Support for rent payments is part of the package of measures approved by the Government to be applied during the first six months of next year with the aim of mitigating the impact of the pandemic on businesses.

Companies with a fall in turnover between 25 percent and 40 percent will receive support equivalent to 30 percent of the rent, up to a maximum of €1,200 per month. In the case of companies with billing losses above 40 percent, rent support will be equivalent to 50 percent of these costs, up to a maximum of €2,000 per month.

The Minister of State and Economy, Pedro Siza Vieira, said that applications for this support should start in January.

"We expect that the rent support, calculated according to the break in invoicing, will be paid in two instalments, in the first and second quarters of 2021 and we hope to be able to launch the applications in January," said the Minister of Economy.

The mechanism that will be used for the candidacy of rents will be the same as that of the Apoiar programme, added the minister.

Until November, the support measures launched by the Government due to the pandemic have already bolstered the economy by €22 billion.