More local social organisations met with Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai yesterday about his upcoming 2025 Policy Address and among them, Alliance for Common People Building Up Macau President Nick Lei Leong Wong and Macau Federation of Trade Unions Vice President Ella Lei Cheng I told the media after their separate closed-door meetings that Sam expressed concern about local youth employment by saying that the government will review the clerical positions in large-scale enterprises to ensure that local youth have opportunities for their career development prospects, while also committing to protect employees’ rights and interests.
The Alliance for Common People Building Up Macau, together with the Macau Fukien* Natives General Association, as well as the Macau Federation of Trade Unions (commonly known as Gung Luen in Cantonese), paid separate visits to Sam yesterday morning, during which the groups voiced their views and expectations regarding the government’s administration, as well as put forward their proposals for his Policy Address, slated, according to Nick Lei, to be delivered in April.
Speaking to reporters after their respective meetings, all the group representatives noted that during the meetings Sam expressed a “positive” attitude toward the general public’s views conveyed by them, demonstrating the government’s attentiveness and openness.
Nick Lei quoted Sam as underlining the necessity for the government to conduct in-depth studies on certain policies to ensure they align with the city’s community development and the affordability of the government’s financial resources. The meetings were also attended by Secretary for Security Wong Sio Chak, Secretary for Transport and Public Works Raymond Tam Vai Man, and Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Wallis O Lam, respectively.
Govt to review large-scale enterprises’ posts to ensure local employment: Nick Lei
According to Nick Lei, the policy proposals put forward by his group, in conjunction with the Macau Fukien Natives General Association, cover 13 areas of social issues, including the city’s economy, housing, healthcare, community economy, the situation of the elderly, the middle-income class, and youth employment.
On youth employment, Nick Lei pointed out Sam’s concern that the current unemployment rate of young locals aged between 16 and 44 exceeds two-thirds of the overall rate, quoting him as saying that the government plans to review clerical positions at major enterprises, including the city’s six integrated resort operators and financial institutions, which “young local people are willing and able to fill”.
Lei did not elaborate on the jobless rate mentioned during their meeting.
The government’s home-ownership scheme (HOS) has recently garnered significant attention, Nick Lei said, quoting Sam and Tam as saying that progress of the ongoing study on the HOS swap system has been “relatively smooth”, with expectations for an announcement soon. He added: ““Currently, a one-person household can only apply for T1, which is a one-room flat. This may be impacted if the family structure changes in the future.”
Nick Lei also said that some fellow members at the meeting made suggestions on the city’s community economy, hoping that the government could reference successful models from other regions and leverage Macau’s unique advantages, such as the convergence of Chinese and Western cultures and its hardware infrastructure, to revitalise the development of the city’s night-time economy.
Govt ‘attaches great importance to youth employment’: Ella Lei
Meanwhile, according to Ella Lei, Gung Luen has summarised 18 viewpoints covering a wide range of areas, including measures to benefit the public such as employment, education and medical care, with special emphasis on national security as well as the physical and mental health of employees and the management of work pressure.
Among them, on the challenges faced by young locals and middle-aged individuals in finding employment, Ella Lei quoted Sam as saying that the government “attaches great importance to youth employment”, including the need to improve the employment environment. She highlighted his commitment that in order to move forward, the portfolios of the secretary for social affairs and culture and the secretary for economy and finance would focus more on the relevant aspects, while enhancing the opportunities for young locals to gain access to training and vocational development.
In an effort to improve vocational training, employee development and employees’ incomes, according to Ella Lei, her group urged the government at the meeting to set up standards, such as setting local employees’ ratios for supervisory positions, with the aim of better promoting the development of enterprises and industries by prioritising promotion opportunities of locals, who would be able to enhance their own competitiveness through vocational training and provide the community with opportunities of advancement, ultimately leading the city to improve its development.
Concerning the upward adjustment of old-age pensions, education allowances, family carer allowances, as well as the granting of childcare allowances and the introduction of measures to encourage childbearing, both Leis said that Sam had given a “positive and transparent” response to such issues.
Gung Luen President Jimmy Lee Chong Cheng said Sam made it clear that the government would implement its policies, such as its “wealth-sharing” handout scheme, “fairly, justly and precisely” to ensure that they would benefit people’s livelihoods.
* “Fukien” is the Cantonese romanisation of “Fujian” (福建), a province in southeastern mainland China near Taiwan region.
Alliance for Common People Building Up Macau President Nick Lei Leong Wong (left) and Macau Fukien Natives General Association Executive Chairperson Becky Song Pek Kei pose before speaking to the media outside Government Headquarters about their closed-door meeting with Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai yesterday morning. – Photo: Yuki Lei
Macau Federation of Trade Unions President Jimmy Lee Chong Cheng (left) and Vice President Ella Lei Cheng I speak to the media outside Government Headquarters after yesterday’s closed-door meeting with Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai. – Photo combo: Yuki Lei
