Ukrainians spend more than UAH 130 million in ‘vaccination rewards’
Ukrainians have already spent UAH 134 million in a government program to reward citizens who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, Ukraine’s Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal has said.
The program, known as “yePidtrymka” (or “There’s support” in Ukrainian) provides Ukrainians with a UAH 1,000 ($37) reward that can be spent on select products and services.
By providing Ukrainians with a financial incentive to vaccinate, the Ukrainian government has been also supporting businesses, Shmyhal told the ICTV channel on Dec. 20.
“This is the second assistance program for businesses affected by quarantine restrictions this year,” the prime minister added.
Ukraine officially launched the “yePidtrymka” program on Dec. 19.
Since the beginning of the online program, more than 4.9 million Ukrainians have opened a “yePidtrymka” account, and 4 million have registered to receive the vaccination reward.
The rewards are credited to special virtual credit cards and can’t be withdrawn as cash. The cards are currently being issued by six banks: PrivatBank, Monobank, OschadBank, Alfa-Bank, A-Bank and Ukrgasbank.
Ukrainians taking part in the program can spend their rewards in the culture, travel and sports sectors. According to the Office of the President, these industries have been the most affected by coronavirus-related quarantines and lockdowns.
Specifically, the funds can be used to buy:
• travel within Ukraine (train or plane tickets);
• tickets to cinemas, theaters, museums, concert halls, exhibition centers;
• memberships of gyms, fitness centers;
• books.
A separate list of services will be developed for people aged 60 and over – they will be able to spend the UAH 1,000 on medicines and other social needs (the Cabinet of Ministers will specify a list of possible purchases later). This option will become available from January 2022.
The funds must be spent within four months of the date they are credited to the account. This amount does not have to be spent all at once.
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