Prisca Tang
Representatives of the Collective Wisdom Policy Centre think tank announced yesterday during a press conference at its headquarters in Avenida de Horta e Costa that over 65 percent of local small-and medium enterprises (SMEs) complain that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, their business has been “severely” impacted.
The representatives said that a survey was conducted between July 26 and August 3, noting that they collected 1,061 valid responses.
According to a statement given out by the centre, the SMEs told the survey that during the novel coronavirus pandemic a raft of problems had arisen, such as decreasing numbers of customers or orders, lacking raw materials for their products and the growing pressure of paying rent. The statement noted that 40 percent of the SMEs said they don’t expect Macau’s economy to return to its pre-COVID-19-pandemic levels next year. The statement said that over 80 percent agreed that the government’s e-consumption benefit plan had a positive impact but also over 50 percent of the respondents said they think that the impact would be short-lived.
The statement said that the centre is urging the government to launch policies that can benefit SMEs to better adapt to the digital age.
The statement also said that the government should consider how to strike a balance between COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control measures and the local economy. The centre also urged the government to continue promoting e-consumption and e-payment methods in order to help the economy recover faster.
Collective Wisdom Policy Centre representatives announce the finding of an SME survey during yesterday’s press conference at the think tank’s headquarters in Avenida de Horta e Costa. Photo courtesy of TDM
