Businesses that have been struggling due to the coronavirus crisis but were not required to stay closed during the virus outbreak will also be eligible to apply for rent subsidies that were made available to companies forced to be closed, Economy Minister Richard Sulik (Freedom and Solidarity/SaS) announced on Monday. Sulik explained that while small and micro businesses will be able to apply in line with the conditions that apply to companies that had to stay closed, medium and large companies will have to follow the de minimis scheme, which limits aid for each company to €200,000.
Currently, if the lessor provides a 50-percent discount for the lessee, the remaining 50 percent of the rent will be paid by the state. If the lessor gives, for example, a 20-percent discount, the state reimbursement will also be 20 percent, with the lessee being allowed to pay the remaining 60 percent in instalments distributed over 48 months. The state reimbursement, however, may not exceed 50 percent of the rent. The Economy Minister's adviser Jana Kisššová noted that the Economy Ministry has so far registered 9,562 applications, far less that they had expected. The total amount of provided subsidies has exceeded €6.5 million.
The unused money from the €200-million package originally earmarked for rent subsidies could be used to help artists and those employed in creative industries. The Economy and Finance Ministers will discuss this possibility, while the European Commission will also have its say on whether the funds may be re-directed. Sulik noted that the Culture Ministry has already allocated €11 million for artists affected by the coronavirus crisis. "But there are also hundreds if not thousands of other employees, such as audio engineers and stage crew members, who've lost income due to the coronavirus and we can't just ignore them," remarked the minister.
