Coronavirus: Macau will give residents 2.2 billion patacas worth of vouchers to boost economy once outbreak is over
- Each permanent resident will be given a card with a stored value of 3,000 patacas to boost consumption, Secretary for Economy and Finance Lei Wai-nong says
- The casino hub is also setting up a production line in mainland China to address the shortage of masks
Macau will give its residents 2.2 billion patacas (US$274.9 million) worth of vouchers to boost the coronavirus-hit economy and distribute extra medical coupons to deal with the impact of the outbreak, officials revealed on Thursday.
“When the coronavirus outbreak is over, the government will invest around 2.2 billion patacas in vouchers to revitalise consumption,” Secretary for Economy and Finance Lei Wai-nong said, while announcing a series of relief measures, including tax cuts.
He said each permanent resident would be given a card with a stored value of 3,000 patacas that would be valid for three months.
“It can be used for catering, retail or groceries, but only in Macau,” he said. “The intention is to help enterprises survive through consumption.”
Lei added there would be a 300-pataca cap on spending, meaning the card would have to be used at least 10 times.