Plea to "continue the spirit" of Spend Local

Thursday 29 October 2020

Islanders have spent £9m in the local economy using their £100 Spend Local cards - and the Government is hoping they'll continue that trend with extra cash in their pockets from a reduction in Social Security contributions.

The gift was given to islanders alongside the 2% contribution cut as part of a drive by Government to get money pumping around Jersey again in the wake of covid-19.

The cards, which expire at 23:59 on this Saturday, were issued to every man, woman and child on the island at an overall cost of £11m.

102,700 cards have been activated so far, with 97,000 islanders using their cards at least once - but around 2,000 are still yet to activate them.

Pictured: 97,000 islanders have used their Spend Local cards at least once.

This morning, Chief Minister Senator John Le Fondré urged islanders to spend their remaining balance over the next few days to avoid a "last-minute rush on Saturday, which we know will be a busy day in town."

Once it finished, he said islanders should "continue the spirit of the scheme, spending locally with their favourite businesses and playing their part to help support and stimulate our local economy."

"With the 2% reduction in Social Security contributions, and more money in their pockets, I am confident islanders will do their bit to continue to Spend Local."
While the cards' balances will expire this weekend, the Chief Minister has previously hinted they may be topped up in future and urged islanders to hang onto them just in case.