Polish ‘anti-crisis shield’ has helped 56,000 firms over two weeks: gov’t spokesman

Over 56,000 companies have received billions over the last two weeks under the Polish government’s “anti-crisis shield,” a massive programme designed to protect jobs amid the coronavirus pandemic, a government spokesman has said.

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Companies have been thrown a lifeline worth PLN 11.5 billion (EUR 2.5 bn, USD 2.7 bn) in total "during the last fortnight," according to government spokesman Piotr Müller.

In a report published on Friday, the ING bank said the Polish government had introduced one of the strongest anti-crisis relief plans in Central and Eastern Europe.

The report added that, compared to its regional peers, Poland had taken the widest-ranging measures to protect jobs and support families.

Polish lawmakers last month backed a plan to expand a massive package of measures aiming to shield the economy from the coronavirus pandemic.

Poland’s president then outlined a plan for more aid to the unemployed, including a special allowance to workers who lose their jobs due to the COVID-19 crisis.

One in eight Polish companies have laid off staff and almost one in five have cut wages as the coronavirus crisis buffets the country’s economy, according to a study earlier this month.

(pk/gs)

Source: IAR