Assistant Treasury Minister Lindsay Ash said the current circumstances in Jersey did not justify a reintroduction of the scheme, which was designed to stimulate the economy and encourage shoppers back into stores.
Islanders received a card bearing £100 in credit which had to be spent in local businesses during September and October. The scheme generated an estimated £1.57 million spend in hotels, bars and restaurants.
The idea attracted the attention of politicians in Northern Ireland and, next month, around 1.4 million Irish residents, aged 18 or over, will receive £100 cards to spend in ‘bricks-and-mortar’ businesses rather than online retailers.
Deputy Ash said: ‘Last year we had been in lockdown for three months and we thought it would be a great boost for the economy. It was giving taxpayers their money back, to spend as they saw fit.
‘It boosted hospitality and retail and brought a tremendous feel-good factor. But the economy has stood up remarkably well. Nothing is ever taken off the table but it is highly unlikely that we would do it again, unless things changed radically.’
David Warr, owner of Cooper & Co coffee shops and wholesalers, agreed that the scheme did not need to be repeated.
He pointed out that many people had saved money during lockdown and he said that a revised version of the scheme, benefitting certain customers or types of business, would present practical difficulties.
He said: ‘It served a purpose at the time. There was a feel-good factor, a feeling that the government was doing something to help.
‘Some people in the hospitality sector are struggling with higher rents and accommodation, and the extra money might have helped a bit. Now the visitor economy has improved.’
Gregory Novak, manager of the White Horse Beach Bar and Eatery in St Saviour, said: ‘When the cards came in, we had the busiest weekend we had had for a long time.
‘But we are busy anyway. If customers didn’t have the card, they would pay with money. Personally, from the point of view of a taxpayer, I’m not sure if I would want to pay for it.’
However, Olly Appleyard, group marketing manager for Seymour Hotels, took a different view.
He said: ‘We would fully support the £100 voucher scheme, if it was targeted specifically to hospitality where it is needed most.’
For six weeks in October and November, many restaurants traditionally take part in the Tennerfest, offering all-inclusive
meals at a fixed price, and Mr Appleyard suggested: ‘Introduce the voucher scheme as an alternative to Tennerfest, which only promotes lower food margins and higher workloads.’
