Edward Drummond
Dinarte Moura
1. Spending Measures (Budget Allocations)
Government has expanded overdraft with Bank of England for an undisclosed amount.
2. Tax Measures (Deferral of Payroll Tax Obligations, Extensions of Tax Filing Deadlines)
Deferral of social security and GST payments due in April and July and 31 March through 30 June respectively.
It is rate emergency review if income has significantly reduced or a spouse or partner has lost their job.
GST zero rating for the supply of staff.
Where company operating practices have to be adjusted to compensate for the Covid-19 outbreak, the Comptroller of Revenue will not determine under Article 6, Taxation (Companies- Economic Substance) (Jersey) Law 2019, that a company has failed the economic substance test.
3. Subsidies to Preserve Jobs, Employee Benefits, Food Assistance
Coronavirus Payroll Co-Funding Scheme – giving eligible business access to up-to £1,600 per month per employee from 1 April 2020 to 30 June 2020.
Sickness benefits giving eligible persons up to £445.06.
4. Public Loan Guarantees and Expansion of Loans to Businesses
Jersey Business Disruption Loan Guarantee Scheme – giving eligible businesses with a turnover of £10m the ability to borrow between £5,000 and £500,000 with 80% of the loan being underwritten by the Government
Jersey Covid-19 Special Situations Fund – giving eligible businesses the ability to apply for a loan, grant or equity injection from Government.
5. Student Loan Relief
N/A
6. Insolvency Law Relief
N/A
1. Reduction of Interest Rates
New rules introduced that mean banks will now charge a simple annual interest rate without additional fees and charges for overdrafts with more and more banks allowing for a £500 blanket zero-interest buffer on overdrafts with Santander and HSBC reducing how much interest charged beyond the buffer. With Barclays announcing that they are waiving all overdraft interest from end of March to end of April.
2. Expansion of Central Bank’s Holdings of Government Bonds
N/A
3. Other Measures to Support Flow of Credit
£50 million Disruption Loan Guarantee Scheme, which will allow banks to provide new loans and overdrafts to businesses struggling to keep trading.
4. Suspension of Foreclosures/Evictions
Deferral or renegotiation of rent where Government is a landlord.
Jersey’s Magistrate’s Court has announced the adjournment of all eviction cases before the Petty Debts Court
Government of Jersey offering relief for its tenant business owners for deferred payments while the crisis lasts.
5. Reductions/Suspensions of Mortgage Payments
This is down to individual lenders but most follow the codes of practice adopted by industry in the UK and will follow them including provision of payment holidays and so forth.
6. Asset Purchases (Liquidity Facilities, Purchase of Private and Public Sector Securities, Acquiring Equity of Larger Affected Companies)
N/A
7. Exchange Rate Adjustments
N/A
1. Social Distancing
Measures brought into place 08:00 30 March 2020 requiring people:
- to stay at home unless they form part of an essential business.
- remain 2 meters (6 feet) apart and work from home wherever possible.
- to only leave the house for a max of 2 hours maximum for the purposes of:
- shopping for food, medicine or other basic necessities
- daily exercise or caring for animals
- any medical reasons
2. Closure of Public Places for Gathering
Ban on large public gatherings or more than 2 people unless:
- Gathering is a group of people from the same household such as taking a child to the store.
- Funerals. New restrictions Funeral services are now reduced to a limit of 10 close family members who are not in isolation.
- Marriages were one party has critical medical condition
- Gathering required for the completion of essential work.
3. Closure of Non-Essential Businesses
- Restaurants and pubs, wine bars and other drinking establishments, and other food and drink establishments, including within hotels and members’ clubs (except for takeaways and deliveries)
- Cafes and canteens (except for food services at the hospital, care homes or schools, prison and services providing food or drink to the homeless)
- Hairdressers, barbers, beauty and nail salons, including piercing and tattoo parlours, laser and cosmetic clinics delivering non-essential cosmetic treatments
- Non-essential shops
- Auction houses
- Hotels, hostels, bed and breakfasts, campsites and boarding houses for commercial use. (excluding permanent residents; people who live in them while their primary residence is unavailable; key workers; non-UK residents who are unable to travel to their country of residence; and people who are unable to move into a new home)
- Caravan parks and camping sites
- Libraries
- Community centers, youth clubs and similar (except to host essential voluntary or public services, such as food banks, homeless services and blood donor sessions)
- Places of worship (except for funerals or to host essential voluntary or public services, such as food banks, homeless services and blood donor sessions)
- Museums and galleries
- Nightclubs
- Cinemas, theatres and concert venues
- Betting shops
- Spas and massage parlours
- Fort Regent (except for Government purposes relating to Coronavirus)
- Fitness studios, gyms, swimming pools or other indoor leisure facilities, including changing rooms
- Arcades, bowling alleys, soft play centers and similar
- Playgrounds, paddling pools, sports courts and pitches, mini-golf courses and outdoor gyms or similar
- Constructions sites to close by 4th April unless they have the required special license
4. School Closures
As of March 30 all schools are closed except those open to care for vulnerable children and children of critical worker until May 1st.
This includes nurseries and preschools.
Schools for children with severe and complex learning/social/emotional/behavioral difficulties are permitted to stay open where a health risk assessment suggest it is safe for the child to attend.
1. International Assistance
Jersey is a Crown Dependency of the United Kingdom and can seek assistance from the UK authorities.
The Chief Nurse has assured that the Health department is working with the NHS to ensure an adequate supply of PPE gear.
Civil Service unions suspend their work to rule including any industrial and strike action.
Any coronavirus-related legislation, even if it’s amending a primary law, won’t need to receive the approval of the Privy Council and Royal Assent.
New advice strongly suggested to wear cloth masks while in public.
Contactless payment limits were increased to £45.
No time restrictions or charges for using government run carparks with some car parks closed off except for health workers and emergency health parking.
Government and industry are considering the following:
- Temporarily increasing the bankruptcy (désastre) threshold
- A ministerial statement that in Jersey (i) reminding directors they are permitted to take "reasonable steps" to minimise losses without wrongfully trading and (ii) lenders, particularly private lenders, should not take advantage of these troubled times by demanding very high rates of interest – reminding lenders that the Court can reduce contractual rates of interest if immoderate, unreasonable or excessive.
- Introducing long-awaited reforms to permit creditors to commence an insolvent liquidation (creditors winding up) under the Companies (Jersey) Law 1991.
- Proposed ban on increasing rent until after 30 September 2020 and ban on evictions for non-payment, and limited provisions to allow for rent deferral, lease extension.