IPIM offers consultation services via video calls when joining or holding events outside Macao, with dedicated personnel arranged to follow up on and answer enquiries
In order to introduce more industries and projects in Macao for its moderate economic diversification, the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) has been constantly enhancing investment promotion in recent years on aspects such as strengthening the synergy between MICE and commerce and trade sectors, increasing the application of electronic technology, improving the Investor’s One-stop Service, and pro-actively publicising Macao’s business environment and advantages. With these efforts, IPIM strives to amplify investment promotion effectiveness, uphold the goal of making Macao an ideal place where investors can quickly launch and effectively maintain businesses and enhance the moderate diversification of economic growth.
Strengthening synergy of MICE events and online services to help enterprises explore new opportunities
While continually promoting the use of the Online Business Matching Service Platform, IPIM has been relentlessly enhancing and developing online services in recent years to support enterprises as they surpass geographic boundaries to create new opportunities and expand business. During the MICE events organised by IPIM, active efforts were placed on encouraging participants to use the mobile application “Scan2Match” and enhancing the business matching experience and results through “online matching”, “online contract signing” and other services. For instance, during the 2021 Macao International Environmental Co-operation Forum & Exhibition (MIECF), IPIM took the targeted measure of running the online matching service ahead of the event period for a total of 14 days, which gave rise to approximately 247 matching sessions.
When joining or holding events in and outside Macao, IPIM also offered consultation on the Investor’s One-stop Service via video calls and arranged dedicated personnel to follow up on and answer enquiries concerning Macao’s business environment. From January to October 2021, IPIM received a total of 98 enquiries, covering industries such as high technology, traditional Chinese medicine, modern finance, retail of branded products, and education, and some of the enterprises have already started business in Macao with IPIM’s assistance.
In addition, IPIM has been hosting various online and offline promotional seminars targeting markets in Mainland China and Portuguese-speaking countries, which serve not only to publicise the commercial and trade elements of Macao among attendees, but also help them understand the target entrepreneurs’ intentions for investment and future development, thereby facilitating mutual commercial co-operation and exchange.
Launching “Invest Here” as a helping hand for investors
IPIM has officially launched “Invest Here” (https://investhere.ipim.gov.mo/) this year, which allows investors to gain information about running a business in Macao, mainland cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and key cities in Portuguese-speaking countries at anytime and anywhere. The website is equipped with multiple functions, including simulation calculators which can help investors to estimate taxes and company incorporation expenses, as well as customer service AI and the read aloud option which can help investors to obtain useful investment information quickly and easily.
Ceaselessly following up by designated personnel to acceleration implementation
Moreover, IPIM has been continually optimising the Investor’s One-stop Service procedures before, during and after project implementation, which specifically includes assigning dedicated personnel to follow up on investment projects and arranging prior technical meetings with licensing departments for investors based on the needs of the projects to provide investors with professional advice on technical issues during project implementation and explain the relevant administrative procedures in detail. IPIM has also reinforced interdepartmental collaboration within the Investment Committee to reduce the time and administrative costs needed for project implementation and to expedite the implementation process. When the projects are in place, dedicated personnel of IPIM will regularly follow up on and evaluate project operation and arrange business matching based on the investors’ needs to help them explore business opportunities, thereby facilitating commercial co-operation between external investors and Macao enterprises.
From January to October 2021, the Investor’s One-stop Service received a total of 263 new investment plans and follow-up was completed for 180 plans, which cover industries such as information technology, trade, wholesale and retail, catering, and construction, amongst others.
Promoting Macao’s business advantages with continuous and pro-active efforts
IPIM has established an investment promotion list targeting key industries and emerging brands in Macao and has arranged for representative offices in Mainland China to pro-actively visit enterprises with an aim of promoting Macao’s business environment and advantages and encouraging investors to develop their business in the city. Over the first three quarters this year, the six IPIM representative offices in Mainland China paid over 600 visits and helped follow up some 30 enterprises’ investment projects in Macao, and 19 of them have their companies incorporated in the city this year, covering various industries such as big health, technology and construction.
In the future, IPIM will continue working in line with the industrial development direction of Macao and the Guangdong-Macao Intensive Co-operation Zone in Hengqin, with efforts focusing on broadening investment promotion channels and optimising and consolidating investment-related services, in the hope of diversifying Macao’s industrial development.
