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- Parliament made the final adjustments to the Covid-19 law.
- The companies in question now have at their disposal a total of 2500 million Swiss francs instead of the 600 million Swiss francs originally planned.
- The law is urgent and therefore can take effect after the final vote on Friday.
At the beginning of the winter session, the parliament had to deal with the first adjustments to the Covid 19 law. The law, with which the Covid-19 emergency ordinances were transferred to common law, had already been approved and put into effect in the fall session.
The originally requested changes were already out of date during this session because the Federal Council made further improvements and took new measures due to the worsening epidemiological situation. Companies in difficult situations now have 2.5 billion Swiss francs at their disposal instead of 600 million Swiss francs. It is also intended to support cultural workers and not just cultural companies.
In addition, obstacles to withdrawing funds have been reduced. Until now, the rule was that there must have been a 40 percent drop in sales. Parliament wants the Federal Council to be able to regulate the requirements for obtaining benefits for difficult living conditions and not be rigidly limited to 40 percent.
Not only all assets need to be taken into account, but also uncovered fixed costs. We must also take into account all companies that achieved an average turnover of at least 50,000 francs in 2018 and 2019. The Federal Council originally set a turnover threshold of 100,000 francs.
No help with paying dividends
The aid may only be granted if a company does not distribute dividends for the corresponding year. Nor can distributions be solved. For short-time work, the new rule is that from December 2020 to March 2021, low wages of up to 3470 Swiss francs will be compensated 100 percent. The highest wages are reduced proportionally.
In terms of compensation for loss of income for limited freelancers, people are now considered significantly restricted if their business has a loss in sales of at least 40 instead of 55 percent compared to the average sales in the years 2015 to 2019.
In addition, people who are controlled between January 1, 2021 and the entry into force of this law are entitled to bridging benefits, provided they meet the requirements.
Sports Club Unification Conference
At one point, an agreement conference had to reach a compromise. These were scholarships for professional and semi-professional sports clubs. They have contributions from À-Fonds-perdu totaling up to 115 million Swiss francs.
The question was how to measure the income of the club’s employees. Revenues in the 2018/2019 season are now decisive for the calculation. However, upon request, the Federal Council may also consider income with the March 13, 2020 deadline, the start of the closing. The Federal Council may also establish exceptions for clubs whose total salaries are significantly lower than the league average.
The National Council approved these regulations by 170 votes to 2 and 2 abstentions, the Council of States with 42 votes to 0. The municipalities also declared the law urgent. Therefore, it can take effect after the final votes on Friday. The yes should just be a question of form.
