Employment and Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi has confirmed in Parliament that they will not extend the Temporary Employer/Employee Relief Scheme (TERS) beyond March, as government did not have money.
Nxesi told members of the National Council of Provinces on Thursday that after they extended TERS from January to March, they will not go beyond this point.
He said some of the companies and businesses have re-opened under level one, and this has eased pressure on the relief scheme.
He said the government did not have money to extend.
“We are not looking at extending beyond the 15th of March because if we want to do, that we must have money,” said Nxesi.
There was no intention from the side of government to extend the TERS benefit scheme after March.
He said the focus now would be on those who would lose jobs. The Unemployment Insurance Fund would now to continue to operate under normal circumstances and look after those who lose jobs.
The TERS benefit scheme was set up as an emergency fund, to help workers during the lockdown.
Nxesi said, at the time, that many businesses had not been able to operate and workers were forced to sit at home, but they needed a source of income.
Over the last few months the TERS fund has been able to shield those workers who were vulnerable, said Nxesi, adding that they would not continue beyond March.
POLITICAL BUREAU