16 July 2020
Executive Council has approved a second phase of hardship support effective from 1 July 2020 for local businesses in the hospitality sector impacted by COVID-19. The aim of this support is to keep people in the hospitality sector on-Island in employment.
Recognising that a lower number of visitors typically arrive on St Helena during the winter months, this second phase of hardship support is targeted at tourist accommodation providers, tourism activity providers and restaurants – the sectors most highly impacted by the disruption in scheduled commercial flights.
Due to the evolving situation, SHG will continue to evaluate the impacts of COVID-19 response measures and this Support Package will be reassessed in September 2020.
Each eligible business can make one application. Where several businesses are under the same ownership, or operating out of one building, the funding is limited to one grant.
Hardship Support
Hardship Support is available to owners of companies and sole proprietorships for whom more than half of their annual income is earned in the following sectors:
- Tourist accommodation providers (Note: Tourism Accommodation means premises that are rented out on a short-term basis (i.e. 30 days or less) and is currently unoccupied)
- Tourism activity providers, including both land- and marine-based
- Restaurants (dine-in establishments).
Essential Cost Assistance Grants
Affected businesses can also apply for an Essential Cost Assistance Grant of up to a maximum of £500 towards essential costs for business premises, i.e. rent, utilities, internet costs or business insurance. Businesses in these specific sectors, will need to submit with the application form, the relative invoice or receipt if payment had already been made, for the period July-September 2020, bearing in mind that refunds to businesses need to be undertaken by no later than 30 September 2020.
Full details of both the Hardship Support Package and the Essential Cost Assistance Grants can be found on the SHG website at the following link: https://www.sainthelena.gov.sh/government/public-information/
As the Island continues to remain COVID-19 free with no scheduled commercial flights to the Island and the relaxing of physical (social) distancing measures, the previous Extended Sick Leave and Enforced Business Closure Support Schemes from SHG and the Adjustment Scheme from ESH will not be continued.
Notes to Editors:
On 17 March 2020, St Helena Government (SHG) announced measures to prevent COVID-19 from reaching the Island as well as limit the spread of the virus if it was to be confirmed here. Between 30 March and 24 June, enhanced social distancing measures were in place to minimise the risk of Coronavirus to the Island. Recognising the impact these measures would have on the local economy, SHG introduced several support mechanisms to reduce the burden on local businesses, effective through to June 2020.
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SHG
16 July 2020