Businesses licensed by the Malta Tourism Authority and those forced to close their doors during the height of the pandemic can expect to see customers start using the Government COVID-19 vouchers as from today.

Economy Minister Silvio Schembri this morning announced that the vouchers will start to be delivered to residents, via registered mail, as from today. Upon delivery, the vouchers will take 24 hours to be activated to ensure the safety and security of postal carriers.

Businesses eligible to receive the vouchers as payments should have received a letter from the Government last week, with instructions to download a mobile/tablet application in order to register to be part of the scheme. Businesses receiving vouchers as payment must scan the QR code found on the voucher and a VAT receipt for the transaction using the application.

Establishments can expect same-day payment directly into the registered account, and are being asked to retain the vouchers received by clients.

The vouchers are fully transferrable, meaning any resident can pass them on to a person of their choosing. This has been done to accommodate any residents who may be bedridden or in some way limited from physically using the vouchers themselves.

The scheme, aimed at bolstering the economy through galvanising domestic demand and consumption, is being operated on a blockchain system.

Government stressed that the authorities are unable to see where the vouchers are being spent, in order to respect an individual’s privacy.

Individuals were cautioned to take care of the QR code on the voucher, as it is their responsibility to ensure the code is intact and available for use.

The Government is providing five €20 vouchers to all Maltese residents aged 16 and upwards, four of which are to be used at Malta Tourism Authority licensed establishments, such as restaurants, bars, hotels, lidos, travel agencies, diving schools etc, while the fifth voucher is to be used at any business forced to close their doors during the height of the pandemic.

The four MTA-business related vouchers are marked in red while the retail-establishment voucher is marked in blue.