To encourage Macao enterprises and non-profit making organisations to actively participate in MICE activities while optimizing the effect of promotion through products displays and establishing direct contacts with customers, Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) started to provide exhibitions and trade fairs incentives enquiry and application services to local enterprises and non-profit making organsiations since 1995. The beneficiary organisations can obtain subsidies for the costs incurred during the participation of overseas exhibitions. The financial incentive application has been extended to benefit exhibitors of local exhibitions and fairs in August 2007. With the objective to optimize the measures on providing such financial incentives on a continual basis, and after collecting opinions from SMEs, IPIM has revised the “Regulations on Participation in IPIM’s Promotional Activities” (hereinafter referred as the Regulation) and will come into effect on 1 January. Revised contents include: streamlined application procedures, efficient document submission process, revised exhibition categorisation and the introduction of fixed-amount financial incentives to trade fairs. The new regulations enable applicants to have a better understanding of the application procedures, their respective rights and obligations as well as getting the approval results timely. (1) Streamlining application procedures and efficient document submission process.
To ensure applicants can obtain timely approval outcome, and make better preparation for the exhibition, the “Regulations” will adjust the day-counting mechanism from working days to consecutive days, applicants should submit a written application to IPIM no less than 45 days before the exhibition and the late submission of supporting documents should be made 30 days before the exhibition. The Regulation will also introduce a series of facilitation measures , eg. the submission of documents issued by Macao Financial Services Bureau - Professional tax - Nominal List of Employees and Wages-Earners -Form (M3/M4 Form), complimentary tax payment advise M5 and M6 form, Social Security Contribution are exempted. In addition, for enterprises and non-profit making organisations which may take part in exhibitions for more than once in the same financial year, documents such as the copies of the Declaration form of Start/Alteration of Activity of Industrial Contribution (M/1 Form) and Contribução Industrial – Conhecimento de cobrança (M/8 Form) issued by Macao Financial Services Bureau, and copies of Macao ID of shareholders will be exempted and can be replaced with a declaration, provided that these information have not been changed or updated within the same year. (2) Preferential arrangements granted respectively to exhibitions and trade fairs
Exhibitions– applicants may lodge an application for the cost of printed or audio-visual materials with the document proof of subsidy approval from IPIM in the same year.
Trade fairs – applicants must submit supporting documents at least 30 days before the exhibition. While the quotations may be submitted within the aforementioned period, or within 5 days after the approval notification is received. (3) Special Incentive for Macao Products
Furthermore, to cope with Macao SAR government’s policy of supporting the MICE industry, the Regulation will further lower the criteria for parties eligible for the subsidies and will provide extenuation for applicants not fulfilling the criteria of registration with Macao Financial Services Bureau for at least 2 years or at least 50% of the company shareholders are Macao residents (applicants should provide relevant supporting documents, e.g Certificate of origin and Trademark Registration) (4) Categorisation of incentive applications for exhibitions and trade fairs, incentive amount accumulation system on trade fairs
Starting from 1 January 2011, exhibitions with duration of at least 2 days are eligible for the application of financial incentives. The approval procedures of exhibitions and trade fairs subsidies will be classified into two categories, with the approval principles of exhibition remain unchanged. To enable applicants to have enough time for pre-exhibition preparation and get the approval results timely, review and evaluation for application of trade fair subsidies will adopt a fixed subsidy accumulation system in 2011. The maximum amount that each enterprises/entity may receive for each of the first two applications for trade fairs is MOP 5,000.00, with an accumulation of MOP 30,000.00 every year. In addition, IPIM will further optimize the settlement of subsidy payments by making use of standardized event reports, hence making reimbursement procedures more efficient. IPIM will continue to assess the effectiveness of the incentive measures by means of a questionnaire. The above contents are uploaded on IPIM’s website (www.ipim.gov.mo). The revision of the Regulations will come into effect on 1 January 2011.For more information, please contact Ms. Wong or Ms. Hoi of SME Service Center (Tel: 28728212; Email: smec@ipim.gov.mo). Free copies of the “Regulations on Partcipation in IPIM’s Promotional Activities” are also available at SME Service Center or Service Counter at Centro de Serviços da RAEM.
