Global Refund offers new shopping incentives

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Tourist shoppers in Singapore have been taking advantage of a series of initiatives involving tax refund company Global Refund, Changi airport authority CAAS and the Singapore Retailers Association

Visitors to Singapore who choose to receive their Goods and Services Tax (GST) refunds in the form of Global Refund Airport Shopping vouchers can receive an additional 10% in refunds under a new scheme introduced last month. Vouchers are redeemable at Changi airport shops and the usual refunds are still available to passengers by cheque, cash or direct credit to a credit card. Visitors to Singapore are eligible for refunds when they accumulate a total of S$300 ($171) in receipts from affiliated retailers.

The Great Singapore Sale 2002 held from May to July also involved Global Refund in the "Shop Tax-Free and Win" lucky draw promotion. Global Refund, together with the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), VISA and DBS Bank offered Wine & Dine discount cards, vouchers and travel prizes for shoppers using the tax refund progamme. Although tourist visitors to Singapore were down just over 1% in July, visitor numbers from China, Indonesia and India were up sharply, which the STB said was due to aggressive promotion of the Great Singapore Sale.