No option but to shelve vouchers
IT is no surprise that the retail and tourism voucher schemes in Northern Ireland have been shelved until next year. It would have been a pointless exercise to go ahead with the project since both sectors are closed for business.
The schemes would have given people in Northern Ireland vouchers reportedly discounting hotel stays by £100 and taking £20 off a visit to a tourist attraction. As well, they would have been given vouchers to spend in shops with the total value of that scheme running to £95m.
Both schemes were aimed at kick-starting the two sectors of the economy which have suffered most due to the Covid pandemic.
It was putting money in people’s pockets which they could only spend in local shops or in taking staycations - though there may be lessons to be learned about not asking for money until you know you’ll be able to spend it.
Announced last year, the schemes were a novel initiative which would have been welcomed by shopkeepers and hospitality and tourism providers. However, crucially, the current lockdown renders the initiatives worthless.
The decision to shelve the project until the next financial year – April at the earliest – is an indication that the Executive is thinking that current restrictions on movement and retail and hospitality opening will extend well beyond early February.
Coming on a day when Health Minister Robin Swann admitted he could not commit to giving nurses their pay rise demand of 12.5% and instead would be led by Westminster on this issue, it would have been the worst of optics to see money being dispensed frivolously by an Executive department.
In fairness to Mr Swann he has promised to do all in his power to ensure that nurses do not feel the necessity to return to the picket line.
However, there is something ironic about a government department at Stormont not being able to spend money at a time when the pandemic is absorbing funds at record levels.
If the money is not to be used for its original intention then if possible it should be directed by the Executive to other worthwhile initiatives. The Treasury is always alert to instances where money given to the devolved administration is not used in any particular financial year and is quick to claw it back to London.
Ideally, it could be used to buy additional vaccine doses specifically for the province or even to give the much-lauded but poorly-rewarded nurses a little extra money in their pay packets in recognition of their sterling efforts.