Between 500,000 and 700,000 people could benefit from the “Kurzarbeit” flexible work program in the next 6 months, and the costs could be of €2.5 billion, said the president of the Romanian-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (AHK), Dragoş Anastasiu, at Digi 24.

“I can’t estimate 100%, we have to see the final act. There is a substantiation note there. We are talking about 500,000 – 700,000 people who could benefit from this measure in the next 6 months. I told you that we have more than €5 billion from the European Community, and in our calculations, the prudent figures that have been passed in the legislation will not lead to this amount of €5 billion, but maybe somewhere around half, €2.5 billion. This is also the reason why I think that depending on what is happening with the pandemic, the measure could be extended for another 6 months, and we will rely, if you will, exclusively on these loans from the European Union. So, we are talking about loans worth 2.5 – 5 billion, that Romania receives and can repay for many years to come,” said Dragoş Anastasiu, according to Agerpres.

The government regulated on Friday, by emergency ordinance, the possibility of reducing working time, granting allowances for day laborers and seasonal workers, as well as encouraging telework, according to a statement of the Ministry of Labor.