The province has set aside $2-million to help some 600 small and medium sized businesses cope with increasing costs.

The new wage support program will be administered by the St. John’s Board of Trade and the NL Employers’ Council. It comes on the heels of an increase to the minimum wage earlier this month, bringing it to $15.60 an hour.

Businesses with fewer than 100 employees, and who had more than one employee making minimum wage between April 1st 2023, and March 31st of this year are eligible to receive between $2,500 and $5,000.

Judy Sparkes-Giannou, the chair of the employers’ council, believes the money will start to flow quickly.

She says their website will go live the first week of May, with the first cheques being put in the mail later in the month.

The website link, which is not yet active, will be NLWageSupport.com.