Next round of PPP loans starts Monday
The next round of Paycheck Protection Program loans starts today. Federal officials say they’ve worked out the issues that plagued the first round of PPP loans.
Marketplace’s Nancy Marshall-Genzer has the latest on this. The following is an edited transcript of her conversation with “Marketplace Morning Report” host Sabri Ben-Achour.
Sabri Ben-Achour: What’s different this time around?
Nancy Marshall-Genzer: Starting today, the Small Business Administration will only accept PPP applications from small, community lenders. They tend to work with Black-owned businesses and businesses owned by members of marginalized communities, which may not have a traditional bank account.
The government is trying to make the process more inclusive this time around after criticism that banks processing PPP loans favored their existing customers. The SBA says it’ll start accepting loan applications from more traditional banks “shortly.”
Ben-Achour: The money ran out after the first round of PPP loans. Will that happen again?
Marshall-Genzer: The SBA says no. And, remember, Congress did allocate more money for PPP loans, and actually had some left over when the program ended. The Treasury Department says it doesn’t anticipate running out of money this time.
Ben-Achour: So will this second round of PPP money help businesses survive at this point late in the game?
Marshall-Genzer: It’ll help. Businesses that already got a PPP loan will be eligible for another one if they have fewer than 300 employees, and can show at least a 25% loss for at least one quarter of last year. Also, the loan money can be used to cover more expenses — not just payroll, but also to buy supplies, including personal protective equipment.
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