Macau’s first-ever citywide “Consumption Carnival” will start on October 15, Economic and Technological Development Bureau (DSEDT) Deputy Director Chan Tze Wai announced yesterday.
According to Chan, the event will be co-organised by the bureau and the Macau Chamber of Commerce (ACM – popularly known as Chung Chung) and take place from October 15 to February 28 next year.
The consumption promotion activity, which will last four months, aims to attract consumers to spend in the local market, so as to increase business turnover, maintain consumption momentum and expand domestic demand, thereby strengthening retailers’ confidence in continuing their business, Chan added.
Chan made the remarks during a press conference about the carnival’s details at the ACM headquarters in Zape.
Chan said that the government’s budget for the carnival is nearly 100 million patacas, adding that five types of e-coupons will be distributed during the activity, with face values of 10 patacas, 20 patacas, 30 patacas, 50 patacas and 100 patacas, which can be used when the next actual payment is at least triple the coupon’s value.
The chamber will pay one million patacas for the final lucky draw cash prizes.
When reporters asked whether e-consumption cards can be used in the carnival, Chan pointed out that the carnival will be based on the model of previous consumption carnivals held by various commercial associations in different areas of the city, which used electronic means for lucky draws, adding she believed that the upcoming citywide carnival could promote the adoption of mobile payment in Macau.
Chan underlined that anyone in Macau can take part in the carnival as long as they are connected to at least one of the city’s eight mobile payment methods.
The carnival will cover many holidays, such as Christmas in December and the Chinese New Year in January next year, Chan said, adding she hoped that the carnival could provide incentives for consumers, stimulate consumption and cause multiplier effects, so as to create more opportunities for businesses, Chan said.
A statement handed out during the press conference said that those who have the real-name authentication with their electronic wallet and spent at least 68 patacas in a single lump sum after deducting e-consumption vouchers, living allowances or discounts, in local offline shops, can take part in a lucky draw for the 10, 20, 30, 50 or 100 pataca e-coupons, and also in the final lucky draw after the carnival has ended for prizes totalling more than one million patacas in cash, food and staycations. The statement noted that the total value of the carnival’s coupons and prizes amounts to nearly 100 million patacas.
The eight mobile payment institutions accepted at the carnival comprise Alipay Macau, BOC Mobile Banking, LusoPay, UePay, MPay, ICBC Macau Mobile Banking, Tai Fung Pay, and China Guangfa Bank (CGB) Mobile Banking, while more than 20,000 local businesses are participating.
Economic and Technology Development Bureau (DSEDT) Deputy Director Chan Tze Wai addresses yesterday’s press conference about the first citywide “Consumption Carnival” at the Macau Chamber of Commerce’s (ACM) headquarters in Zape.
– Photo: DSEDT
