Other cities and states have tried to address this issue in a very direct way by giving citizens vouchers to spend in hard hit sectors like retail and hospitality. Vienna, for example, gave every household €50 to spend in local cafes and restaurants. Malta and the Chinese city of Wuhan have done something similar. With press reports that the Chancellor is considering a voucher scheme, the NI Executive must ensure that if the Government does take such a step then Northern Ireland is either included or follows suit and introduces its own voucher scheme.
There is no doubt that a voucher scheme would bring a much-needed boost for our retail and hospitality businesses. Many of them have been closed for nearly 4 months. Footfall will continue to be challenged. By incentivising spending, a voucher scheme would get help to the businesses that need it most and sustain jobs in the process”.