The U.S. government will greatly simplify the process by which borrowers of a $525-billion-pandemic-relief fund do not have to repay some of the smallest loans, the Department of Treasury said. In a statement issued late on Thursday, the Department of Treasury said businesses that borrowed $50,000 or less from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) can sign a one-page document attesting that the money was spent as required by the program and the loans will be forgiven, meaning taxpayers’ dollars will be used to pay for them. Introduced in April to help companies weather the economic shutdown brought on by COVID-19, the PPP was responsible for 5.21 million loans ranging from less than $50,000 each to more than $5 million.
