Businesses can offset costs for 2G controls

Businesses in the retail and food service sectors can now offset additional costs due to 2G inspections and hope to receive payments on account.

Application possible as of now

"It is already possible to apply for the interim payment. The interface between the federal government and Investitionsbank Berlin is still being set up," said Senator for Economics Stephan Schwarz. "But you don't have to wait for that. There is the possibility of already getting deductions from the federal government after an initial review," the senator said. "That is the agreement."

Allocate additional staff expenses for controls to fixed costs

The following rules apply for the Coronavirus interim payments for small and medium-sized businesses: Businesses that have experienced a drop in sales of at least 30 percent relative to the same month in 2019 can receive credit for up to 90 percent of their eligible fixed costs. The federal government then pays a subsidy. "The additional staff costs for inspections can be counted toward fixed costs," Schwarz said. "I think that's a little bit of help in a very, very difficult situation."

Assistance aimed primarily at specialist retailers

Schwarz stated that the offer is aimed primarily at specialty retailers, not the entire retail industry - grocery retailers, for example, do not require 2G checks. "It's also an option for food service, but it won't be as big a factor there." Balancing the effort for 2G controls was an initiative by the state of Berlin along with other states. "We had asked the industries that had been hit hard by the pandemic where the problems were most urgent," Schwarz said. "Particularly among retailers, it was the issue of 2G controls."