SMEs (small and medium enterprises) in the city received some MOP15.66 million from the MSAR Government via the SME Aid Scheme in the month of April, according to official data released by the Macao Economic Services (DSE).
The amount disbursed in April indicates a drop of 26.4 per cent month-on-month.
There were 55 applications for the Aid Scheme last month, 41 of which were approved.
The SME Aid Scheme, implemented in 2003 and updated in 2012, aims to provide interest-free business loans with a maximum value of MOP600,000 per applicant for different financial purposes, with a repayment period of up to eight years.
Up until the end of April, SMEs engaged in the retail industry had received the greatest allocation of the Scheme, taking up 33.6 per cent of the total amount granted or MOP26.02 million, followed by the construction and public projects sector, accounting for 15.8 per cent, or MOP12.27 million, of the total.
Beneficiaries engaged in businesses involved in personal services such as vehicle maintenance, and hair and beauty salons, received the third-largest level of support, with a total of MOP9.54 million, or 12.3 per cent of the total.
The government, meanwhile, approved two applications for subsidies under the DSE’s Credit Guarantee Scheme for Special Projects, granting a total amount of MOP2 million in April. However, there were no applications filed under the Credit Guarantee Scheme during the month.
1,110 applications for intellectual property registration in April
The DSE received a total of 1,110 applications for intellectual property registration in the month of April, the Bureau’s official data indicates.
The number of applications in April registered an increase of 17.7 per cent when compared to the same month of 2016. On a monthly comparison, the number of applications dropped by 12.7 per cent.
Of the total, 1,062 applications were filed to register trademarks in the MSAR, accounting for 96 per cent, while 35 applications were filed for the extension of invention patents, nine for industrial designs or models, and four for invention patents.
There were no applications for utility patents or establishment names and emblems in the month of April.
