[Argentina] State to pay half the wages of private-sector workers in June

Cabinet Chief Santiago Cafiero confirmed last week that the state will continue to pay half of private-sector wages this month, Buenos Aires Times reports.

Administrative resolution 747/2020 in the Official Gazette states that the Evaluation and Monitoring Committee has recommended extending the complementary salary benefits of the Labour and Production Assistance programme (ATP, in its Spanish acronym) because quarantine has been prolonged. 

On May 12 officials said employers receiving this aid will also be given the choice between lowering their social security contributions by 95 per cent or postponing them for two months. The state will, therefore, be paying half the wages of its almost two million private-sector workers, just as it did in April. 

According to AFIP tax bureau data, this month the national government has already given around 27 billion pesos to pay part of the wages of over 1.3 million employees of companies affected by the quarantine and qualifying for ATP benefit, which cannot be less than a single minimum wage (16,875 pesos) nor more than a double minimum wage (33,750 pesos). 

The Committee also considered letting the private health sector have access to this benefit but recommended that the Health Ministry decide which companies qualify, according to their level of invoicing and the percentages of COVID-19 infection among their staff or in their geographical zone. 

The Transport Ministry additionally proposed extending ATP to passenger transport companies and the Education Ministry recommended including all schools not receiving state subsidies. 

Cabinet Chief Santiago Cafiero confirmed last week that the state will continue to pay half of private-sector wages this month, Buenos Aires Times reports.

Administrative resolution 747/2020 in the Official Gazette states that the Evaluation and Monitoring Committee has recommended extending the complementary salary benefits of the Labour and Production Assistance programme (ATP, in its Spanish acronym) because quarantine has been prolonged. 

On May 12 officials said employers receiving this aid will also be given the choice between lowering their social security contributions by 95 per cent or postponing them for two months. The state will, therefore, be paying half the wages of its almost two million private-sector workers, just as it did in April. 

According to AFIP tax bureau data, this month the national government has already given around 27 billion pesos to pay part of the wages of over 1.3 million employees of companies affected by the quarantine and qualifying for ATP benefit, which cannot be less than a single minimum wage (16,875 pesos) nor more than a double minimum wage (33,750 pesos). 

The Committee also considered letting the private health sector have access to this benefit but recommended that the Health Ministry decide which companies qualify, according to their level of invoicing and the percentages of COVID-19 infection among their staff or in their geographical zone. 

The Transport Ministry additionally proposed extending ATP to passenger transport companies and the Education Ministry recommended including all schools not receiving state subsidies.