Applications for COVID-19 wage supplements were flooding in on Monday, according to Malta Enterprise, the state agency coordinating the initiative.
Last week Prime Minister Robert Abela announced that the government will be subsidising private companies in sectors hardest hit by the economic impact of the Coronavirus outbreak.
A guide to who is eligible for the assistance package and other aid measures announced so far by the government can be seen here.
List of eligible businesses extended
The government had originally published two lists of types of businesses eligible for either a full monthly wage supplement of €800 per employee, or a partial supplement.
These lists have since been broadened to include other types of businesses.
Malta Enterprise says that if a business falls under the list of businesses only eligible for a partial supplement, but there are reasons to apply for the aid in full, then applications will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
Online applications for the assistance went live on Monday and are available here.
100,000 employees expected to be covered
Malta Enterprise told Times of Malta that it had been flooded with thousands of applications from the minute the service went online.
The entity is expecting to receive requests to pay out partial wages for some 100,000 private sector workers.
Payments through the scheme are expected to begin around mid-April, with the agency planning to process tranches of a few thousand employees at a go.
What you need to know
The quality of the information provided by applicants will impact the time it takes to process a request. Applicants have been asked to be detailed and precise when filling out the online form.
Employers are legally bound to forward all supplements paid by the government to each respective employee immediately upon receiving the funds.
Name and shame
The government has reserved the right to publish the name of employers receiving wage supplements, including the amount of supplements disbursed and the number of employees eligible. It may even double-check with employees to be certain the funds are properly disbursed and that this isn't unnecessarily delayed.
Abusers to face the law
Misappropriation of the aid by an employer will be considered a criminal offence and will be flagged to the relevant authorities for investigation. The government also reserved the right to recover any misappropriated funds, with interest.
No 'double financing'
The government said it has also taken steps to tackle what it called “double funding”. This means that for any period covered by a COVID wage supplement on the basis of a five-day week, any other assistance granted by the government to that same person, covering the same period, as support under any other scheme related to COVID pandemic, will be adjusted. This will be done to ensure the government will never exceed the full five-day week supplement per employee.
No firing of employees
Employees being supported through a COVID wage supplement cannot be made redundant by their employer.
Employers may not claim any other public funding on the basis of wages covered by the COVID wage supplement.
The COVID wage supplement must be clearly recorded separately on the employees pay slip and FS3 as 'COVID WAGE SUPPLEMENT'.
Aid is non-taxable
Employers still have to pay their share of National Insurance on COVID wage supplements disbursed by the government. But, all COVID wage supplements are non-taxable.
Groups of companies that have a centralised payroll system should submit an application for each separate entity. Applicants will need to provide evidence of how employees are allocated to different entities.
Further information, as well as guidance can be obtained by contacting Business First on 144 or by sending an email to covid@maltaenterprise.com.