Australian businesses in the tens of thousands have inundated the Australian Tax Office's (ATO) website to register for a $1,500 a fortnight coronavirus wage subsidy for their workers.
Key points:
- The Government expects 6 million people will receive the payment for six months
- The payment will be backdated to March 1
- The Australian Tax Office will oversee the program and ensure companies pass the money on
Prime Minister Scott Morrison late yesterday announced the so-called JobKeeper payment as part of a $130 billion economic stimulus measure aimed at keeping people in their jobs.
Within five hours, almost 66,000 businesses had registered their interest on the ATO's website.
"There's a great deal of distress out there when it comes to Australian businesses, and a great deal of uncertainty and anxiety when it comes to Australian employees," Treasurer Josh Frydenberg told the ABC.
"The announcement yesterday by the Prime Minister and I will give a great boost to the public's confidence."
The ATO website has sustained the influx to its website, unlike MyGov, which repeatedly crashed last week in response to hundreds of thousands of people seeking welfare support from Centrelink.
The Federal Government expects more than 6 million people will be eligible for the JobKeeper payment, which will last for six months.
It will be backdated to March 1, to include people already stood down, and the money will start to flow in early May.
The Business Council and Australian Council of Trade Unions have work together in recent weeks and endorsed the Government plan.
Both, along with the Government, have demanded businesses pass the full wage subsidy onto employees.
The Government hopes keeping people in work will ensure businesses can recover quickly once the coronavirus pandemic passes.
Those who do lose their jobs will be able to apply for the $1,100 fortnightly JobSeeker payment, which the Government has doubled in recent weeks.
Employers with an annual turnover of less than $1 billion that have experienced a 30 per cent fall in revenue since March 1 will be eligible for the wage subsidy.
Companies with an annual turnover above $1 billion will have to have a 50 per cent fall in revenue to be eligible for the scheme. Businesses subject to a major bank levy will be ineligible.
Sole traders, part-time workers, not-for-profit employees, self-employed people, partnerships and trusts will also be eligible, as will New Zealanders who work in Australia but are typically unable to access welfare programs.
Casual employees will have to have at least one year in their job to receive the payment.
However, a person can not receive both the JobSeeker and JobKeeper payments.
Stay up-to-date on the coronavirus outbreak
The Government has announced more than $230 billion in measures in recent weeks aimed at buffering the Australian economy from the pandemic.
The Treasurer said while it would take generations to pay off the debt the Government would incur, it was essential in unprecedented times.
"I'm obviously very conscious of the debt burden that will be shouldered by generations to come," he said.
"But that is why having a responsible fiscal position is so important."
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Coronavirus JobKeeper payment program attracts 66,000 businesses within hours - ABC News"
Post a Comment