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Jiaxing, East China's Zhejiang province, recently implemented 20 new measures to support small and micro-sized companies amid the novel coronavirus pneumonia outbreak, local media reported.

The measures apply to small and micro-sized companies as well as self-employed people severely affected by the epidemic, and will be in effect until the end of June.

These small and micro-sized companies and self-employed people will be exempt from rental expenses for temporary electric equipment throughout 2020 and from 10 percent of water fees from February to May.

From February until the end of the epidemic, heat and natural gas fees for such companies and individuals will be reduced by 10 percent.

Those who rent houses owned by the State or administrative institutions will be exempt from rental fees for two months, and other proprietors are encouraged to waive or reduce rental fees for their tenants.

Taxpayers may apply for an extension of up to three months on the tax payment deadline if they suffer huge losses and their business is severely affected by the epidemic.

Small and micro-sized companies will be exempt from insurance payments for pensions, unemployment, and occupational injuries from February to June.

A 50-percent interest subsidy for a loan of up to 10 million yuan ($1.44 million) will also be offered by the Jiaxing municipal government to small and micro-sized companies that use the loan to help them resume normal operations.

In addition, financial institutions are encouraged to defer repayment deadlines, reduce interest rates, and cut overdue interest for small and micro-sized companies involved in wholesale and retail, catering, accommodation, logistics, or tourism.

Small and micro-sized companies that are listed as key companies in manufacturing, transporting, selling medical supplies or daily necessities will be granted up to 10 million yuan in credit for a period of up to one year.

Fifty percent of all paid-in unemployment insurance expenses for 2019 will be returned to small and micro-sized companies with minimal layoffs, and they will also receive a reimbursement of one to three months of social insurance charges depending on how severely they are affected by the epidemic.

Small and micro-sized companies that hire during the epidemic will receive a subsidy equal to three months of social insurance charges for each new employee.