17 Mar 2020

Covid-19: Finance Minister talks details of economic relief fund

From Checkpoint, 5:07 pm on 17 March 2020

The government has administered the economy an unprecedented $12.1 billion shot to help those hit hard by the Covid-19 epidemic.

In what it calls the largest peacetime economic plan in New Zealand's modern history, the package is more than all of this government's new operating spending across three Budgets combined.

It includes wage subsidies of $5.1 billion which for employers means $585 a week for full-time staff and $350 a week for part-time staff capped at $150,000 per business, and there's also $126 million for a self-isolation support package, and a bump for benefits.

There is also $500 million set aside for health.

Finance Minister Grant Robertson talks to Lisa Owen about the details.