Moving from alert level 4 to alert level 3
The Prime Minister today announced the principles that will apply for a move from Covid-19 alert level 4 to alert level 3. She will announce when this may happen on Monday 20 April, but has made it clear that a number of criteria will need to be met before the move happens:
• Community transmission is under control with a very low transmission rate
• Robust border measures in place
• Tracing and testing capacity in place
• Health system remains well supplied.
For our industry, we are unlikely to see much change – continue with social distancing, live/travel/work bubbles; and hygiene requirements. Please continue to follow the guidance on our website. It is likely that some activities that you have not been able to do under level 4 (orchard development for example) may be allowed under level 3 – we will clarify this as information comes to hand.
If you have any questions please contact NZAPI.
New support for small to medium-sized businesses
The Government has announced a set of new relief measures for small and medium-sized enterprises (SME’s) during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The new measures include:
• Greater flexibility for taxpayers in respect of statutory tax deadlines
• Changes to the tax loss continuity rules
• A tax loss carry-back scheme
• Measures to support commercial tenants and landlords
• Further business consultancy support.
The Government has already introduced a wide range of measures to assist businesses through the crisis. This includes the wage subsidy scheme, the Business Finance Guarantee scheme, and a package of business tax changes. While these measures apply to businesses beyond just SME’s, they provide substantial benefits to the SME sector.
More changes were needed however, to boost confidence and help SME’s get through the crisis. Without further support from the Government, these otherwise-viable SME’s may be forced to close down permanently.
Refer the following links for further information:
• Government backs businesses through Covid-19
• IRD Tax Changes to Support Businesses
Coronavirus and GLOBALG.A.P. Certification – What You Need to Know
FAQ for Producers with GLOBALG.A.P. Certificate and Certification Bodies: COVID-19 and Food Safety
We are currently working on the option of remote inspections and audits for certification bodies and producers: IFA Remote. An initial draft of the IFA Remote solution will soon be published, along with an invitation to join a public consultation on the topic. If you already have initial thoughts or suggestions, please send them to us at remote@globalgap.org.
In the meantime, this list of FAQ regarding COVID-19 can help answer your queries regarding GLOBALG.A.P. certificates and mitigation activities.
This document was updated at 10:30pm, 16.4.2020.
