Why is Cash Transfers the Most Popular Rescue Tool?

Comparing Cash, Consumption Voucher, and Consumption Rebates — which one is better?

Photo by Alexander Mils on Unsplash

Do you know that a total of 133 countries have planned or introduced some social protection programs in response to COVID-19?

Do you know that in those 133 countries, 87 of them have adapted the “cash transfer” programs? It is the most widely used tool by governments.

Examples of Cash Transfers Globally

5 countries/regions with one-off universal cash transfers to each:

1. Hong-Kong: USD$1,290
2. Japan: USD$955
3. Macau: USD$1,268
4. Serbia: USD$108
5. Singapore: USD$420

Let me put this in a table.

Table made by Vivian Fang

Other examples of cash transfers with conditions, or target a particular group of people:

1. Australia: USD$455, low-income
2. Canada: USD$1,400 per month for unemployed for 4 months
3. France: USD$1,624, self-employed; USD$1,624…