KNYSNA NEWS - Local municipalities are expected to play a key role in government's endeavours to respond to the pandemic. 

Although our primary focus is to ensure that we can provide residents with uninterrupted essential and emergency services, we are aware of the direct effect that the national lockdown is having on the majority of businesses in our area that are unable to operate.

• To help alleviate the pressure, a number of public and privately funded business support schemes have been launched with varying qualifying criteria, focus areas and deadlines for applications. We encourage all businesses to regularly look at the business support section on the Knysna Municipality website at the following link: www.knysna.gov.za/news/covid-19-corona-virus.
• The main schemes offered by the national department of small business development include a debt finance relief scheme, business growth resilience facility, and Covid finance relief scheme. Accessing these schemes require registration on https://smmesa.gov.za/. Electronic application forms and guidelines can also be accessed on this portal.
• Details for employees and employers who want to apply to the Covid-19 Temporary Employee/Employer Relief Scheme (TERS) can be accessed on the department of labour and employment website: www.labour.gov.za/easy-guide-for-employers-on-covid19.
• The Tourism Relief Fund provides once-off capped grant assistance to Small Micro and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMMEs) in the tourism value chain to ensure their sustainability during and post the implementation of government measures to curb the spread of Covid-19. Application details for the fund can be accessed on: www.tourism.gov.za/CurrentProjects/Tourism_Relief_Fund_for_SMMEs/Pages/Tourism_Relief_Fund_for_SMMEs.aspx.
• The department of agriculture, rural development and land reform is currently calling for applications for assistance to affected smallholder farmers. The application forms can be accessed on: www.drdlr.gov.za/sites/Internet/COVID19/Forms/AllItems.aspx.
• To help companies understand the support they can access, the Western Cape Government launched a fund location tool for businesses called the Covid-19 Support Finder. This tool is available now at the Covid-19 Content Centre on www.supportbusiness.co.za. The tool asks the user five easy questions, ranks the answers against predetermined criteria as stipulated by the various relief measures, and provides a list of relief measures the business may be applicable for.

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