National’s covid economic plan

National has released a 30 page economic plan to help families and businesses through covid. Key details include:

• Increase wage subsidy eligibility to Level 2, recognising even Level 2 makes it hard for some businesses to operate
• Reduce revenue loss criteria from 40% to 30%
• Increase level of wage subsidy from $600 to $800 per fulltime staffer
• Require MSD to process applications within five days
• Give businesses in Level 3 and 4 a 50% rent subsidy
• Give employers the legal ability to require vaccinations, if a risk assessment shows it is necessary
• Take any area with at least 70% vaccination rates and no Covid cases to Level 1
• Allow fully vaccinated businesses to operate at Level 2, even if community is in Level 3 or 4
• Reduce company tax rate from 28% to 17.5% for two years for businesses with fewer than 20 staff
• Move threshold for 10.5% rate from $14,000 to $17,000 for two years giving every taxpayer $420 more over two years
• A two year moratorium on and new regulations or law changes that increase costs for businesses

All good stuff.