An Economic Relief Package Against Coronavirus Was Submitted to Parliament! The Economic Relief Package prepared in response to the coronavirus has been brought to the Parliament agenda. According to the package, employment contracts cannot be terminated for three months. Short-time working allowance will be arranged, and employees sent on unpaid leave because of the coronavirus who cannot benefit from other allowances will receive a daily payment of 39.24 TL. Student loan repayments will be deferred for three months. Turkey continues to act cautiously against the coronavirus outbreak, expanding measures and moving forward to protect public health and economic stability.
Within this framework, a 15-article omnibus bill prepared as a preventive measure and submitted to the Parliament by the ruling party has been presented for approval to make life easier for citizens and provide support. What does the 15-article omnibus bill on the Parliament agenda include? Read the details below.
What Does the Omnibus Bill Submitted to Parliament Include?
The 15-article draft law prepared to ease citizens’ lives and presented to Parliament includes the following measures.
- Job Security: Regardless of whether they fall under the Labor Law, all types of employment or service contracts may not be terminated by employers for three months from the effective date of the regulation, except in cases that violate standards of morality and good faith. During this three-month period employers may place employees on unpaid leave; the specified period may be extended up to six months by presidential decree if necessary.
- Deferral of Certain Payments: Debt payments related to Treasury and municipal immovables, national parks and General Directorate of Forestry properties and permits, municipal revenues and withholdings, and social security premium payments will be deferred for three months.
- Funding for State Medical and Dental Faculties: Resources will be allocated to state-run medical and dentistry schools.
- Wage Support for Those on Unpaid Leave: From the effective date of the regulation, employees who are placed on unpaid leave by their employer and who cannot benefit from short-time working allowance will receive a daily cash payment. For employees whose contracts were terminated after 15 March 2020 and who are not eligible for unemployment benefits, a daily cash payment of 39.24 TL will be provided for the duration of the non-termination protection period, without exceeding that period. These payments will be covered from the General Health Insurance unemployment fund.
- Deferral of Student Loans: Loans under the Higher Education Credit and Dormitory Services Law will be deferred for three months. After the deferred period ends, the postponed installments will be collected over the same duration in equal monthly payments without applying late fees, interest, or indexation.
- Travel Agency Dues Waived for 2020: Annual fees regulated under the Travel Agencies and Travel Agencies Association Law will not be collected during 2020.
- Three-Month Postponement of Collective Agreement Processes: Processes related to collective labor disputes, strikes and lockouts arising from collective agreements will be suspended for three months.
- Care Support for the Elderly and Disabled: Within the Family, Labor and Social Services Ministry, services in disability care centers and nursing homes will be provided to elderly and disabled people without applying the usual income thresholds and severe disability criteria for three months under the Social Services law.
- Bill Deferrals: Water bills for residences and businesses whose activities have been suspended may be deferred by municipalities for three months. At the end of the deferral period, payments can be made in equal monthly installments over the same duration without any late fees or interest.
- Dividend Distribution in Capital Companies: Capital companies will be permitted to distribute up to 25% of the 2019 net profit as dividends until 30 September 2020.
- Immediate Payment of Allowances: For short-time working allowance applications, payments may be made based on the employer’s declaration without waiting for completion of the official eligibility assessment.