Every adult and child in Jersey will be gifted £100 to spend locally as part of a £150 million package of government measures designed to kick-start the island’s economy. It’s a great idea in theory, says Simon Soar of the Jersey Hospitality Association, but there is no guarantee bars, restaurants and hotels will feel the benefits.
‘Jersey’s government intends to gift islanders £100 each to spend locally. It’s one part of a wider fiscal stimulus package that aims to boost business, keep people in their jobs and get islanders spending again. And on the face of it, it’s a nice idea.
‘What concerns me, and members of the Jersey Hospitality Association, is whether people will spend their money in the right places. Some of the businesses that have suffered the most are visitor focused – they don’t have a local following. How do we encourage people to spend their £100 voucher at these establishments? What is being done to help this money go to the businesses that need it most?
‘It’s a shame that as part of the government’s stimulus package, there aren’t any plans to help focus where this money is spent. People are hard-up right now, they might use that money to pay for groceries, which would be understandable. But it does mean that it’s not being focused on the industries that have really suffered.
‘The UK Government announced a scheme to encourage diners to eat out, which will see people there get a 50% discount on their bill, up to a maximum of £10 per head, when they have a meal in participating restaurants on Monday to Wednesday. That’s just one example of how a targeted approach can help direct money to be spent in the right places.
‘While it’s great the government is taking a bold approach to fiscal recovery, a more targeted approach might be more beneficial to the industries hit hardest by the crisis.’
