£100 Jersey free-for-all branded "reckless" by senior politician
Plans to give every man, woman and child £100 each to spend in Jersey's shops to boost the economy have been branded "reckless" by a senior politician. Senator Kristina Moore is considering forcing a States Assembly debate to call for the government to rethink its plans to spend £11 million on the project.
The money is due to be issued in the form of gift cards or vouchers in September, and must be spent on-island within two months of receipt. Senator Moore, who chairs the Corporate Services Scrutiny Panel, says it should instead be spent on measures to help the jobless back to work.
But retailers have welcomed the news, as an effort to encourage reluctant shoppers back to the high street.
Jersey Business, which has worked with the government and businesses to help them recover from the economic shock of the coronavirus pandemic, supports the planned cash injection, as part of a wider package of measures which includes a new £50 million Fiscal Stimulus Fund, and deferrals of Social Security and GST payments by businesses, and a temporary reduction in employee Social Security contributions.
If Senator Moore is successful in gathering support for her proposed proposition, it could be debated at an extra sitting of the States Assembly in August.