The Ministry of Finance has developed the normative act updating IMM Invest Plus, the programme that facilitates access to financing for small and medium-sized companies that do not have the necessary sums for investment projects and for the continuation of the activity, and thus increases it by over 10 billion of lei the total ceiling of guarantees that can be granted, according to a press release.
"We are welcoming the beneficiaries of the Temporary Framework for State Aid Measures to Support the Economy, as a result of Russia's aggression against Ukraine, and at the same time we are aligning ourselves with the changes in the area. We considered it very important to be with the business environment again and to ensure the necessary money for the normal operation of SMEs, in a difficult period due to the energy crisis and the war in Ukraine. The continuation of economic activity and maintaining the number of employees is a priority for us, because this way we can avoid a problem with great social impact," Finance Minister Adrian Caciu pointed out.
Thus, one of the main changes brought to the IMM Invest Plus Programme refers to the fact that the aid granted under the schemes of the Ukraine Temporary Framework and which are reimbursed before the granting of new aid under the same framework are not cumulated when calculating the exceeding of the ceiling provided by law, Agerpres.
Also, the value thresholds of the state aid are increased, consisting of the value of the risk commission, the administration commission, related to the guarantee, for the entire duration of its validity and of the interest related to loans/credit lines, granted for a maximum period 12 months. The new thresholds are: up to the equivalent in lei of the sum of 500,000 euros per enterprise/territorial administrative unit (UAT), respectively the equivalent in lei of 62,000 euros/enterprise in the case of beneficiaries in the field of primary agriculture and 75,000 euros/enterprise in the case of those in the fields of fishery and aquaculture. Compliance with these value thresholds also applies in the case of refinancing.
At the same time, the total ceiling of the guarantees that can be granted under the state aid scheme is increased by 10.25 billion lei, respectively from 7.5 billion lei to 17.75 billion lei, simultaneously with the increase of the budget of the state aid scheme to 1.93 billion lei and increasing the number of beneficiaries to 24,786.
In addition, the state aid in the form of a grant that is borne from the state budget, through the budget of the Ministry of Finance - General Actions, will be transferred quarterly to the account of the National Credit Guarantee Fund for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (FNGCIMM), the Romanian Counter-Guarantee Fund (FRC) or the Rural Credit Guarantee Fund (FGCR).
The document also provides for the inclusion in the category of beneficiaries eligible for the Garant Construct and Innovation component and small businesses with medium market capitalisation.
The IMM Invest Plus programme can be accessed until December 31, 2022, the Ministry of Finance points out.