The second batch of Covid-19 vouchers will be distributed by mid-January, the government has told the MHRA.

In a short note to its members, the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association said that it “has been informed by the relevant authorities that the Government Vouchers will be issued by mid-January 2021.”

This second voucher scheme was announced in the budget for 2021.

Last year, the government distributed €100 in vouchers to all people aged 16 and over, €80 of which were to be spent on accommodation and restaurants, and the remaining €20 in retail outlets. The measure had cost the government more than €44 million.

The new set of vouchers will be distributed differently – with €60 on accommodation and restaurants, and €40 in retail outlets. They will come in €15 and €10 denominations, unlike the five €20 vouchers handed out in the first scheme.

In his speech for the New Year, Prime Minister Robert Abela also mentioned the vouchers scheme.

“People replied by buying and selling property in record numbers, far outstripping normal times when we did not have a pandemic. Instead of tightening finances, we distributed vouchers to all. And, in the next few days, we shall do it again – sending out another round of vouchers. This is what people deserve, not discouragement and negativity,” he said.