Lawmaker-cum-restaurateur Andrew Chan Chak Mo, who chairs the Legislative Assembly’s 2nd Standing Committee, expressed concerns raised by committee members yesterday regarding the low implementation rates of the budgets for the government’s key funds, requesting a greater transparency and accountability from the government.
Chan made the remarks when addressing a press briefing after yesterday’s closed-door meeting reviewing the government’s implementation of its 2023 budget, which was attended by officials from the Permanent Secretariat of the Forum for Economic and Trade Cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (Forum Macao), Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC), Cultural Development Fund (FDC), Education Fund and the Industrial and Commercial Development Fund (FDIC).
Chan highlighted the overall positive financial situation in 2023, noting a substantial surplus of over 9.8 billion patacas in the government’s general revenue. Chan also noted that the improving global economic conditions at that time led to a net investment of over 18 billion patacas from eight specific entities, a significant recovery from the 6.5 billion patacas loss experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic era in 2022.
In terms of the budget implementation situation, Chan noted, the Permanent Secretariat of Forum Macao had an approved budget of 188 million patacas but only had an actual expenditure of 100 million patacas, resulting in an implementation rate of just 55.4 percent.
Similarly, the Cultural Development Fund, with a budget of over 200 million patacas, with an actual expenditure of only 160 million patacas, achieved an implementation rate of merely 58.9 percent, Chan pointed out.
The Education Fund fared somewhat better, with an approved budget of 1.5 billion patacas but had an actual expenditure of 1.0 billion patacas, leading to a 64.5 percent implementation rate, Chan noted.
The FDIC displayed the lowest figure, with a budget of 700 million patacas, but it only had an actual expenditure of 300 million patacas, culminating in a mere 45.6 percent implementation rate, Chan noted.
While the Cultural Affairs Bureau had a budget of 1.2 billion patacas and an actual expenditure of 1 billion patacas, achieving a relatively higher implementation rate of 78.2 percent, members of the committee still sought clarification on why the remaining budget went unspent, Chan said.
Government officials from the five entities will be invited to a future meeting to explain the reasons behind the notably low budget implementation rates, Chan said.
Lawmaker-cum-restaurateur Andrew Chan Chak Mo (right), who chairs the legislature’s 2nd Standing Committee, talks to reporters after the committee’s closed-door meeting reviewing the government’s implementation of the 2023 budget yesterday, while the committee’s secretary, Lam Lon Wai, looks on. – Photo: Ginnie Liang
