Clarence and Richmond Valley businesses have an extra incentive to join the Seniors Card program, with those signing up before 9 November in the running to win a $10,000 advertising package, according to Clarence Nationals MP, Chris Gulaptis. The MP made the comments during a visit to The Friendlies Discount Pharmacy in Grafton where Pharmacist Kishore Chand has been providing 10 per cent seniors discounts on everything except prescriptions for the past two years. “This is a great program: it benefits your business and it helps with the cost of living or local people on fixed incomes who have spent all their lives paying taxes,” Mr Gulaptis said. “That is why the NSW Government has worked so hard and successfully to expand the initiative: over the past three years we have increased the number of participating businesses from 1,600 to more than 5,700, while adding more than 250,000 new members.” “That is why I am calling on more local businesses to come on board. “The process is simple. You just need to offer a discount of ten per cent or similar and be approved for membership.” Businesses who sign up by November 9 will have the chance to win a $10,000 NSW Seniors Card advertising package. Seniors can also win a VISA gift card for nominating new businesses. A recent survey of 35,000 Seniors Card members revealed NSW seniors are more likely to try a new business if it offers a Seniors Card discount and almost 70 per cent of seniors would return to a business if they offered a Seniors Card discount. For more information or to nominate a business to sign up, visit www.seniorscard.nsw.gov.au.