Interview by Armindo Neves
The upcoming consumption reward programme titled “National Games Cohesion – Community Consumption Grand Prix” will start on Monday, when senior citizens’ Macau Pass discount will be raised by two-thirds, from 300 patacas in the previous programme to 500 patacas.
The discount for the elderly – as well individuals with a disability – will be borne by the government, costing the Treasury 75 million patacas.
The Economic and Technological Development Bureau (DSEDT) announced the programme at a press conference on Friday.
Several senior citizens told the Post yesterday that while the government’s decision to raise the Macau Pass discount to 500 patacas benefits them, the requirement to top up an additional 500 patacas themselves poses practical problems for them, pointing out that they lack the means to contribute extra funds. Most of the interviewees said that they have entrusted their Macau Pass cards to their children for handling, as, they said, many elderly are unfamiliar with where to tap their cards to receive the 500 patacas from the government. They mentioned that they plan to use the 500 patacas primarily for purchasing food, and generally feel that “getting the money is better than getting nothing.”
The Post talked to the elderly in a park on the peninsula.
The owner of a Western pharmacy told the Post that the consumer incentive scheme has indeed boosted business, though the exact extent was difficult to quantify. While expressing support for the government’s decision to continue the policy, the female proprietor noted that even short-term campaigns can stimulate consumer psychology, for instance, by incorporating lucky draws to attract non-essential spending. However, she expressed concern that about a potential decline in customer traffic after the campaign concludes, prompting a call for more sustainable long-term measures.
The programme is slated to end on November 30.
The owner of a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) pharmacy told the Post that the government should include Fridays in the validity period of the consumer e-vouchers, not just the weekends, during the programme, or even not allowing the e-vouchers to be used every weekend but to have a spending break between weekends, in order to better stimulate consumer expenditure. He pointed out that as many residents currently prefer to travel to the Chinese mainland for shopping at weekends, he believes that extending the e-vouchers’ validity period by including every Friday would help increase e-voucher utilisation and enhance the policy’s positive impact on the local economy.
Shoppers look for goods at a Western pharmacy on Rua dos Mercadores in the city centre yesterday. – Photo: Armindo Neves
