The Finnish Government has decided to introduce a new form of support intended to cover the costs of businesses that have experienced a marked decrease in turnover due to the coronavirus and have costs that are difficult to adjust.
According to the bill, the aim of the support for business costs is to reduce the number of companies facing bankruptcy by ensuring the continuity of business activities and maintaining the financial production capacity. The support will be granted by the State Treasury.
The act on the support for business costs is currently being processed by the Parliament. The State Treasury is preparing to serve the companies applying for the support as soon as possible after the approval of the act. This ongoing preparation aims to ensure smooth services and the quick processing of applications.
We work for the benefit of companies
The recruitment of payment processors and specialists forms an integral part of our preparations. Since the support for business costs is highly sought-after, several dozen employees are required for customer services and application processing. Under normal circumstances, a similar recruitment process would take several months, whereas this will be carried out in just over a month. “Recruitment is performed quickly, but with care. As a new recruitment method, we are using video interviews that allow us to get to know the candidates remotely,” explains HR Specialist Susanna Kivinen. Working for the common good was of great interest: During the application period from 18 May to 2 June, we received 410 applications. Candidates from a variety of backgrounds had the skills necessary for the task, such as customer service and ICT experience. The new payment processors and specialists will begin their work in late June and early July, initially in groups of 20 to 30, taking into consideration the exceptional situation and safety.
The systems are tested carefully
Applications for support for business costs are submitted electronically, and we are working hard in order to provide easy-to-use e-services. The State Treasury has a ready information system that is currently being modified for the processing and payment of the new type of support. Since the number of applications for the business cost support will be significantly higher than for other State Treasury compensation services, we are testing the capacity of the systems with care. “Our aim is to create a set of systems that allows the applications to be processed as quickly as possible,” explains Development Manager Tuuli Karjalainen.
Application made easy
In addition to speedy services, we aim to make the application process as effortless as possible for the companies. The application for support for business costs has been tested on a customer panel to ensure clarity, and it has received good feedback. Another supporting factor is that the application requires no appendices. We will receive the required information directly from the tax authorities.
Keeping you up to date
The support cannot be applied for at this time, because the relevant act has not been approved. Once the application is open, application instructions will be updated on this page and the application form on this page. We will answer frequently asked questions on this page. We will keep you informed on our website and through our social media channels.
