Energy Minister Miriam Dalli spoke about the governments Wage Supplement Scheme
The Wage Supplement Scheme 2021 is aimed at those companies that have been hardest hit by the pandemic while helping the widest range of companies and employees.
The scheme announced is based on what has worked in the past months and we have incorporated the thoughts of the owners of the social partners to improve this scheme and guarantee the employment of workers.
As amended this scheme means an investment of € 40 million per month. This for us is an investment in companies and above all in workers.
“We are increasing investment to save jobs with 60% of applicants maintaining the same wage supplement level, or even receiving more. In addition, together with stakeholders we are working on a post-March strategy to continue helping companies move forward and grow”, said the minister.
She also stated that Maltese and Gozitan business were receiving additional support through other schemes covering electricity and rent costs.
Malta Enterprise CEO Kurt Farrugia said that, “About 40% of companies will see an increase in the wage supplement, while 20% will continue receiving the same amount. Those who fared even better than the previous year and had a good turnover, or suffered a minimum loss of less than 9%, will no longer be eligible for the wage supplement. Our commitment is to continue to work to prepare for the coming months through the Business Re-Engineering and Transformation measure, which will help regenerate businesses.”
Present for the launch of the scheme were representatives from the MHRA, the Malta Chamber of Commerce, the Chamber of Small and Medium Enterprises, the Association of Catering Establishments (ACE), FELTOM, the Malta Employers Association (MEA), and the Malta Entertainment Industry and Arts Association (MEIA). These representatives were also involved consultation meetings regarding the scheme.
The new scheme will come into effect as of January, with payments being issued on a monthly basis. This will mean that no new applications will be needed because companies that are already benefiting today are eligible for the scheme. It will be possible for businesses to include new workers through the emails which Malta Enterprise sends monthly to existing wage supplement applicants.
