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SUPPORT for businesses during the coronavirus pandemic must come faster if people’s livelihoods are to be saved, the government was warned yesterday.
The government’s furlough scheme, which subsidises 80 per cent of employees’ salaries up to a maximum of £2,500 a month, was extended on Friday for at least another month, as many workers are forced to stay at home to help slow the spread of Covid-19.
British Chamber of Commerce (BCC) director-general Adam Marshall said the situation for so many firms is “extremely difficult.”
Speaking on Sky News, he said that 66 per cent of businesses will use the scheme to support their employees and prevent lay-offs.
“That’s a really big number, and unless some of that cash flows through from the furlough scheme quickly when applications open tomorrow, a lot of businesses are going to face difficulty paying wages and paying suppliers,” Mr Marshall said.
He warned that many businesses were “counting the time they’ve got left in hours and days” and could not wait for the scheme to begin working.
