Salary aid extension gets HM King’s nod

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa yesterday signed into force an amendment allowing the Unemployment Insurance Fund to pay the salaries of Bahraini employees working in sectors hard hit by the coronavirus (COIVD-19) outbreak for three more months.

A decree-law 12/2021 issued by HM King yesterday adds a new clause (6) to Paragraph (C) of Article (8) of Decree-Law 78/2006 concerning Insurance against Unemployment.

Accordingly, the fund will pay the salaries of Bahraini employees, who are insured under the Social Insurance Law promulgated by Decree-Law 24/1976, working in companies impacted by the repercussions of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), and registered with the Ministry, following the terms and conditions determined by the Minister.

The fund will pay their salaries for three months, with the payment being 100% in the first month and 50% in the next two months. The decision will become effective upon its publication in the official gazette.

The cabinet meeting chaired by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, last week, decided to extend the financial and economic stimulus package by three more months to help soften the economic blow from the coronavirus outbreak.

The package, thus approved, also calls for exempting COVID-19 hit companies in various sectors from paying municipal and tourism fees, and rents for three months and commercial registration fees for 2021.

The cabinet had also extended the Tamkeen Labour Fund Business Continuity Support programme for companies impacted by COVID-19 for three months, among other decisions. The decisions were in addition to the already announced extension of the option to defer loan repayments for six months.