In order to preserve the purchasing power of employees during the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of restaurant vouchers has been extended for food shopping in 2022. A measure strongly contested by restaurateurs, who are increasing their demands since the end of the health crisis.
As a reminder, the Secretary of State for Consumer Affairs, Laurence Garnier, confirmed the government's decision to maintain this exemption. “Today, what I can tell you is that the government is in favor of extending this exemption,” she declared to Parisian on October 23. While the executive had announced an extension until 2025, the deputies finally voted on November 20 in the National Assembly for two more years, until 2026.
Despite the end of the pandemic, French citizens continue to be victims of financial insecurity. According to the National Commission for Restaurant Vouchers (CNTR), the aim of this extension is to reduce the burden on the 5.2 million French employees who benefit from these payment vouchers. Not surprisingly, this measure displeases restaurateurs, who wish to once again obtain the exclusivity of the use of these titles.
As a reminder, on September 24, the Union of Hotel Trades and Industries (UMIH) denounced in a report a “shortfall of 576 million euros”, relays RMC. We see, in fact, that the market share of food distributors increased by 8.6 points between 2022 and 2023, unlike that of restaurateurs, which fell by 6.4 points during this period.
The extension of the use of restaurant vouchers could undergo modifications in the Senate
As a reminder, Republican deputies had proposed an extension of only one year, with the aim of supporting restaurateurs. Consequently, the decision to maintain the exemption on restaurant vouchers until 2026 could undergo modifications during its examination in the Senate. “If the measure appears to be a patch on a crisis which requires measures of another order”, it represents “support for the purchasing power of households who benefit from meal vouchers”, argued Karim Benbrahim, Socialist deputy, during recent debates.
Remember that restaurant vouchers allow you to pay for purchases of products that are directly consumable or that require preparation, such as rice, pasta, meat, etc. The government had proposed the application of a reform for these payment documents. It consists of maintaining a daily payment threshold of 25 euros at the restaurant level, as well as applying another, lower one, for payments to food distributors. However, this proposal is on hold for the moment.
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