Hot Marijke was one of more than 100,000 entrepreneurs who received a nuisance premium of 4,000 euros from the Flemish government after they had to close their business during the pandemic. From April 6, 2020, we switched to a daily premium of 160 euros. “A total of 14,080 euros has been paid to you, but an inspection by the Inspectorate has shown that your company has wrongly submitted an application for the corona nuisance premium,” Hot Marijke was told last week by the Flemish Agency for Innovation & Entrepreneurship. (VLAIO). She would have to pay back 14,180 euros within the month, because an administration fee of 100 euros was also claimed.
The well-known sex worker did not agree and presented her case to HLN. The Flemish government appeared to stumble over the fact that it offers its services by appointment. She does this in an apartment in Knokke. But you can’t just walk in there. An absolute condition for the nuisance premium, VLAIO said, is that the company requesting support has a publicly accessible location that has been compulsorily closed. Such as a showroom, showroom or consumption room. “That was not in the original conditions. Moreover, a door that you can simply push open is incompatible with my profession. You don’t want snoopers. I want discretion for my customers.”
Hot Marijke provided additional information to the competent services upon request. This concerned the rental contract, which shows that she rented and operated the apartment in question in March 2020. Based on that contract, VLAIO revised the decision and informed Marijke that her company does meet the conditions and she can therefore keep the support.