The Welsh Government has announced a further £682m of support mainly to the NHS and local authorities to support Covid efforts.
However, it has yet to confirm whether business rates holidays for those in the tourism, leisure and hospitality sectors, will be extended into the next financial year.
The Scottish Government has already announced another year of business rate holidays.
The Welsh Government's final budget for 2021-22 will be published tomorrow, though any business rate holiday extension will be dependent on any announcement for England in Rishi Sunak's Budget on Wednesday.
The current business rate holidays expire at the end of this month. The Welsh Conservatives has called on the Welsh Government to urgently detail what additional support it plans to give firms.
The 海角视频 Government, due to the Covid Barnett Formula consequentials since the pandemic of more than £5bn, has allowed the Welsh Government to carry more of its budget over into the next financial year up to £660m having previously been £350m.
The latest package includes more than £635m for the NHS and local councils to help them support the people of Wales over the next six months. Some £206.5m is going to the Local Government Hardship Fund, supporting vital social care services and ensuring schools are able to adapt to their new ways of working.
A further £10.5m will extend the Discretionary Assistance Fund, providing support for the most vulnerable people in Wales. There is also an extra £1.5m to support for apprenticeships and £18.6m to maintain vital public transport provision.
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First Minster Mark Drakeford said: “Throughout the pandemic, the role of our public sector partners – our NHS and local authority colleagues – has been nothing short of heroic. In a uniquely Welsh way, the public sector has worked together to protect the people of Wales.
“This significant package of investment we are announcing today will help support our crucial public services during the toughest of times until this crisis is over.”
Leader of the Welsh Conservatives, Andrew R T Davies, said that the Welsh Government needed to provide more support for businesses, particularly those in the tourism, leisure and hospitality sectors, where many firms have ceased trading or face going through due to the impact of Covid trading restrictions.
Mr Davies said: "We’ve been calling on Labour ministers in Cardiff Bay to use the near £6bn provided by the Conservatives in Covid funding to support Welsh families, workers, and businesses, so this announcement is better late than never.
“However, Welsh businesses – particularly in the retail, hospitality, and tourism sectors – continue to be ignored and Labour ministers must extend the business rates holiday into next year so we can support Welsh jobs.”