By Staff Reporters
The Lesotho National Development Corporation (LNDC) this week announced the processing of the second round of the wage subsidy to textile industry workers.
LNDC disclosed in a statement issued on Monday that the disbursement would cover 78companies employing about 50 000 workers.
The government of Lesotho, earlier this year, introduced a subsidy of M800 to individual industrial workers to aid them from the financial crisis they faced due to COVID 19 pandemic, and it assigned LNDC the responsibility to administer the distribution of these wages to the beneficiaries.
The manufacturing sector is an important contributor to the country’s economic activeness including employment. The government of Lesotho continues to pledge its full commitment to decrease or reduce as much as possible the economic impact of this global pandemic to the sector.
In May, LNDC initially announced that following the policy announcement on industrial workers’ wage subsidy programme on April 13 2020 and on May 5 2020, the government of Lesotho had assigned LNDC the responsibility to administer the disbursement of the subsidies to the beneficiaries.
The investment promotion agency indicated that the industrial worker’s wage subsidy programme had been structured to benefit the most vulnerable groups of industrial workers covered by minimum wage regulations.
“The LNDC has been mandated to explore all legal and possible means to disburse payments of M800 each to around 50,000 beneficiaries cost effectively and securely.
“The government of Lesotho wishes to extend its appreciation for the support granted by all relevant social partners, ministry of labour and employment, and the ministry of trade and industry, that have contributed in this noble initiative to protect our fellow industrial workers during these challenging times,” the statement read.
It further stated that the manufacturing sector remains the life blood of the Lesotho economy and the government of Lesotho pledges its unwavering commitment to lessen the economic impact of Covid-19 pandemic on this sector.
