The Prime Minister announced that the Government will support micro-enterprises, particularly in the commercial and catering sectors, with 80% non-repayable funds for expenses with compliance with safety and hygiene standards.

António Costa referred to this program at the end of his intervention at the National Palace of Ajuda, after the Confederation of Commerce and Services and the Directorate-General for Health (DGS) signed a cooperation protocol for good practices in combating the spread of Covid-19.

“We’re taking a new step in creating a program specifically aimed at micro-enterprises and, in particular, those in the commercial and catering sectors, with a view to supporting 80% non-refundable expenses between 500 and 5,000 euros that are incurred with the acquisition of individual protection material for workers and cleaning of workplaces “, declared the leader of the executive.

At this point, the Prime Minister referred that the program, with respect to state contributions, “will also extend to a set of other investments that companies will be called upon to make under the protocol with the Directorate-General for Health.”.

“We know that compliance with safety standards will represent increased costs. Therefore, in order to keep companies alive and jobs, and to preserve income as much as possible, the Government has been adopting a set of measures that aim to ensure liquidity to companies”, he defended.

As he had stated in the interview with RTP, on Thursday night, António Costa reiterated that the Government will pay until the 15th of this month all the lay-off requirements that entered until April 30th.

“Throughout this period, companies have already been able to benefit from payment moratoriums, whether from Social Security contributions or tax contributions. Others have had moratoriums in terms of leasing,” he said.

According to the prime minister, “there are more than 12 thousand companies in the trade and services sector that have requested support for credit lines, more than four thousand have already seen these operations validated by the Portuguese Mutual Guarantee Society and, as such, are in conditions to be hired by the respective banks”.