Parliament: Supplementary budget of 3 billion euros tendered in parliament

The Ministry of Finance submitted an addendum to the bill on state aid to businesses and non-profit organizations for disasters earmarking a supplementary budget with the increase of Exemption of farmers from the vocational practice fee, extraordinary aid of 500 – 4,000 euros to affected companies by 3 billion euros “in order to finance actions related to the implementation of measures to address the negative consequences of the coronavirus”.

The bill submitted to Parliament on Monday night also provides:

1. The exemption from the obligation to pay the service fee for the fiscal year 2020 (valid for fiscal year 2019), for registered professional farmer, for whom the first five years have passed since the date they began keeping books and their inclusion in the normal VAT regime as well as coastal fishermen, operating fishing vessels of up to 12 meters length.

2. The granting of aid (500 – 4,000 euros), as a support measure in the form of “increased special purpose compensation”, to companies that were financially affected due to the appearance and spread of the coronavirus. The aid is tax-free, inalienable and not applicable for confiscation by the State or third parties, by way of derogation from the provisions, is not subject to any fee, contribution or other deduction in favor of the State, including the special solidarity contribution, is not bound and is not offset to accrued debt.

3. The possibility of compliance of the issuers with the obligation to prepare the annual financial reports in a single electronic format is postponed from 1-1-2021.

4. The period of suspension of the obligation to pay to the Greek State a percentage of 5% of the hospitalizations received by all private Chronic Dialysis Units and is set until 31 -12-2021. The VAT rate of 6%, for the necessary items (eg dialysis filters, hemofiltration, hemofiltration filters) is extended to 31-12-2021 (expires on 30-6-2021).

5. The pension thresholds of social security fund IKA and the State, as they had been formed before the entry into force of law 4387/2016 (12-5-2016), continue to apply both for the awarding of pensions and for the adjudication of the pension rights of the members of families of the fighters of the National Resistance, retired farmers and Writers – Artists, respectively. At the same time, a special exemption is introduced, so that the beneficiaries receive their pension retroactively, from the date of initiation of their pension rights.

6. The institutional framework and the procedure for granting state aid [subsidy from the Public Investment Program (PIP)) to companies and non-profit organizations affected by natural disasters are also redefined.