📋 Tender Overview
With an amendment also introduced by the OVP and the Greens in the committee the MPs have initiated various pandemic-related changes in the social security laws without the votes of the NEOS. With the change in the social security laws the VP and the Greens originally only wanted to make grammatical and editorial corrections. For meal vouchers for employees in the home office in addition to the tax exemption no social security contributions should be incurred. In addition the employers contributions can also be deferred for November and December 2021 until January 31 2022 if it can be demonstrated that the contributions cannot be paid due to the pandemic.A regulation will also be changed according to which retirees who return to their job in the healthcare system to fight a pandemic do not lose their early retirement pension. This regulation should also apply to periods in the next year.The regulation that allows pharmacies and general practitioners to carry out corona tests on people without symptoms is also being adapted. In the future an ordinance from the Minister of Health should be the prerequisite for this possibility. Tests on account of the health insurance should then only be possible for people who are specified in a further regulation. The type of test the electronic report and the amount of the fee must also be determined by the Minister of Health by ordinance.Further changes relate to flat-rate travel expense allowances for part-time athletes which can be paid out free of charge in November and December 2021 even at closed sports facilities. In addition vouchers that employees receive from their service providers between November 2021 and the end of January 2022 should be free of charge up to a value of 365 in line with the provisions of income tax law.Laurenz Pttinger VP explained that the change is intended to include some tax law adjustments in the social insurance contribution law. Gerhard Kaniak FP expressed his approval of the application. For Fiona Fiedler NEOS however the extension of the free tests undermines the vaccination. She advocated making tests for unvaccinated people chargeable.
