Financial support to cover more workers in eatery sector

ANKARA

The government is widening the scope of financial support for people working in Turkey’s large eatery industry that is among the sectors that suffered most from the COVID-19-related restrictions.

Parliament’s planning and budget commission passed legislation which regulates the financial support for the workers in the sector.

The bill foresees that an additional 282,000 people will be able to receive a financial support of 1,500 Turkish Liras (around $184) in April and May.

“The eatery industry employs around 537,000 people. Some 165,000 of those are already entitled to short-time working payments while another 90,000 are receiving cash support. That adds up to a total of 255,000 people, benefitting from some sort of government support,” said Ahmet Erdem, the deputy family, labor and social services minister.

Under the new regulation, 282,000 workers who had previously been left out of the support schemes will start receiving financial support from the state, Erdem said.

The widening of the scope of the support for the eatery sector comes after the government decided to tighten some of the COVID-19-related restrictions during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan to bring the pandemic under control.

Restaurants and cafes will only be allowed to provide takeaway during Ramadan, which will start on April 13.