總理宣布拓展對工作人士與小企業的支持

2020年5月19日安大略省渥太華總理辦公室- 在此次疫情當中，加拿大政府一直致力於確保加拿大人的安全和健康，並幫助家庭支付賬單。因此，我們採取了強有力的措施來保護中產階層的就業並為企業提供支持，以使工商界能夠在這個充滿挑戰的時期將加拿大民眾保持在工資單上。

賈斯廷·杜魯多總理今天宣布擴大加拿大緊急商業款項（CEBA）的資格標準，以包括許多業主自己經營的小型企業。這項擴大的措施將幫助小型企業保護加拿大人所依賴的工作。

CEBA的變更將使更多的加拿大小企業獲得無息貸款，這將有助於在大流行導致收入減少的時期內支付運營成本。

現在，該計劃將適用於更多的直接從其自己生意中獲得收入的獨資企業(sole proprietor)，依賴承包商的企業以及通過股息而非薪金向員工付款的家族企業。

要符合擴展後的資格標準，工資單總支出低於20,000加元的申請者需要：

• 在指定參與補助的金融機構中擁有一個商業運營帳戶

• 加拿大稅務局的商業號碼(business number)，並已提交2018或2019納稅申報表。

• 符合條件的不可延期支出在40,000加元到150萬加元之間。符合條件的不可延期支出可能包括諸如租金、物業稅、水電和保險等費用。

費用將由加拿大聯邦政府核實和審計。資金將與金融機構合作提供。更多詳細信息，包括依照新標準開始進行申請的日期，將在未來幾天內公布。迄今為止，已有超過600,000家小型企業得到了CEBA，政府也將擬訂潛在的解決方案，以幫助通過個人銀行帳戶（而非企業帳戶）運營或尚未提交納稅申報表的企業主和企業家（例如新成立的公司）。

這項措施是加拿大聯邦政府COVID-19經濟應對計劃的一部分，該計劃將加拿大人和中產階層的工作放在首位。我們將繼續幫助所有加拿大人，我們將共同度過這場危機。

 引述

“加拿大人指望我們保護他們的工作，並幫助他們在這個困難的時期內支付賬單。通過擴展CEBA，我們將使更多企業獲得所需的支持，從而可以幫助保護工人和他們所依賴的工作。今天，我們正在幫助讓更多的工商業開門做生意，讓更多的加拿大人有工作，從而讓我們為即將到來的復蘇做更好的準備。” —加拿大總理賈斯廷·杜魯多(Justin Trudeau)閣下

“自危機爆發以來，我們的政府一直在採取行動，以支持活躍在我們主要街道的、並提供加拿大人依賴的工作的小型企業。在整個過程中，我們一直在傾聽您的意見，並將繼續確保您提供加拿大企業度過艱難時期所需的支持，並在經濟復蘇開始後為成功做好充分準備。” —財政部長比爾·莫爾諾(Bill Morneau)閣下

“小型企業是我們社區的核心，它們驅動着我們的國民經濟。通過使我們的貸款支持更加慷慨和包容，我們正在努力挽救加拿大的工作和企業。在這場危機中，我們將繼續為加拿大企業和工人提供幫助。” —小企業、出口促進及國際貿易部長伍鳳儀（Mary Ng）閣下

事實簡要

• CEBA於2020年4月9日推出，向因COVID-19而收入減少但面臨持續的固定費用（例如租金、水電、保險、稅收和僱傭成本。如果在2022年12月31日之前還清，則可以減免這筆貸款的25％。

• CEBA由加拿大出口發展局管理，加拿大出口發展局與加拿大金融機構緊密合作，以向其現有的商業銀行客戶提供貸款。

• 首次啟動時，CEBA旨在允許向2019年工資總額在50,000加元至100萬加元之間的企業快速分配信貸。然後，政府擴大了該計劃的資格條件，方法是將工資資格範圍擴大到20,000加元到150萬加元之間。

• 自啟動CEBA以來，已批准了600,000多筆貸款，總計超過240億加元的信貸。

Prime Minister announces expansion of support for workers and small businesses

May 19, 2020                                      Ottawa, Ontario                     Prime Minister’s Office

Throughout the pandemic, the Government of Canada has focused on keeping Canadians safe and healthy and helping families pay their bills. That’s why we have introduced strong measures to protect middle class jobs and support businesses, so they can keep Canadians on the payroll during this challenging time.

The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today announced an expansion to the eligibility criteria for the Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) to include many owner-operated small businesses. This extended measure will help small businesses protect the jobs that Canadians rely on.

The changes to the CEBA will allow more Canadian small businesses to access interest free loans that will help cover operating costs during a period when revenues have been reduced, due to the pandemic.   

The program will now be available to a greater number of businesses that are sole proprietors receiving income directly from their businesses, businesses that rely on contractors, and family-owned corporations that pay employees through dividends rather than payroll.

To qualify under the expanded eligibility criteria, applicants with payroll lower than $20,000 would need:

·      a business operating account at a participating financial institution

·      a Canada Revenue Agency business number, and to have filed a 2018 or 2019 tax return.

·      eligible non-deferrable expenses between $40,000 and $1.5 million. Eligible non-deferrable expenses could include costs such as rent, property taxes, utilities, and insurance.

Expenses will be subject to verification and audit by the Government of Canada. Funding will be delivered in partnership with financial institutions. More details, including the launch date for applications under the new criteria, will follow in the days to come. To date, over 600,000 small businesses have accessed the CEBA, and the government will work on potential solutions to help business owners and entrepreneurs who operate through their personal bank account, as opposed to a business account,or have yet to file a tax return, such as newly created businesses.

This measure is part of the Government of Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan, which is putting Canadians and the protection of middle class jobs first. We will continue to help all Canadians, and together we will get through this crisis.

Quotes

“Canadians are counting on us to protect their jobs and help them pay their bills during this difficult time. By expanding the CEBA, we will be giving more businesses access to the support they need, so they can help protect workers and the jobs they rely on. Today we are helping to keep more businesses open and more Canadians working, so we are better prepared for the recovery to come.”

—The Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada

“Our government has been taking action since the start of this crisis to support the small businesses that define our Main Streets and provide jobs that Canadians rely on. We have been listening to you throughout this, and will continue to, to make sure we’re delivering the support Canadian businesses need to get through this tough time and be well positioned for success once the recovery begins.”

—The Hon. Bill Morneau, Minister of Finance

“Small businesses are at the heart of our communities, and they drive our national economy. By making our lending supports more generous and inclusive, we’re working hard to save Canadian jobs and businesses. We will continue to be there for Canadian businesses and workers every step of the way through this crisis.”

—The Hon. Mary Ng, Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade

Quick Facts

·      Launched on April 9, 2020, the CEBA provides zero-interest, partially forgivable loans up to $40,000 to small businesses that have experienced diminished revenues due to COVID-19, but face ongoing non-deferrable costs such as rent, utilities, insurance, taxes, and employment costs. Twenty-five per cent of this loan is forgivable if repaid by December 31, 2022.

·      The CEBA is administered by Export Development Canada, which is working closely with Canadian financial institutions to deliver the loans to their existing business banking customers.

·      When first launched, the CEBA was designed to allow for rapid deployment of credit to businesses with 2019 payroll between $50,000 and $1 million. The government then expanded the eligibility parameters of the program, by increasing the payroll eligibility range to between $20,000 and $1.5 million.

·      Since the CEBA’s launch, over 600,000 loans have been approved, representing a total of more than $24 billion in credit.