Economic and Technology Development Bureau (DSEDT) Director Tai Kin Ip told reporters yesterday that the government is planning to expand its “Weekend Consumer Rewards in the Northern District” e-coupon consumption stimulation campaign, which ended earlier this month, to the whole city, and Tai said he expected the relaunch to take place in the next quarter at the earliest, with the aim of continuing to support consumption in various local communities.
Tai made the remarks on the sidelines of the final lucky draw and the closing ceremony for the “Weekend Consumer Rewards in Northern District” held at the Macau Chamber of Commerce (ACM) building in Zape yesterday. The winners will be notified in due course.
The “Weekend Consumer Rewards in Northern District” promotional activity ran from March 18 to August 4, where users were able to take part in lucky draws for e-coupons after they spent at least 50 patacas in the northern district and paid by e-payment on weekdays, while the coupons could only be used during weekends.
Tai said that the relaunch and expansion of the scheme will adopt the same mode as the previous one, taking into account the fact that residents are already accustomed to how the campaign is carried out, adding he estimates that it will attract the participation of 22,000 local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the whole city.
Tai noted that the bureau is currently negotiating with local chambers of commerce and other local organisations, and has got in touch with eight payment institutions on operational matters of the expanded e-coupon campaign.
Tai said in a speech during the closing ceremony yesterday that the government had spent 29.75 million patacas on the 20-week ecoupon campaign for the northern district, generating consumer spending worth 150 million patacas in 1,255 participating businesses in the northern districts, adding that over 1.52 million transactions were generated and eligible for the final lucky draw, where 162 winners were drawn yesterday.
Tai also said that the e-coupon campaign for the northern district has achieved good results in boosting local consumption there as every pataca the government spent had generated consumer spending worth five patacas.
Macau Chamber of Commerce (ACM) President Frederico Ma Chi Ngai said during the ceremony that Macau’s tourism industry is in good shape as the city’s economy after the three-year COVID-19 pandemic has achieved “bright” results and the desire of tourists to visit and spend money in Macau has continued to rise.
Ma added that the chamber will continue to cooperate with the government and work with the community to resolve the problem of uneven economic recovery in the city and better promote the economic development of the whole community.
Legislator-cum-restaurateur Andrew Chan Chak Mo, who chairs the United Association of Food and Beverage Merchants of Macau (UAFBMM), stands beside the lucky wheel for the winners of the “Weekend Consumer Rewards in Northern District” final lucky draw at the headquarters of Macau Chamber of Commerce (ACM – aka Chung Chung) in Zape. – Photo: Ginnie Liang
