Authorities promise subsidies for lottery ticket sellers
Shanghai's civil affairs authorities released financial support measures for local welfare lottery ticket sellers on Tuesday to help them recover from the coronavirus disease outbreak.
Welfare lottery sales points in the city will have their February and March rents fully covered by subsidies, according to a notice by the Shanghai Civil Affairs Bureau.
For sales-point operators who use their residences as sales venues, or those with rents below 3,000 yuan (US$424) during the two months, a subsidy of 3,000 yuan will be offered, the notice states.
For sales points of both sports and welfare lottery tickets and newly opened stores, a subsidy ranging between 500 yuan and 1,500 yuan will be delivered, according to the bureau.
In addition, welfare lottery ticket sales points across the city will receive funding for purchases of coronavirus preventive items such as face masks, the bureau said.
The subsidy scheme targets welfare lottery shops that resumed business from March 11 and continue operation until at least June 30, according to the bureau.
Subsidies earmarked for the welfare lottery distribution and sales risk fund are estimated at about 10 million yuan, according to the bureau.
Sales of Shanghai's welfare lottery tickets hit 5.15 billion yuan last year, according to the bureau. A total of 1.6 billion yuan in public welfare funds was collected, it said. Both figures are record highs.