{"id":14663,"date":"2022-01-30T08:56:02","date_gmt":"2022-01-30T08:56:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/?p=14663"},"modified":"2022-01-30T08:56:02","modified_gmt":"2022-01-30T08:56:02","slug":"covid-business-support-package","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/2022\/01\/30\/covid-business-support-package\/","title":{"rendered":"Covid business support package"},"content":{"rendered":"

Businesses, workers and the performing arts across NSW are all set to benefit from a major financial support package of more than $1 billion to help those that have been hardest hit by the Omicron wave.
\nThe package includes financial support for small business to buy rapid antigen tests (RATs) to help keep their workers safe and\u00a0a new Small Business Support Program to assist businesses to help keep their workers employed.
\nPremier Dominic Perrottet said while case numbers are now declining, the NSW Government is determined to support those businesses that have been most affected during this wave of the pandemic.
\n\u201cAs part of the package, we are introducing the Small Business Support Program to help support\u00a0businesses that experienced the worst effects of the Omicron wave,\u201d Mr Perrottet said.
\n\u201cWe are also providing support to business to help reimburse the cost of rapid antigen tests for their workers, extending the Commercial Landlord Hardship Grant and delivering additional funding for the performing arts sector.
\n\u201cThis targeted package provides support for businesses who experienced cashflow issues and the immediate economic impacts of the Omicron outbreak.
\n\u201cNSW is tracking better than expected and confidence is returning. And as we did with earlier recoveries, we will come through this recent challenge stronger than ever.
\n\u201cWe\u2019ve got the backs of businesses, as we have throughout this entire pandemic.\u201d
\nDeputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW Paul Toole said the support package would provide a statewide response to the Omicron wave of the pandemic, targeting those businesses that need it the most.
\n\u201cOur regions have felt the impacts of Omicron, and it\u2019s critical we give them a helping hand to recover and get local economies humming again,\u201d Mr Toole said.
\n\u201cThis package shows that the NSW Government continues to have the back of residents and businesses in the bush with practical measures to ensure they keep their workers safe and businesses open.\u201d
\nTreasurer Matt Kean said we know some businesses in NSW have faced challenges and it is vital we get them the support they need to stay afloat and keep their workers in jobs.
\n\u201cAs we continue to protect the health and safety of our community, we have to ensure our economy is resilient and our\u00a0businesses are supported so they bounce back from this most recent phase of the pandemic,\u201d Mr Kean said.
\n\u201cThe Small Business Support Program helps those\u00a0businesses with annual turnover<\/a>\u00a0of between $75,000 and $50 million with a decline in turnover of at least 40 per cent by providing a payment covering up to 20 per cent of their weekly payroll.
\n\u201cBy ensuring businesses keep their doors open and their employees paid, we are confident our economy will bounce back strongly as it did last year.\u201d
\nSmall Business Minister Eleni Petinos said the program was important to ensure small businesses have the resources and cash flow they need to survive this outbreak and bounce back.
\n\u201cWe know that the over 800,000 small businesses in NSW are the lifeblood of local communities and that many of these businesses experienced challenges due to the Omicron wave of the pandemic,\u201d Ms Petinos said.
\n\u201cThis package will help relieve some of the costs of small business including keeping workers safe, assist with cash flow and support small businesses to continue trading.\u201d
\nThe Small Business Support Program provides eligible businesses a lump sum payment of 20 per cent of weekly payroll with a minimum payment of $500 per week and a maximum payment of $5,000 per week.
\nIn addition, the existing Small Business Fees, Charges and RAT Rebate will be increased by 50% from the current $2,000 limit to $3,000 and employing businesses will be able to use the rebate to obtain RATs.\u00a0 This will support worker availability by helping reduce costs to small businesses and enabling healthy staff who have been exposed to COVID-19, but test negative, to return to work.
\nFor more information please visit\u00a0nsw.gov.au<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Businesses, workers and the performing arts across NSW are all set to benefit from a major financial support package of more than $1 billion to help those that have been hardest hit by the Omicron wave. The package includes financial support for small business to buy rapid antigen tests (RATs) to help keep their workers … Continue reading “Covid business support package”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14663","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-nswnews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14663","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14663"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14663\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14663"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14663"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14663"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}