at Level 4. The Minister also communicated that the details of this would be worked on during the week and communicated on Thursday the 30th April.
We have been in shut down for four weeks tonight, with a further week of hard lock-down to go before conditions are eased for a risk-based return of economic activity.
Are you an essential service call centre delivering services during the COVID-19 lockdown?
Take a look at this compilation of FAQs with regards to the requirements for continued operations according to the Directive issued by the Departments of Health and Trade, Industry and Competition on 09 April 2020.
National Treasury has release a media statement regarding further tax measures to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
Government recognises that the far-reaching lockdown measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus are having a significant impact on our economy. Most households and businesses have suffered a significant loss in their income, as they comply with the regulations giving effect to the National State of Disaster declared on 15 March 2020. Government is committed to helping households and businesses stay afloat during this difficult period, whilst it continues to limit the rate of infection, on a risk-based approach.
We welcome the explicit support we’ve received from the government for our industry’s provision of essential services during South Africa’s lockdown due to Covid-19.
On Friday, 9 April, Dr Zwelini Mkhize, Minister of Health, and Mr Ebrahim Patel, Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition published in the Government Gazette, a directive to clarify the extent, and conditions under which call centres may operate during the lockdown. This is welcome guidance in light of the extended lockdown to end-April.
Take a look at BPESA's guidelines for Global Business Services Sector Health and Safety Operational Procedures.
"My Fellow South Africans,
At midnight tonight, it will be exactly two weeks since our country entered into an unprecedented nation-wide lockdown to contain the spread of the coronavirus. During the course of these last two weeks, your lives have been severely disrupted, you have suffered great hardship and endured much uncertainty.
We have closed our borders to the world, our children are not in school, businesses have closed their operations, many have lost their income, and our economy has ground to a halt."
These were the opening words of our President Cyril Ramaphosa as he addressed South Africans declaring the 2 week extension of the nationwide lockdown.
Click here to read the complete statement
Follow us for further commentary and updates regarding the COVID-19 extended lockdown.
Further to our digital conferences on the topic of COVID-19, IOE is convening a conference for the English-speaking Africa region on Thursday 9 April 2020 at 11:30 am Geneva time.
In the face of the COVID19 crisis, how are employers organisations and businesses in Africa continuing to build their resilience against existing and future crises?
This digital conference will review:
- What social and economic measures have been taken by the government?
- What has been the private sector’s reaction?
- Which sector has been hardest hit?
- How does informality and infrastructure hamper the response to COVID 19?
- How does this crisis compare to previous crises?
- What is the way forward for business?
Click here to access more information on this event and to get the registration link
Fraser Consulting has put together a useful inforgraphic delineating the multiple Covid-19 relief funding measures available to South African businesses as of 07 April 2020.
The Department of Co-Operative Governance and Traditional Affairs has put together a collation of regulations and amendments relating to the COVID-19 driven Distaster Management Act implementation.
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