BusinessLive reports that the updated directives for the extension of the Temporary Employer/Employee Covid-19 Relief Scheme (Ters) have been signed, paving the way for the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) to process new claims.

The UIF said on Thursday that Department of Employment & Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi had signed the directives, which were gazetted last Wednesday. Last month President Cyril Ramaphosa announced in his state of the nation address that Ters would be extended to 15 March. It now covers the period from 15 October 2020, when the benefit originally came to an end, until March. The UIF said that after much deliberation at Nedlac, agreement was reached that the extension should cover businesses or establishments in sectors hardest hit by the lockdown such as tourism, liquor, hospitality, conferencing events and activities in related value chains. “The social partners impressed on us that we need to carefully consider other business activities that get indirectly impacted if the main business they render a service to is not operational,” acting UIF commissioner Marsha Bronkhorst advised. The UIF said according to the new directive signed by the minister the Ters benefit was only applicable to employees who contributed to the fund. Two new payment periods will be covered, the first from 16 October to 31 December 2020 and the second from 1 January to 15 March 2021. The online application system to start processing claims for the first payment iteration has already been opened, the fund said.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Genevieve Quintal at BusinessLive

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