U.K.’s Sharma Rejects Calls to Extend Virus Job Support Measures
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Business Secretary Alok Sharma dismissed calls to extend the U.K.’s coronavirus support programs, saying the government is putting its focus on reopening the economy in a “cautious and phased manner.”
“We need to get businesses back up and running,” Sharma told BBC Radio 4 on Tuesday. He reiterated the government’s guidance that employees who can return to their workplaces should now do so.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak has come under intense pressure to extend the government’s furlough program, which is helping to pay the wages of almost 10 million U.K. jobs. Sunak has described that support as “not sustainable” — even as economists have warned that removing it early could trigger a wave of mass unemployment.
“The package of support that the U.K. government has provided is one of the most generous and comprehensive in the world,” Sharma said.
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