Eurofound's EU PolicyWatch collates information on the responses of government and social partners to the COVID-19 crisis, the war in Ukraine, rising inflation, as well as gathering examples of company practices aimed at mitigating the social and economic impacts.
Factsheet for measure CZ-2020-17/899 – measures in Czechia
Country |
Czechia
, applies regionally
|
Time period | Temporary, 21 April 2020 – 21 April 2020 |
Context | COVID-19 |
Type | Legislations or other statutory regulations |
Category |
Supporting businesses to stay afloat
– Access to finance |
Author | Soňa Veverková (Research Institute for Labour and Social Affairs) and Eurofound |
Measure added | 01 July 2020 (updated 28 May 2022) |
The COVID Prague programme follows the COVID I and COVID II measures which have not included Prague region. This programme is focused on small and medium-sized businesses based in Prague only. As in case of COVID I, COVID II and COVID III programmes, the Czech-Moravian Guarantee and Development Bank (Českomoravská záruční a rozvojová banka, ČMZRB will provide guarantees for loans rendered by commercial banks (see list in Sources) and contributions to interest payments.
The call was published 20 April 2020 and opened for applicants 21 April 2020. However, after 10 minutes the entire programme was worked out and closed.
The total allocation of the programme, which is financed by Operational Programme Prague Growth Pole of the Czech Republic (Operační program Praha - pól růstu) has been set at CZK 600,000,000 (€22,488,756).
The parameters of the guarantee are the same as for COVID II:
Guarantees will be provided for up to three years. The credit has to be used to reimburse operating expenses such as wages, rent, utilities, settlement of suppliers’ invoices etc.
As of 31 May 2021, 301 applications have been approved for support in the total amount of CZK 1,538,000,000 (€60,078,125).
As of 30 November 2021, 303 applications have been approved for support in the total amount of CZK 1,779,000,000 (€71,160,000).
In February 2022, the Ministry of Regional Development of the Czech Republic published an evaluation Analysis of the ESIF measures responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and evaluation of the ESFI. This analysis evaluates some of the COVID-19 antiepidemic measures, namely COVID I interest-free state loan, COVID II state guarantee programme, COVID III state guarantee programme, COVID Prague and Technology-COVID call within OPPIK.
This evaluation shows that the positive impact of the above mentioned antiepidemic measures cannot be yet statistically confirmed. The moratorium on debts and mortgages declared in the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic played a major role regarding the survival rate. However, in combination with the above mentioned measures, it has likely only delayed the insolvency of a number of beneficiaries. In general, no statistically significant difference in the trends of employment rates was observed when comparing supported and unsupported enterprises.
The evaluation study also have proven that the support was not strongly focused on the economic sectors that were most affected by the pandemic (tourism, HORECA, accommodation services). In general, the above mentioned measures applied were appropriate, however, should have been more targeted on most affected sectors and regions.
Workers | Businesses | Citizens |
---|---|---|
Does not apply to workers |
SMEs
|
Does not apply to citizens |
Actors | Funding |
---|---|
National government
Company / Companies |
Companies
European Funds National funds |
Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:
Trade unions | Employers' organisations | |
---|---|---|
Role | Consulted | Consulted |
Form | Consultation through tripartite or bipartite social dialogue bodies | Consultation through tripartite or bipartite social dialogue bodies |
Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:
Social partners, which are members of the tripartite body (Council of economic and social agreement, Rada hospodářské a sociální dohody, RHSD) were informed and consulted in both formal (requested by institutional settings) and informal ways. They are not involved in the management of policy measures.
Supportive.
Citation
Eurofound (2020), COVID Prague guarantee: credit guarantees for SMEs in the Prague region, measure CZ-2020-17/899 (measures in Czechia), EU PolicyWatch, Dublin, https://static.eurofound.europa.eu/covid19db/cases/CZ-2020-17_899.html
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