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<p>The Government has worked closely with the NI Executive to support the businesses
and employees of Northern Ireland throughout the pandemic by offering unprecedented
levels of financial support to ensure their survival and to protect the productive
capacity of the economy. The Government remains committed to supporting local economies
to not only recover from the impacts of the pandemic but to thrive and grow as we
emerge from the lockdown. <br></p><p>In the short term we have provided as much support
as possible through UK-wide schemes, including the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme
(SEISS), the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) and government-backed loans.
In NI, at least 330,000 individuals and companies have benefited from these schemes
to date.</p><p> </p><p>The Winter Economy Plan of 24 September has extended SEISS
until 21 April 2021. It introduced a new Job Support Scheme, which will ensure an
employee who is working 33% of their normal hours will receive 77% of their pay. A
reduced 5% rate of VAT for hospitality and leisure firms has been extended until 31
March 2021. The coronavirus government-backed loan schemes have been extended to 30
November, with greater flexibility introduced for the repayment of Bounce Back Loans.</p><p>
</p><p>In addition to this UK-wide support, £2.2bn of additional departmental funding
has been allocated to the NI Executive to enable a strong and sustainable recovery
from this crisis.</p><p> </p><p>As we look forward, we will continue to do all we
can to support the Executive to grow the NI economy: driving up innovation and productivity,
making sure NI is well-connected to the rest of the UK and the world, and promoting
Northern Ireland and its exports and talents as we level up opportunities for all.</p><p><br></p>
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