Covid-19: Government methodically pursues its strategy to respond to the Coronavirus pandemic
Government actions to stem the Covid-19 epidemic are beginning to bear fruit. If the current screening tests make it possible to identify new cases of patients positive for the coronavirus, the number of people declared cured of this disease in our country does not stop growing. In addition, the death rate from this virus remains low when compared to the number of patients tested positive. However, they have led to economic and social distortions, the effects of which are felt in several sectors of activity. The most concerned are probably transport, hotels and restaurants and commerce in general. The Prime Minister, Head of Government, Joseph Dion Ngute, announced this Thursday April 30, 2020, 19 measures taken by the President of the Republic, His Excellency Paul BIYA, to ease the suffering of the populations and businesses impacted by the health crisis linked to the coronavirus pandemic.
1. the opening beyond 6 p.m. of drinking places, restaurants and places of leisure, with the obligation for customers and users to respect barrier measures, in particular the wearing of protective masks and social distancing;
2. the lifting of the measure reducing the regulatory number of passengers in all public transport by bus and taxi. Wearing a mask is compulsory and overloading is prohibited;
3. the suspension for the second quarter of 2020 of general accounting checks, except in the event of suspicious tax behavior;
4. the postponement of the deadline for filing Statistical and Fiscal Statements without penalties in the event of payment of the corresponding balance;
5. granting moratoriums and deferred payments to companies directly affected by the crisis, suspending forced recovery measures against them;
6. support for businesses' cash flow through the allocation of a special envelope of CFAF 25 billion for the clearance of stocks of VAT credits awaiting reimbursement;
7. the postponement to September 30, 2020 of the deadline for payment of property tax for the financial year 2020;
8. the total deductibility for the determination of corporate tax of donations and gifts made by companies for the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic;
9. exemption from the Tourist Tax in the hotel and restaurant sector for the rest of the financial year 2020, starting in March;
10. exemption from the withholding tax and the parking tax for taxis and motorbikes, as well as from the axle tax for the 2nd quarter. This measure could be extended to the rest of 2020;
11. the exemption for the 2nd quarter, of the liberating tax and the municipal taxes (right of place on the markets, etc.) for the benefit of small food retailers (bayam sellam);
12. temporary suspension for a period of 3 months, of the payment of parking and demurrage fees in the ports of Douala and Kribi for essential products;
13. the establishment of a MINFI-MINEPAT consultation framework, with the main economic players, in order to mitigate the effects of the crisis and encourage a rapid resumption of activity;
14. the suspension, for a period of three months, namely April, May and June, of on-the-spot checks by the National Social Security Fund (CNPS);
15. the cancellation of penalties for late payment of social security contributions due to the CNPS, on justified request;
16. the spread over three months of the payment of the social contributions debt for the months of April, May and June 2020, upon justified request;
17. the continuation, for the next three months, namely from May to July, of the payment of family allowances to staff of companies unable to pay social security contributions or who have put their staff on technical leave due to the economic downturn in 'activity, in particular in catering, hotels, transport;
18. the increase in the level of family allowances from 2,800 FCFA to 4,500 FCFA;
19. the 20% increase in the level of old pensions that did not benefit from the automatic revaluation which occurred as a result of the 2016 reform.
In addition, the President of the Republic decided to extend, for an additional period of 15 days, renewable if necessary, the other measures taken on March 17, 2020, as part of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
