The Financial Assistance for Job Retention (FA4JR) scheme |23 May 2020

Minister Loustau-Lalanne (Photo: Joena Meme)

Payments for April to be finalised on Monday as promised

The Financial Assistance for Job Retention (FA4JR) scheme is on track to complete payments for the month of April by the stated deadline, Monday May 25, following a six-working day extension to process the large volume of applications.

This was said by the Minister for Finance, Trade, Investment and Economic Planning Maurice Loustau-Lalanne during a live press conference yesterday afternoon.

According to the minister, the FA4JR committee had successfully processed 3870 of the 4065 applications received for the month of April by yesterday afternoon and are on track to complete the remaining successful applications and payments by Monday.

“I am confident that by Monday, payments will be issued. We will also work through the weekend to ensure that the payments are loaded into the system, for the funds to be transferred into the accounts of applicants by Monday, as commercial banks remain closed during the weekend,” Minister Loustau-Lalanne noted.

Minister Loustau-Lalanne noted a further 352 additional applications for the month of April, even after the deadline extension, some of which were left behind at a district administration as well as the fact that some applicants applying for assistance for the month of May have also attached applications for the previous month of April, which also have to be considered by the committee, he said, and payments for these additional applications are also expected to be disbursed next week.

In a bid to speed up the process, the ministry is also modifying its processes and procedures so as to effect payments quicker and reduce delays presented by processes such as handing out letters of approval. As of now, payments will be effected without the applicant having to sign the letter.

As for failed applications, Minister Loustau-Lalanne noted that 412 applications, to a sum of R75.8 million, have been rejected thus far for numerous reasons including lack of required documents such as bank statements as well as the fact that some class of businesses, including large hotels and construction companies, can still manage without the assistance.

He also emphasised the availability of an appeals mechanism for employers and self-employed individuals whose applications have been rejected urging appeals should be lodged in a timely manner.

Minister Loustau-Lalanne further clarified that Seychellois employees who are made redundant will be assisted under the scheme until December, a decision which was announced on Thursday.

“If a business decides to make Seychellois workers redundant and they seek approval and are permitted to go ahead, we will pay the Seychellois worker’s salary up to December. The Seychellois who is made redundant will be placed on a scheme and the scheme is important and needs to function correctly from the first day. We will retrain and re-skill and ensure we get it right from the start and that these workers are absorbed in other jobs,” Minister Loustau-Lalanne noted.

A report detailing all the applicants who benefitted from the assistance and how much they benefitted, for the month of April is expected to be remitted to the National Assembly in the coming weeks and will also be published.

Laura Pillay