Jersey businesses felt pressured and threatened by Co-Funded Payroll Scheme

A Jersey scrutiny panel is concerned businesses that applied to the Co-Funded Payroll Scheme have been "made to feel like criminals".

The Corporate Services Scrutiny Panel is asking the Treasury to reconsider the way repayments are handled, saying that businesses have felt threatened and pressured into paying immediately.

The panel has written to Treasury and Resources Minister, Susie Pinel, arguing the guidelines around the scheme were unclear to many of the applicants.

Chair of the Panel, Kristina Moore, said: "It is clear that local business owners have experienced poor treatment over the handling of the audit of the Co-Funded Payroll Scheme, both in terms of the guidance issued at the time of application and in the demands for repayment.

At times they been made to feel like criminals when they have provided information in good faith."

The panel has recommended there should be more communication and has requested the minister provides additional information to assist the scrutiny of the Co-Funded Payroll Scheme repayments.

Senator Moore added: "Many of those who have been in contact with us have experienced unnecessary stress, both financially and emotionally, when they had hoped to be moving on from the hardship caused by the Government’s response to the pandemic."