Vox Pop by Armindo Neves
The six-week Northern District Consumer Carnival, organised by the Macau Northern District Industry and Commerce Association (AICZNM) has been underway for only two weeks but it has already faced criticism from business figures.
AICZNM Chairman Raymond Wong Kin Chong stated during the carnival’s opening ceremony on January 12 that the event aims to stimulate spending through “appealing prizes” to boost the district’s economy. Wong announced an initial allocation of around one million patacas for e-vouchers.
Economic and Technological Development Bureau (DSEDT) Director Yau Yun Wah expressed hope that the carnival would attract consumers through e-vouchers, merchant discounts, and lucky draws. With the Chinese New Year (CNY) approaching, he noted that the event seeks to leverage the “festive atmosphere of renewal.”
During the carnival, consumers can use the Bank of China (Macau) mobile banking app “BOCPAY” from Monday to Friday to spend at least 100 patacas at participating merchants. The compaign’s e-vouchers are exclusively issued by the local BOC branch, with denominations ranging from 10 to 50 patacas. They are valid for 14 days and can be used daily.
The Post interviewed several shop owners in the northern district yesterday.
An eyewear store owner surnamed Lei, complained that the carnival has yet to boost business or consumer spending. She noted that obtaining discount coupons was difficult and restricted to a single payment method, resulting in minimal impact. Lei questioned whether the initiative was merely “held for the sake of holding an event” and insisted that consumer vouchers should be distributed more widely to effectively stimulate the economy.
A Western pharmacy owner, surnamed Chan, criticised the carnival for its limited impact. Chan said the campaign lacked sufficient publicity and described the total value of the consumer e-vouchers – just one million patacas—as “a drop in the bucket.” Many residents, she noted, have given up on winning e-vouchers in the carnival’s lucky draw held three times a week. Compared to previous consumer promotion campaigns, she found this one “paltry.” To truly stimulate the economy, she suggested expanding the scope and number of incentives and attracting visitors from outside the city.
The owner of a Chinese medicine pharmacy, who preferred to remain anonymous, echoed concerns about the “insufficiency” of the one million patacas allocated for e-vouchers. She highlighted that many participants in the lucky draw have never won, which has severely undermined consumer confidence. She raised doubts about whether the e-vouchers were distributed as promised and remarked that it might have been better not to hold the event at all. If such an event is to be organised, she argued, it should significantly expand in both scale and funding to ensure real benefits for consumers.
This photo, taken yesterday, shows a poster promoting the Northern District Consumer Carnival displayed on the façade of a market in the district.
– Photo: Armindo Neves
