Castalla will give out 60,000 euros in gift cards to neighbours to use in shops

• The measure of the Consistory will cover up to 70 euros of the purchases of each neighbor and will benefit the establishments with the reactivation of the economy

The Castalla Town Hall will give out gift cards of 20 and 50 euros to help reactivate the local commerce. The initiative seeks, on the one hand, to help financially to the establishments of the municipality negatively affected by the Coronavirus (Covid-19) and, on the other hand, to benefit the neighbors of the city with a saving of up to 50% in their purchases in local establishments. The program to reactivate the economy, which will be channelled through the bank La Caixa, will put into circulation 2,000 20 euro cards and 400 50 euro cards: a total of 60,000 euros in gift cards.

The Mayor of Castalla, Antonio Bernabeu, states that, “with this measure the Council will directly help our neighbors with an economic aid of 60,000 euros in the gift cards, and will also benefit the local merchants, who will indirectly receive 120,000 euros for purchases in their establishments. This is because each user will receive from the City Council the amount of money equivalent to that invested, up to a maximum of 70 euros, as each castellut will be able to apply for one card of each type, of 20 and 50 euros, respectively. Bernabeu points out that “it is not possible to deposit amounts of money other than those specified. For example, 30 euros cannot be paid into the 50 euro card”.

The money can be spent in the stores of Castalla that adhere to the initiative, for which they must have a dataphone. The Castellut council has already begun talks with the shopkeepers to explain how this will be done. To use the gift cards, each user must pay the corresponding amount into the bank and the Consistory, once it has checked that all the necessary documentation is in order, will pay the same amount.

As the Councillor for Commerce, Maite Gimeno, explains, “in this way, we help our neighbours by subsidising half of their purchases in Castalla and we ensure that all this money is invested in our municipality”.

Citizens who wish to access this aid may apply for it during a period of 15 working days from the day following the publication of the Regulatory Rules of the gift card in the Official Provincial Gazette. The interested parties must present the required documentation and comply with the following conditions: be registered in Castalla for at least one year, be of legal age, be up to date with tax and Social Security obligations. When the cards are ready, they will be called in alphabetical order, to avoid crowds, and they will have to pick them up at the Tourist Office.

For its part, the City Council, as the holder of the cards, will be able to access the movements of the cards and check the use made of them. In the event that payments are detected in establishments that are not affiliated with the campaign, the user who has made improper use of the card will receive a notification from the Consistory informing him/her that the amount must be returned. If he does not do so, the debt incurred will be passed on to Suma, which will charge it to the citizen.

On the other hand, the Government Team wanted to make it clear that the card will not be able to be paid in the bars and cafeterias of Castalla, as it considers that the hotel and catering sector has already received help from the Town Hall, which has made an important effort with the extension of the terraces and the exemption of the corresponding fees.