On 26 August 2021, the MRA published a communique announcing the extension of the Government Wage Assistance Scheme (GWAS) and the Self-Employed Assistance Scheme (SEAS) for August 2021.
The communique provides the following:
1. Tourism Sector
Financial assistance under GWAS and SEAS will continue to be provided to employers and self-employed individuals in the tourism sector in the islands of Mauritius and Rodrigues for the full month.
2. Sectors other than the Tourism Sector
Financial assistance for a full month will be provided under GWAS and SEAS to those carrying out the following activities and who were not allowed to operate during the month of August 2021:
- Professional Sports;
- Horse racing bookmakers (outlets), casinos and gaming houses;
- Theatres and cinema halls;
- Nightclubs licensed by the Tourism Authority.
3. Operators who were allowed to operate as from July 2021 subject to sanitary conditions
- Fitness centres;
- Leisure parks, amusement centres, including aquariums;
- Multi-purpose halls, including wedding halls;
- Bars whose turnover for the accounting year ended in the year 2020 did not exceed Rs 50 million;
- Religious bodies;
- Canteen of a private international school (excluding public and private grant-aided secondary school) whose turnover for the accounting year ended in the year 2020 did not exceed Rs 50 million;
- Training institutions registered under the Mauritius Qualifications Authority Act;
- Auctioneers appointed under the Sales by Auction Act;
- Restaurants, fast food, café, caterers and other prepared food selling businesses whose annual turnover do not exceed Rs 50 million;
- Fee charging crèches, pre-primary schools, primary schools, secondary schools and registered universities;
- Self-employed individuals who are – (i) Stallholders in markets that remained closed; (ii) Haberdashers operating in a market; (iii) Hawkers not allowed to operate; (iv) Artists.
Application
The application for both schemes is to be made through the MRA website.
Both employers and eligible self-employed are required to submit a fresh application.
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