COVID-19 taxi relief support fund ready for disbursement

In July 2020, Parliament allocated R1,135 billion Taxi Relief Fund as a once-off payment to taxi operators to provide relief for the COVID-19 impact on the sector, as a consequence of restrictions that had a devastating effect on the industry, similar to many other sectors.

Differences with the industry on the conditions and the manner with which the funds were to be disbursed gave rise to delays.  I am pleased that we have since resolved these differences and have partnered with the National Empowerment Fund (NEF) to manage the disbursement of the funds on behalf of the Department.

In January 2022, I will officially launch the application process for operators to access the fund.  At this launch, we will provide details of the application process, which will enable the Department, with the support of the NEF, to start accepting applications from individual operators.  The application window will remain open until midnight on 28 February 2022.  No new application will be accepted after this date.

On 2 December 2021, I published Directions on the disbursement of the Taxi Relief Fund in the Government Gazette outlining the qualifying criteria for the fund.  All taxi operators who meet the prescribed conditions are eligible to apply for the fund.  This includes minibus-taxis, metered taxis and e-hailing partners, but not the e-hailing companies.  The conditions which taxi operators must comply with in order to access the funds are:

a)  They must be South African citizens or permanent residents
b)  They must be in possession of a valid operating licence and
c)   They must be registered as a taxpayer with the South African Revenue Services (SARS)

The application process and the call centre will be driven by a team of young people, recruited from the ranks of unemployed youth and trained by the NEF.  This project will provide them with job opportunities and skills to ready them for the job market beyond the project.

Source: Government of South Africa