The second phase of the COVID-19 Unemployment Relief Program along with assistance for Micro, Small and Medium enterprises (MSMEs) has been rolled out. On August 3, the online application portals for the unemployment relief was re-opened and in the case of the MSME, launched.
The programs are being managed through efforts by the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Commerce, the Ministry of Labour, Local Government and Rural Development, and BELTRAIDE.
Under the unemployment relief, workers who have been laid off because of COVID-19 and self-employed persons who have lost their income as a result of COVID-19 may apply. Applications and approvals from phase one will not be carried over into the second phase, since some persons, who were unemployed have gone back to work and new persons have become unemployed. This program will run for a three-month period.
Under this program, $14 million is allocated for unemployment relief and $14.5 million is allocated for grants, loans and wage subsidies for the MSME Support Program which aims to assist micro, small and medium enterprises that have been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 emergency.
Both the MSME and the Unemployment Relief portals are available on the Government of Belize COVID-19 website, www.covid19.bz.
