280,000 people expected to receive 'bonus' cheque in the mail
People to expect €60 to €140 cheques in the mail in the weeks to come
People are expected to receive a cheque of between €60 and €140 in the mail, as the government sends a "bonus" to workers, rewarding them for their hard work.
Announced in a press release on Wednesday, the cheques are being awarded to those who were employed during 2023, and described as a form of recognition of workers' contributions to the island's economy.
Around 280,000 people are expected to receive a cheque.
Formerly, the cheques were known as a tax refund scheme, but on Wednesday, the cheque was described as a 'bonus'.
The press release said the bonus will be an addition to the budget measure announced to further reduce taxes for working parents.
The cheques have been infamously dubbed as "pre-election cheques", and last year, the government sent over 260,000 cheques during the same month of the MEP and local council election campaign.
The cheques were announced in the 2023 Budget.
The cheques were still sent close to the election last year, despite the OSCE saying election cheques violate international standards when the government handed out cheques weeks leading up to the 2022 election.