The Coronavirus Surveillance Committee is designing actions to mitigate the effects of the crisis on the regional economy.

The companies of the Region will have 9 million in aid from the Info in the coming weeks and an additional 8 million is already being processed.

The Instituto de Fomento (Info) has held, by telematic means and chaired by the Regional Minister of Enterprise, Industry and Spokesperson, Ana Martinez, a meeting of the Coronavirus Monitoring Commission, of a business nature, where the situation, at regional and global level, caused by the COVID-19 has been analyzed, and during which the Info has communicated the immediate availability of aid to companies worth 9 million euros.

According to the advisor, “the priority for this Ministry is to accelerate the deadlines so that our companies have financial support with which to face this unprecedented crisis. The Info is redirecting most of its resources, in the form of subsidies and other types of aid, so that companies can find the right support in all their areas of activity, with special emphasis on internationalization and innovation”.

Thus, the Info has very advanced the procedures to publish in the coming days the program of Support to Technological Investments COVID-19 endowed with 1.5 million euros, similar amount has been assigned to the Line Covid-19 Cost Zero for the subsidy of guarantees, while other amounts that oscillate between the 200. 000 and half a million euros, will give priority to technological innovation in companies, from cybersecurity to teleworking, including e-commerce and product development, with 300,000 euros reserved for the contracting of professional services for internationalisation.

In addition, the Info plans to publish in May the program of Aids for Digital Transformation of Companies (Industry 4.0) and the program of Aids for Innovative Technology-Based Companies (EIBTs), the first with 2.5 million euros and the second with 2 million.

“Although the areas in which the Ministry is acting to support companies are very diverse, our priority is to put all the means at our disposal so that the regional business fabric, as a result of the current crisis, does not lose competitiveness, hence our commitment to innovation, and maintain their foreign markets, hence our commitment to aid and services for internationalization,” said Martinez during the video conference.

Other programs are being analyzed and prepared, such as a line of investment for tourist accommodations, the deferral of interest on loan repayments or various financial instruments for co-investment for entrepreneurs, which total nearly 8 million euros more.

Around 30 sectorial representatives of the Murcian business community have participated in the videoconference, such as the canning, wine, footwear and plastic industries, as well as the region’s chambers of commerce, CROEM (Regional Confederation of Business Organizations of Murcia), representatives of the Ministry of Health, Agriculture and other entities and associations involved in international trade, in addition to the Port Authority and the ICEX (Institute of Foreign Trade).