By TAKAHIRO OKUBO/ Staff Writer
November 9, 2020 at 17:30 JST
Yasutoshi Nishimura, the minister in charge of economic revitalization, responds to questions from Yasue Funayama, the policy chief of the Democratic Party for the People, at the Upper House’s Budget Committee on Nov. 6. (Kotaro Ebara)
A tasty loophole in the "Go To Eat" government-subsidized program to support pubs and restaurants is proving that there is such a thing as a free lunch.
Hungry users are using the reward points they receive each time to eat their next meal free and then collecting more points atop that freebie.
At the Upper House Budget Committee session on Nov. 6, Yasue Funayama, a member of the Democratic Party for the People, asked the government to review the program.
“Users can eat meals for free repeatedly” if they take advantage of the system, she said. “This is a government-subsidized program, so it is necessary to give benefits to as many people as possible.”
Yasutoshi Nishimura, the minister in charge of economic revitalization, replied that users are not breaking any rules.
"It is permissible to use it in such a way under the program's rules," he said. “The current program will reduce the burdens of people in a difficult situation and support drinking and eating establishments."
Under the program, if users make online reservations, eat and pay 1,000 yen ($9.67) or more at eligible establishments, they will receive reward points equaling 1,000 yen.
Even if they pay their next meal with those points, they will receive another 1,000 yen in points, which can be used for another free meal and more points.
As users can collect and use the points repeatedly without paying anything, posters on the internet have dubbed the practice “the endless loop” or “the alchemy.”
The "Go To Eat" program was started as part of the measures against the economic downturn caused by the new coronavirus pandemic.
Nishimura said despite the apparent loophole, the government has no plans to review the points system.
“People can make good use of the program in a legitimate manner,” he said.
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