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The President, Sebastián Piñera, announced tonight on the national network a battery of measures to help Chileans whose economy has been most affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, which, as he pointed out, is based on five pillars: greater protection of family income, strengthening of support for the middle class, greater protection of employment, strengthening of support for SMEs and improvement of the health plan.
This after the health authority announced during the day that 42 communes will go back in the Step by Step Plan next Thursday and, with this, almost 14 million people in the country will be under confinement.
In this sense, the President announced that “We will extend the Family Emergency Income (IFE) until June of this year. This Friday the Emergency Family Income for the month of March begins to be paid and we will extend this benefit during the months of April, May and June ”.
According to the announcement, el IFE will be paid to “families that qualify and live in communes that have been in quarantine for 14 days or more.” For these, the aid will reach $ 100,000 per month per member of the family group.
Likewise, For families living in communes that have been in quarantine for a day or more, the new IFE will reach $ 60,000 per month per household member.
The head of state stated that “additionally, During the months of March, April, May and June, a Covid Bonus of $ 40 thousand per month per household member will be paid for families that qualify and live in communes in Step 2, that is, Transition; and $ 25 thousand for families living in communes in Step 3, that is, Preparation ”.
He stressed that these measures will benefit more than 9 million people, the most vulnerable of
President Piñera said that measures will be implemented to help the middle class, so that “tomorrow (Tuesday) we will enter into Congress a Bill that creates a new and strengthened Solidarity Bond and Loan for the Middle Class, whose access we have expanded and simplified ”.
This Middle Class Bond It will be up to $ 500 thousand and will be received by people who qualify and have an income between the minimum wage and $ 1.5 million, and will decrease for incomes up to $ 2 million.
Further, A complementary bonus will be delivered the following month that will range from $ 100,000 to $ 250,000, depending on the composition of the family.
The project also includes a Solidarity Loan for the Middle Class, which will be with zero interest, one year of grace and four years of payment. The maximum annual payment may not exceed 5% of annual income. If there is a debt balance at the end of the 4 years, it will be automatically forgiven.
Is Solidarity Loan may cover up to 100% of the drop in income, with a maximum of $ 650,000 at a time and may be requested up to three times. While, Those who have accessed the Middle Class Bonus may also access this Solidarity Loan, but up to two times.
The measure will benefit more than 2.6 million people.
Piñera stressed that because the reduction in the mobility of people to mitigate the pandemic “has had a hard impact on carriers, The bill includes a new Solidarity Bond and Loan for carriers. The Bond will reach $ 350 thousand and they will also be able to opt for a solidarity loan of $ 320 thousand, which can be requested up to three times ”.
Likewise, municipalities are authorized to postpone payment of contributions, in order to avoid duplication of payments, due to the postponements that became effective in 2020.
President Piñera stressed that “the best way to protect the families’ economy is to protect employment. For this reason, This strengthening and extension of the Social Protection Network also includes greater protection of employment, through an improvement of the Unemployment Insurance, the extension of the Protege Subsidy and the creation of a new Employment Subsidy “
Currently, the Unemployment Insurance begins the first month with a payment equivalent to 70% of the lost salary, and it goes down month by month until it reaches 45%. The Project improves this insurance, increasing benefits and allowing people who have lost or suspended their work to receive the maximum amount of this benefit again.
The President added that “To promote formal employment, in addition to the Return, Hire and Protect Subsidies, we will create a new subsidy that will go directly to the pocket of the worker who obtains a formal job. This Subsidy will reach $ 50 thousand per month for a period of six months, and will be increased to $ 70 thousand per month, for female, young or disabled workers ”.
Furthermore, sThe Protege Subsidy will be extended until August, that is, for three additional months, which benefits working mothers or fathers with a contribution from the State of $ 200 thousand per month for each child under two years of age.
Regarding the SMEs, reported that access to entrepreneurship subsidies will be increased by US $ 200 million and their access will be simplified.
It also pointed out that Mayors will be authorized to extend the payment of commercial patents, alcohol and contributions, and to waive up to 90% of criminal interest and fines. What’s more, the Banco Estado will announce the extension for up to three months and without interest of the payment of the credit installments of the SMEs that qualify.
To facilitate access to all these social benefits, a “profit finder” was implemented, which can be accessed through the website www.proteccionsocial.gob.cl.
Piñera added that “finally, andhis strengthening and extension of the Social Protection Network includes additional resources for US $ 300 million to strengthen the Primary Health Network, strengthen the Testing, Traceability and Isolation Program and increase the purchase of vaccines against the coronavirus ”.
And soThe original Covid Fund, established in the agreement of June 14, 2019 and which was US $ 12 billion, will be increased by US $ 6 billion, to reach US $ 18 billion.
“We are very aware of the magnitude of the crisis and the effects it has had on the quality of life of Chilean families. This strengthening and extension of the Social Protection Network will mean much-needed help and relief, which will reach the vast majority of our compatriots, ”said the President, after which he added that, despite this help, “We have to look up and prepare for the times when this adversity has been overcome. Just as the vaccine is essential to protect the health and life of people, recover mobility and jobs, and reactivate our economy, they are essential to ensure a better quality of life in a more permanent way, for all Chilean families ”.
Finally, President Piñera stated that, In addition to the restriction of the mobility of people to try to stop the Covid-19 pandemic, through the Step by Step Plan, the health system has been strengthened, through the increase of intensive treatment beds, as well as than the testing, traceability and isolation system.
He also highlighted ehe mass vaccination plan “which has already allowed us to vaccinate 5.6 million people, more than 2.9 million with the two required doses (…) The goal of vaccinating the entire population at risk, that is, about 5 million people, during this first quarter, we fulfilled in advance ”, he highlighted.
He added that as of This Wednesday, March 24, the vaccination of people between 50 and 59 years of age will begin, “a process that we hope to finish before the elections of April 10 and 11.” Later It will continue with the rest of the population, until the vaccination of the entire target population, which amounts to about 15 million people, is completed during the second quarter.
However, Piñera stressed that the country is currently experiencing a complex situation due to the increase in cases of infected people, for which he appealed to the responsibility of Chileans.
“Despite the remarkable progress in the mass vaccination program, I must remind you that the pandemic is not over and that the next few weeks will be difficult. That is why I also want to ask you once again not to lower our guard and to strengthen our personal care, such as the use of masks, hand washing and social distancing, and that we strictly comply with the sanitary regulations of the health authority ”.
The head of state closed his speech by stating that, To date, “we have already recovered more than one million of the two million jobs lost and we will continue to move forward. This year the Chilean economy will grow strongly and we will recover all or a large part of what was lost last year ”.
