In Schaijk, a true carnival riot has arisen on the Elfde van de Elfde. The catering industry in the village has decided overnight that the consumption coin, which has been used there for years, is no longer valid. And that leads to furious carnival-goers in the village.
“Yes, that sucks”, says a young lady who walks through the village dressed in carnival clothes. “I think I still have twenty left and now they are worth nothing.” Another also finds it terrible that the plug has suddenly been pulled: “They should have indicated that last year or returned our money. After all, we paid them all. We still have forty, so count it out.”
The reason that the currency is disappearing is that the price of beer and wine has risen sharply in recent years. The coins were sold for 2.35 euros last year, but the average price of a drink was already 2.70 euros. As a result, the operators only received 1.50 euros back for each coin returned. And that, according to the foundation that issues the coins, causes thousands of euros in losses at the catering establishments.
“I have asked to prove that there is no more money, but they do not want that.”
Although the decision would have been taken by all entrepreneurs together, not everyone agrees. “That letter would have been sent on behalf of the joint catering industry, but we never signed it,” says a bewildered Theo de Goeij of café De Raaf.
According to him, there must still be more than enough money in the coffers of the catering foundation. According to him, about five to ten percent of the coins are never handed in. “I have asked to prove that there is no more money, but they do not want that.” De Goeij plans to go to court.
The hospitality industry has yet to comment. Meanwhile, there are still five to ten thousand coins in circulation in the village and with that 30,000 euros disappears when snow in the sun disappears.
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