New guidelines released by the Small Business Administration (SBA) Thursday dictate that public companies with sufficient liquidity to support normal business operations throughout the coronavirus pandemic will not be eligible for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
Senior SBA officials pointed Daily Caller to a new addition to the program stating that “borrowers still must certify in good faith that their PPP loan request is necessary” while applying for a PPP loan.
“Borrowers must make this certification in good faith, taking into account their current business activity and their ability to access other sources of liquidity sufficient to support their ongoing operations in a manner that is not significantly detrimental to the business,” the guidance reads. “For example, it is unlikely that a public company with substantial market value and access to capital markets will be able to make the required certification in good faith, and such a company should be prepared to demonstrate to SBA, upon request, the basis for its certification.”
The PPP rule itself states that “knowingly” violating the application guidelines can result in prison sentences up to 30 years and fines up to $1,000,000. It would appear that all other requirements for receiving a loan, including having fewer than 500 employees on staff and dedicating 75 percent of the relief toward payroll concerns, have not been changed
dailycaller.com/2020/04/23/big-company-execs-30-years-prison-fines-sba-coronavirus-relief-program/