The Ministry of Economic Affairs is considering extending wage subsidies for convention and exhibition businesses for another quarter, as a COVID-19 outbreak earlier this year weighed heavily on the sector, the Central News Agency reported yesterday.
The ministry allocated NT$220 million (NT$7.88 million) in wage subsidies for the convention and exhibition industry in the second quarter, as it was heavily affected by a resurgence of local COVID-19 infections starting in the middle of May.
The outbreak prompted the government to issue a nationwide level 3 COVID-19 alert, which limited social gatherings to a maximum of five people indoors.
Photo: Lin Jin-hua, Taipei Times
Consequently, several conferences and exhibitions either shifted online or were canceled in the following months, heavily affecting companies in the industry, the bureau said.
For instance, Computex Taipei was forced to take place from May 31 to June 30 using an “online-merge-offline” hybrid model, allowing people to participate in the computer and technology trade show remotely and gain industry insights despite virus restrictions.
While the government downgraded the alert to level 2 on July 27 and increased the maximum number of people allowed at indoor gatherings to 80, it remains difficult for companies to hold conventions or exhibitions due to lingering concerns over COVID-19, the bureau said.
As a result, the ministry is considering continuing wage subsidies this quarter as a show of support, the bureau said, without elaborating on a timeline for applications or the amount of its relief budget.
With a cap of NT$20,000 per employee, the ministry had subsidized up to 40 percent of the payroll of companies that reported a 50 percent year-on-year drop in revenue, on the condition that owners did not reduce staff or cease operations.
The ministry received applications from June 7 to Aug. 2. To qualify, companies had to submit documents showing their sales had dropped significantly.
About 700 firms in the convention and exhibition industry applied for wage subsidies last quarter, the bureau said, adding that it had used up the NT$220 million relief budget.
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