60% of e-voucher spending targeted small businesses

As of June 15, about 63% of the spending by e-voucher or consumption card has gone to small and medium sized enterprises. Forty percent of spending has gone to companies with less than 20 employees.
Yesterday, the Economic Bureau (DSE) announced the result of the mid-term review it conducted on the e-voucher scheme. Apart from collecting data from the technology provider, Macau Pass S.A., the bureau commissioned the Macao Institute for Tourism Studies (IFTM) to conduct a survey which included business operators and e-voucher users.
The bureau did not disclose how many valid responses the survey has received. An inquiry on the matter was made to the DSE, but no reply was obtained by press time.
Slightly more than 600,000 residents obtained their e-vouchers by June 15, which is more than 90% of the approximately 659,000 registered residents.
The mean spending for each card was MOP2,481, with a total spending of nearly MOP1.5 billion, across approximately 15.6 million transactions, with the mean value of each transaction coming to MOP93.
Some 70% and 24% of spending from e-vouchers went to the retail and catering industries respectively. About half of these business operators obtained at least half of their revenue over the relevant period from the e-voucher.
The survey also determined that the majority of residents were satisfied with the registration and distribution of the e-voucher.
The inflation rate in May was 1.67%, which is lower than that of April. The DSE thus concluded that the e-voucher has not pushed up inflation. May also saw an increase of mobile payment transactions.
Overall, judging by the first half of the e-voucher scheme, the DSE concluded that the scheme has successfully generated and stimulated internal consumption, improved entrepreneurial confidence, relieved financial pressure within the community, as well as popularizing a type of e-payment tool.
Furthermore, the bureau stated that the next phase of the e-voucher scheme will commence with a top-up procedure. By August, Macau Pass will set up top-up spots where residents can obtain the next spending lot of spending credits, totaling MOP5,000.
Top-up spots will be set up in bank branches and government service counters across the city. The bureau is considering inviting associations to provide locations for top-ups as well. Director Tai Kin Ip of the DSE stressed that the procedure will be convenience-oriented.
The second phase of the scheme will start in August and end on December 31.
The e-voucher scheme has allegedly seen profiteering practices at supermarkets. When the scheme started operation, several local supermarket brands were accused by residents of profiteering. Photographs that compared prices before and after the start of the scheme went viral on social media platforms as proof of the allegations.
At yesterday’s press conference, the bureau admitted that it has discovered 59 cases of supermarket malpractice. Pong Kai Fu, head of the bureau’s Research Department, disclosed that most cases involved price tagging mistakes at supermarkets.
The bureau has conducted 1,394 inspections on supermarkets and spot-checked the price tags of 12,000 merchandise items. It also disclosed that by proportion of the total number of cards issued, the number of cards reported lost to the Public Security Police Force was insignificant, although more than half of the reported lost cards have been retrieved.