Enterprise and industry

The Government previously announced that turnover-based support for sole traders would be extended until the end of April 2021. Today, the Government can announce that in connection with the extension of the turnover-based support for sole traders, a possibility will be introduced for sole traders who have received unemployment benefit during the support period in their application and sole traders who have taken parental leave or sick leave during the reference period to also access the extended turnover-based support.

The situation facing the package tour industry is serious. The pandemic has created a situation in which many travellers have not received refunds for trips that have been cancelled by either party or cut short. The Government has therefore adopted an ordinance on a government loan to package tour operators to enable them to repay their outstanding debts to travellers.

To mitigate the economic impacts of the increasing spread of the virus, the Government proposes that the State aid measure in support of certain commercial tenants receiving a rent rebate – introduced in spring 2020 – be reintroduced for January–March 2021, i.e. for a further three months. This measure is temporary and designed for companies in certain vulnerable customer-facing sectors that have been hit hard financially by the pandemic. The proposal for reintroducing this State aid measure is based on an agreement between the government parties, the Centre Party and the Liberal Party.

Businesses that are unable to operate as a result of a closure decision under the new Pandemic Act will be able to receive financial support to cover their fixed costs during the closure. Up to 100 per cent of the costs will be reimbursed. The proposal is based on an agreement between the Government, the Centre Party and the Liberal Party.

As the Government previously announced, turnover-based support for sole traders – which currently applies for the period March to July 2020 – will be extended to include the period August 2020 to February 2021. The Government also previously announced the introduction of a specific turnover-based support targeting trading partnerships, including limited partnerships in which at least one partner is a natural person. This support will cover the same period, that is March 2020 to February 2021. Today, the Government can announce that the level of support for November 2020–February 2021 will be raised from 75 to 90 per cent. The Government’s proposal is based on an agreement between the government parties, the Centre Party and the Liberal Party.

Sustainable development is a cornerstone of Sweden’s trade promotion. In a globalised and increasingly polarised world, needs for dialogue and cooperation are more important than ever. Through trade, we create more platforms for dialogue. The prosperity of Sweden, and the business models of our companies, shall be based on economically, socially and environ-mentally sustainable development and contribute to resolving the challenges stipulated in the 2030 Agenda. The Government has set the ambition for Sweden to be the world’s first fossil-free welfare nation.

The Government has announced further restrictions to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 virus. In order to save jobs and businesses, turn-over based support for sole traders is being extended for the period January and February 2021. The announced support intended for trading partnerships – including limited partnerships – where at least one partner is a natural person is being extended in a corresponding manner. The Government’s proposals are based on an agreement between the government parties, the Centre Party and the Liberal Party.

The Government today proposed extending the government credit guarantee programme ‘Företagsakuten’ into 2021 so as to cover lending after 31 December. The programme is intended to facilitate lending to small and medium-sized companies affected by the pandemic. The Företagsakuten programme was launched in spring 2020 as part of the Government’s measures to support the business sector during the ongoing pandemic and builds on an agreement between the government parties, the Centre Party and the Liberal Party.

The situation facing the package tour industry is serious. The pandemic has created a situation in which many travellers have not received refunds for cancelled trips. The Government is therefore now working on a proposal for government loans to package tour operators with the aim of enabling these operators to refund remaining debts to travellers. The proposal is based on an agreement between the government parties, the Centre Party and the Liberal Party.

In light of the severe financial impact of COVID-19 on many sole traders, the Government today decided on turnover-based support for sole traders. The support enters into force on 9 November and builds on an agreement between the government parties, the Centre Party and the Liberal Party.