The public Macau Foundation (FM) has launched a new financial support programme, encouraging local associations to organise 40-member tour groups to the Guangdong-Macau In-depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, in hopes of spurring local residents to become a part of the integrated development of Macau and Hengqin, while, at the same time, promoting the revival of Macau’s small- and medium-sized (SMEs) businesses in the catering sector by giving the participants food and beverage (F&B) vouchers worth 100 patacas that, however, can only be used in Macau. 

The programme’s official name is “Loving Macau and Hengqin”. 

The foundation yesterday held two explanatory sessions to brief 80 association representatives at its offices in Circle Square on Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro, during which FM President Wu Zhiliang said that the programme aims to create a “peaceful and joyful atmosphere” in the city in celebration of this year’s 75^th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), the 25^th anniversary of Macau’s return to the motherland, and the third anniversary of the establishment of the cooperation zone, urging local associations to made good use of their organisational strengths to assist local residents in visiting the zone to learn more about people’s livelihood and social development there. 

According to the session held yesterday afternoon, associations that were legally established in Macau on or before the end of 2020, have at least one office or other kinds of premises for external services and have at least one staff member may apply until the end of the month for the programme’s financial support. The up to five trips to the cooperation zone must take place between June 15 and December 31 this year. 

The session noted that each subsidised tour group must comprise exactly 40 people, i.e., a group of 39 would not be allowed to register for the programme, and residents can only take part in one trip. Moreover, they will not receive F&B vouchers – two e-coupons with a face value of 50 patacas each to be used at designated Macau food and beverage outlets – if they are absent from the tour, except regarding force majeure on that day, according to the session, which also pointed out that there is no age limit for participants as long as they are local non-permanent or permanent residents, while the associations should take into account their organisational strength and service targets.  

Macau Foundation (FM) President Wu Zhiliang briefs association representatives at the FM offices in Circle Square on Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro during yesterday afternoon’s explanatory session about its new financial support programme “Loving Macau and Hengqin” concerning the organisation of 40-member tour groups to the Guangdong-Macau In-depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin. – Photo: Yuki Lei