Government support for business hit by coronavirus tops €17.6bn

Bars and restaurants were shut during the lockdown. Photo: DutchNews.nl
Piles of chairs from a cafe terrace in Amsterdam. Photo: DutchNews.nl

The Dutch government pumped €17.6 billion into businesses last year as part of its coronavirus support package, reports Dutch statistics office CBS.

Traders were most likely to have support in paying staff salaries, while hotels, restaurants and cafes were the largest recipients for fixed costs.

The CBS, which calculated the costs at the request of the economic affairs ministry, found that support for salaries (the NOW measure) cost €15bn, while €2.6bn was paid out for fixed costs while businesses were closed or operating under restrictions.

Most of the money granted in 2020 went to businesses in the greater Amsterdam region.

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