"Something like €100 for everyone": Serbian government thinking about assisting unemployed persons

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As part of the preparation of a new package of measures to help the economy and citizens, some type of support for unemployed persons is being considered, the Ministry of Finance has confirmed.

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Assistance for the unemployed has yet to be defined, the ministry said. When it comes to assistance for workers, more than a million people could receive two or three times half the minimum wage, that is, from 32,000 to 48,000 dinars.

Also, if necessary, additional assistance to citizens is being considered, which in 2020 took the form of a payment of 100 euros to all adult citizens.

By Sretenje, on February 15, an additional package of assistance to the economy should be defined, and now the final analyses are being done in order to direct the money the right way, to help everyone who needs it, Minister of Finance Sinisa Mali said earlier.

Mali pointed out that Serbia's public finances are stable and that there is enough space to provide funds for a new package of assistance to the economy and citizens, which has been announced by President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic.

"We are considering several options, but we believe that it will be the payment of half the minimum wage, as well as additional support for our oldest fellow citizens during the year, who have already received a 5.9 percent increase in pensions on January 1," said Mali.

Photo: Tanjug/Rade Prelic

He added that the state will this year as well continue to implement guarantee schemes for loans, and stressed that in 2020, a total of 1.5 billion euros entered the private sector in that way.

On Monday, Vucic announced that an additional package of assistance to the economy would be adopted on Sretenje, which would be, as he said, a "new injection" for companies, the economy, entrepreneurs, small and medium, and even large companies.

He pointed out that this system will encompass 1,052,000 workers. Vucic said that it will most likely be assistance in the form of payment two or three times half the minimum wage.

Vucic said that there will also be sector assistance for tourism, hoteliers, travel agencies, tour guides, bus carriers, with another half of the minimum wage.

The president added that he would make an effort aimed at extending guarantee schemes, which proved to be excellent with 1.5 billion euros, and this time, through that system, another 500 million could be provided two more times, he stressed.

(Telegraf Biznis)