In the first 10 days of the government’s e-consumption benefits plan, launched on June 1, 425,000 transactions were made injecting 473 million patacas into the local consumer market, according to a joint statement by the Economic and Technological Development Bureau (DSEDT) and Monetary Authority of Macau (AMCM) on Friday.

The statement noted that in the first 10 days of the plan a daily average of 47.26 million patacas was injected into the local economy. The statement said that the food and beverage industry benefitted the most from the plan, while other sectors such as supermarkets, pharmacies, seafood shops, bakeries, food deliveries and department stores also benefitted.

According to the statement, until noon on Friday, 615,000 residents had signed up for the plan, of which 279,000 chose to use one of the eight local e-payment platforms, while 335,000 residents chose to use last year’s e-consumption smartcard. The statement noted that for residents aged between 18 and 44, 63 percent chose to receive the plan using one of the eight local e-payment platforms. The statement said that in recent years the government has been promoting e-payment platforms, consequently more residents, especially young people, are starting to accept and use them.

The statement said that the FAQ page on https://www.dsedt.gov.mo/2021consumo answers questions about add-on benefits offered by the shops or e-payment platforms and other enquires.

This undated handout photo provided by DSEDT and AMCM on Friday shows a residents paying for his goods using one of the city’s eight e-payment platforms.