Harbin -- capital city of China's northernmost Heilongjiang province -- is offering government shopping coupons worth 400 million yuan ($60.02 million), to boost retail spending and stabilize employment in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
The initiative was announced in the newly issued paper -- Several Measures and Policies to Effectively Respond to the Impact of the Epidemic, Help Enterprises Relieve Difficulty, Stabilize the Economy and Promote Growth -- which includes a total of 20 measures in detail.
 
The shopping vouchers are reportedly valid from the date of issuance until Dec 31.
 
Harbin will give tourists a discount of 50 percent and above for the purchase of tickets for tourist attractions rated at A-level or above.
 
If tourists have an overnight stay in Harbin city, travel agencies will be rewarded with a maximum of 50 yuan per tourist per day.
 
Meanwhile, Harbin will offer subsidies to consumers buying cars with less than seven seats and to rural residents purchasing trucks with a deadweight of 3.5 metric tons or less.
 
Additionally, Harbin will reward eligible wholesale, retail and manufacturing enterprises. It will also implement rent reductions and exemptions for small, medium and micro-sized enterprises, among others.
 
Moreover, it will also allow postponement of tax payments, as well as payments of medical insurance fees and water and electricity bills.