Macau residents will receive their annual "wealth-sharing" cash handouts from next month, Executive Council spokesman Andre Cheong Weng Chon announced during a press conference at Government Headquarters today.
According to Cheong, the government expects to spend 7.2 billion patacas on the handouts. While 697,000 permanent residents will receive 10,000 patacas (US$1,243) each, 42,000 non-permanent residents will get 6,000 patacas each, irrespective of place of birth, nationality, age, and current place of residence.
Permanent residency can be acquired after "habitually" living in Macau for seven consecutive years.
The handouts will be distributed in batches. Old-age subsidy beneficiaries will be among the first to receive the handouts from April 1. The last batch will be paid out from May 13.
The government has been paying out the handouts annually since 2008. The amounts of the handouts have been adjusted over the years.
Meanwhile, Cheong also announced at today's press conference that the government will pay out permanent residents' 600-pataca health e-vouchers from May 1, costing the Treasury some 432 million patacas. The e-vouchers, which are issued annually, are valid for two years.
The council, the government's top advisory body, gave a green light to handouts and e-vouchers during a regular meeting today. Cheong is the government's policy secretary for administration and justice.
