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Good old days: Christmas market at Cologne Cathedral in 2018
Photo: Oliver Berg / picture alliance / dpa
In view of the aggravated corona situation, the federal government wants to give more support to operators of Christmas markets.
This was announced by the acting Minister of Economic Affairs, Peter Altmaier (CDU), after a cabinet meeting and after negotiations with the Ministry of Finance.
Due to the drastic increase in the number of infections, some countries have decided to cancel Christmas markets.
The bridging aid, which was previously limited to the end of the year, as a central crisis instrument of the federal government, will - as already known - be extended until the end of March 2022.
According to Altmaier, Bridging Aid III Plus should become Bridging Aid IV.
The restart aid for self-employed people should also be extended.
He also mentioned easier access to equity grants as a new instrument.
Altmaier called the Corona situation "extraordinarily serious".
The economic upswing in Germany is intact.
It is now a matter of putting on the "seat belt" for the winter for companies and employees.
In the decision paper after the deliberations of the federal and state governments last Thursday, it said that the federal government wanted to work with the states to develop further measures to support the Advent and Christmas markets that are particularly affected by corona protective measures. Affected retail companies should continue to have the option of taking into account seasonal goods that cannot be sold due to Corona measures as part of the bridging aid.
The billion-dollar bridging aid is the federal government's central crisis instrument to cushion the consequences of the pandemic on companies and jobs.
According to the current status, companies with a corona-related drop in sales of at least 30 percent will be supported - according to Altmaier, this rule should also apply to the extension.
The comparison value is usually the respective month in the pre-Corona year 2019. Fixed operating costs such as rents and leases or expenses for electricity and insurance are reimbursed.
The amount of funding is staggered depending on the size of the drop in sales.
mamk / dpa-afx
