MACAO, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) Tuesday announced that it will provide financial support to local small and medium enterprises (SME) for their participation in the "13th Macao International Trade and Investment Fair (MIF)".

　　As Macao's major trade and investment fair, this year's MIF, organized by the IPIM, will be held from October 23-26 at the Venetian Macao's exhibition venue.

　　Given the important role of SMEs in Macao and their contributions to local economic development, the 13th MIF is going to feature a "Macao SME Exhibition" within the Fair. Taking advantage of the MIF exhibition platform, the Exhibition serves as an incubator for local enterprises to promote their products and seek for investment opportunities.

　　In order to enable more SMEs to open up business opportunities through the MIF, the IPIM will grant preferential treatment of 5,800 patacas (725 U.S. dollars) for each exhibition booth of nine square meters. In effect, the charges after preferential treatment for the 9-square-meter booth will be only 5,000 patacas (625 U.S. dollars).

　　Each local SME may apply for preferential treatment for one booth only, on a first-come-first-served basis, according to a press release from the IPIM.

　　The SME Exhibition will be the only section in the MIF which features both display and sale, and the Exhibition will be market oriented, bringing into full play the advantages of the convention and exhibition industry of Macao, the IPIM said.