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Small businesses say they prefer cash to vouchers

Small independently owned businesses — some of which do not have business registration certificates — said yesterday that they wished the government would give out cash instead of consumption vouchers so that they too could benefit from the policy.

“Cash is always easier and better,” Soong Chien-tien (宋建艇), a 58-year-old crab vendor at the Nanya Night Market (南雅夜市) in Banciao, Taipei County, said yesterday.

Soong, who supports a family of five and has seen a 10 percent decline in business recently, complained that the shopping voucher idea would only benefit larger rivals such as shopping malls and hypermarkets.

“Many of my peers in the market, most of whom are low-income street vendors, were disappointed to learn that the government would limit the use of vouchers to exclude us,” he said.

Soong agreed with the government’s concerns that people might stash away a cash rebate rather than spending it, adding that saving the money would certainly not help the economy.

But he doubted whether the shopping vouchers would really entice big spending, since those who receive them could still limit their use to buying daily necessities.

Wang Bo-yen (旺伯彥), a taxi driver in Taipei, also said that he would opt for cash.

Wang said that he was not sure if he, as a taxi driver without a business registration certificate, would be included in the policy.

However, he said he might be able to ask for invoices from Taiwan Taxi Co (台灣大車隊), with which he partners. The company teamed up with Chinatrust Commercial Bank (中信銀) yesterday to provide credit card services for 50 taxis in Taipei City.

But many independent drivers would likely be excluded from the policy, Wang said.

“Ever since the financial crisis in September, we’ve been hit badly, with 20 percent less income, despite recovering some income following this month’s gasoline price cuts.”

Wang said that he hoped that the government would extend the use of vouchers to include taxi drivers, whether or not they have business registration certificates, because people would be more willing to take taxis if they had a little extra cash in hand.

Hung Chun-yang (洪春洋), who runs a lottery outlet in Taipei’s Ximending area (西門町), said she was pinning her hopes on the new policy to boost her sales.

“I’m optimistic that my business will benefit form the policy, since people always hope to become millionaires overnight when they get a small amount of money,” she said.

“Now that they will have an extra NT$3,600, why not try?” Hung said.

Hung has a government registration certificate but whether or not her business would benefit from the policy is unclear.

The government is preparing to announce detailed plans for the use of the consumer vouchers, but they may exclude government-commissioned businesses like lottery ticket sellers.
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