Subsidies to relieve pressure of inflation

The Macao Government would give MOP6000 to each permanent resident and MOP3600 to each non-permanent resident, to help them tackle inflation. The Chief Executive Mr Edmund Ho Hau Wah said payouts would begin in mid-May at the earliest. He announced the continuance of the Wealth Partaking Scheme Schedule for Distribution policy, which started from last year, when he attended the plenary meeting of the Legislative Assembly today. After considering the Government’s overall revenue in 2008 and issues that arose in the global financial crises, the Government decided to give Macao permanent residents the money, he said. Meanwhile, the Government would also launch a medical subsidy scheme for permanent resident, he said. Under the scheme, each is entitled to have a book of medical coupons with a total value of MOP500 they could use visiting private practitioners in Western or Chinese medicines, and when visiting dentists. The medical coupons could not be used in public hospital and medical institutions aided by the Government. Mr Ho said that the medical coupons could be passed on to other family members, but they could not be sold. Speaking on the housing subsidy scheme, Mr Ho said that the study was in the final: the Government would continue to exchange ideas and collect opinions with the banking and real estates sectors. On the other hand, Mr Ho said, the Government would perfect the social security system by passing details of the planned Central Provident Fund for the elderly to the Legislative Assembly in May. On the issue children of Macau residents who were born in the Mainland to come to Macao, Mr Ho said that he had expressed his concern on this several times when he met with Beijing officials. He said he is confident the problem would be solved in a reasonable time. Information Department
Government Information Bureau
Macao Special Administrative Region