Latest giveaways cost Government 3.37 billion patacas

The wealth partaking and health care voucher schemes announced by the Chief Executive last week would cost the Government 3.37 billion patacas, the spokesperson of the Executive Council, Mr Tong Chi Kin, said today. Permanent residents would receive 6,000 patacas each while non-permanent ones would get 3,600 patacas, costing 2.886 billion patacas and 241 million patacas respectively, Mr Tong said. Holders of valid or renewable Macao SAR Resident Identity Card as of 31 December 2008 are entitled to the cash subsidy. Children under five, who are not required to apply for identity cards, would also get the payouts should they obtain the identification document. The health care scheme giving every permanent resident 500 patacas in vouchers would cost the Government 240 million patacas. To make the necessary financial arrangement, the Executive Council had discussed a draft law to revise the government budget in 2009, as well as a by-law on the wealth sharing scheme, Mr Tong said. The draft law will be sent to the Legislative Assembly for examination.