Secretary refutes the idea of reissuing consumption cards

The Secretary for Economy and Finance, Anton Tai, has dismissed the idea of issuing another round of consumption cards.

At the Legislative Assembly, the Secretary refuted the idea aired by lawmaker Lo Choi In, who called for a new round of this support to boost the internal economy.

Several lawmakers also addressed the matter, calling on the government to find urgent measures to support the local economy, specifically the small and medium-sized enterprises whose businesses have reportedly been deteriorating.

Tai claimed that the government has no intention of going back to this type of consumption support, issued during the Covid-19 pandemic, and added that other forms of support, such as consumption carnivals, must be supported by scientific studies and aimed at addressing a specific issue.

The Secretary also said Macau is currently in a high-spending season, and it is necessary to evaluate the summer holiday results first. He also reaffirmed that resources are not unlimited and that the government needs to ensure the health and sustainability of public finances.

Not so high summer
Despite Tai having expressed the idea of summer being a high season for Macau’s economy, data disclosed yesterday by the Director of the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO), Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, shows that the average number of inbound tourists in July is slightly over 90,000 per day. Although this figure represents an increase compared to June, it is still considered low in the context of the local tourism market.

Last year, July was responsible for 3,021,189 visitors, an average of 97,458 per day.

Senna Fernandes expects August to usher in the peak tourist season of the year and calls on the tourism industry to be ready to welcome tourists.