Restaurant businesses forced to close because of coronavirus will now be eligible for government grants after a 123-million-euro support package was adjusted at the last minute.
Restaurants are closed until the end of May, and have been since mid-March with only takeout service allowed.
The initial plan was withdrawn on Thursday after business owners complained that their takings in January and February would be used to calculate their claims.
That was changed overnight so the plan now excludes businesses whose takings in April were bigger than their average for January and February.
Parliament to have final say
The proposal will now go to parliament for consideration next week as part of a package that also includes 700 million euros to prop up the state-owned airline Finnair.
In order to qualify for the grants, restaurateurs must pay employees at least 2,500 euros over a three-month period after restrictions are lifted at the end of May.
The scheme will only cover the number of employees on firms' payrolls in February 2020.
Businesses can also claim relief for rent and other fixed costs incurred during the government-enforced shutdown.
That will come to a maximum of 15 percent of turnover in January and February, which the government says corresponds to about half of the fixed costs of a restaurant business.
If a business earned more than one million euros a month in the comparison period, that percentage drops to five percent.
Those businesses can receive a maximum of 500,000 euros in support, limiting the help available to large chains.
9.5: Corrected time period of payment to employees.
