Beijing rolls out measures to boost consumption

Citizens visit Qianmen Street, a landmark commercial street in Beijing, capital of China, July 6, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Xin)

Beijing has rolled out a spate of measures in an effort to boost consumption recovery in the Chinese capital, according to the local economic planner.

The measures, jointly launched by eight government departments, include the issuance of restaurant coupons worth 100 million yuan (14.9 million U.S. dollars) both online and offline starting from July to promote the recovery of the catering market.

The coupons will be funded by the government and platform enterprises, said Guo Wenjie, deputy director of the Beijing municipal commerce bureau, on Thursday.

The city will issue up to 30 million yuan worth of coupons for accommodations in the suburban areas from July to late September, said Liu Bin, deputy head of the municipal bureau of culture and tourism.

Beijing will also steadily expand vehicle consumption and launch events to boost digital, cultural and sports consumption.

"The measures are expected to promote the accelerated recovery of consumption and mitigate the impact of the epidemic on life and production to the maximum extent," said Dai Ying, deputy head of the Beijing Municipal Commission of Development and Reform. ■