By Rebecca Black, PA
More than a third of funds from a voucher scheme to boost the high street were spent in businesses not forced to close during lockdown, new figures have revealed.
Almost £137m was spend in 3.7 transactions using £100 Spend Local cards as part one of Stormont’s flagship Covid recovery stimulus measures.
All householders across Northern Ireland were eligible for one of the £100 Spend Local cards.
A new report by the Department for the Economy found that £84.9m (62%) was spent in businesses that had been required by the Covid regulations to close during 2020.
Conversely some 38% was spent in businesses which had not had to close.
Analysis also shows that 87% (£118m) of funds were spent in retail businesses with a further £10m (8%) spent in accommodation and food service businesses, £4m (3%) spent on other service activities, and £1m (1%) in professional, scientific and technical businesses.
It found that the average amount spent on activated cards was £97.94, and that the busiest day of transactions was Sunday November 14, 2021 when 104,477 transactions were recorded.
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