As of Wednesday, individuals will begin to receive their €100 vouchers, vouchers which are part of the economic regeneration plan to stimulate domestic consumption.
Minister for the Economy, Investment and Small Businesses Silvio Schembri provided information regarding the use of €100 vouchers on Wednesday morning during a press conference.
Schembri said that the vouchers will inject €44 million into the Maltese economy and that 440,000 residents in Malta and Gozo will be receiving the vouchers, adding that some 2,000 businesses had already registered to receive the vouchers.
As of today, individuals will be receiving five vouchers; four red and one blue. The red vouchers can be used for hotels, accommodations, restaurants, bars and diving schools. The blue voucher can be used for all retail outlets, museums and beauty salons which were closed during the months of COVID-19.
The vouchers will be distributed as registered post and any residents that miss their delivery can collect their vouchers from the closest Maltapost office. Residents can sign for other people’s vouchers living in the same residence.
The €20 vouchers are transferable, therefore individuals who are unable to use vouchers, or go out themselves to buy, can provide their voucher to an individual of their choice to use the vouchers. Schembri explained that he is aware that some individuals are bedbound, or unable to go out, so they can have someone else buy the products they need.
Vouchers will be activated 24 hours after delivery and must be used by 30 September 2020.
All vouchers have security features which include UV light methods of verification for businesses. On the vouchers themselves, apart from a barcode which must be scanned by the business, the 20 also illuminates and so does the right side. Any fake vouchers should be disposed of and not used.
Businesses cannot provide any change when using vouchers, therefore consumers must use full voucher and add on if necessary.
The vouchers have no form of traceability; therefore there is no way to trace back what consumers spent their vouchers on. “As a government we did this to ensure and respect the privacy of the consumers,” said Schembri.
“We urge all companies who haven’t applied and registered, to do so”
Schembri highlighted that 2,000 businesses had already registered to receive the vouchers, and he urged that all companies who have not applied to do so as soon as possible.
The Minister pointed out that businesses were given a week to register and received a letter explaining how to active their business account. Businesses which accept vouchers will be using an online app to scan the code, and a direct payment is made to the businesses credit card account. “We wanted to ensure that this is a smooth launch and that businesses are prepared for when consumers come to use their vouchers,” explained Schembri.
He pointed out that a number of businesses have been creative and announced offers and deals when using the vouchers. “I believe such companies should continue to be creative and find new ways to offer deals to maximise the government’s incentives.
When it comes to using the voucher, the business must ensure that the voucher is presented at the cashier. Businesses cannot accept pictures of vouchers. The cashier is to print a VAT receipt, scan the QR code and scan VAT receipt. “We oblige all businesses to collect and retain the vouchers for auditing purposes, therefore once the voucher has been used, the consumer cannot keep it. Once a voucher has been scanned, it therefore becomes invalid for use again.
It is in the individuals’ interest to take care of the vouchers, to not lose or damage the vouchers. Any lost vouchers cannot be redistributed.
At a later stage, a list of businesses which accept vouchers will be published on the Ghada Ahjar website.