- Since Monday, the inhabitants of Capestang can pay for their purchases from local merchants and artisans with small plastic tokens.
- This funny currency was imagined by the town hall, to support the local economy.
- With an envelope of 80,000 euros, this operation was made possible thanks to the savings that the municipality made, due to the epidemic of Covid-19.
Since Monday, the inhabitants of Capestang (Hérault) can adjust their baguette, their half or their haircut with small plastic tokens. This funny currency was imagined by the town hall, to support the traders and craftsmen of the corner faced with the health crisis, and to give a boost to the purchasing power of the Capestanais, rejoices this commune, in the explanatory flyer which floods the village.
Until Friday, the inhabitants of this village in the west of Hérault can thus come to the multipurpose room, where the town hall distributes, to each household, on presentation of a water or electricity bill, five tokens worth 10 euros each. If the Capestanian traders (except the supermarkets) are conquered by the device, the inhabitants can regulate their purchases with this currency of a new kind, until next December 31. The companies will then be reimbursed by the municipality.
"We help residents to help businesses"
"We, we, the communes, do not have the possibility of paying direct aid to businesses, so we said to ourselves that we were going to go through the inhabitants," confides to 20 Minutes Pierre Polard (LFI), the mayor of Capestang, who was re-elected in March. Through this device, we help residents to help businesses. "
In total, the operation, called Salt (Solidarity local economy) was endowed with 80,000 euros. An envelope that the municipality has drawn from the funds that containment has enabled it to save. "We canceled the summer festivities, on July 14, the village festival, this corresponds to a saving of around 30,000 euros," explains the elected official. Each Wednesday of the summer, we had a light and sound show, which was also canceled. And some services during containment did not work. We have heated the buildings less, this has also resulted in less expenses. "
"To revive trade in the village, it's very good"
As for the merchants we interviewed, the system is unanimously unanimous. "To revive trade in the village, it's very good," says Laurence, who runs a ready-to-wear business, the Grenier de Mila. “For the local economy, there is nothing better. It's a great action, rejoices Christophe Baudemont, market gardener at Ferme Rongo, who distributes baskets of seasonal products every Friday in the town. Everyone wins, the small traders, the producers, the inhabitants who benefit from the tokens, and even the town hall, which revitalizes its city. "" Bars and restaurants need it. It can really help revive commerce in the city center, ”hopes Serge, a taxi in Capestang.
The inhabitants also seem conquered. On the town's Facebook, thanks pour in. A resident even wonders if, after these tokens have expired, Salt could become commonplace in Capestang. Pierre Polard does not rule out the idea of putting in place such an operation, if it proves conclusive.
The device still has a drawback: what if a clever little guy tried to reproduce these plastic tokens to do his shopping by eye? "In an emergency, it was the simplest solution," continues the mayor. Gift certificates required a little more time. As with any device, there can always be fraudsters. We hope that people will show solidarity in this special time. "
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