Each voucher to be worth ‘about 8,000 patacas’
Secretary for Administration and Justice André Cheong Weng Chon, who is also the spokesman for the government’s Executive Council (ExCo), announced yesterday that the advisory body has finished discussing a bill to amend the 2022 budget to accommodate extra spending on the government’s latest round of its e-consumption benefit scheme.
It will be the government’s fourth round of the scheme for local residents in response to the COVID-19 pandemic’s adverse impact on the local economy.
Cheong announced during a press conference at Government Headquarters that due to the new round of e-consumption benefits this year’s budget will need to be increased by about 7.24 billion patacas. Of this amount, 5.92 billion patacas will be used to implement the new round of e-consumption benefits, colloquially also known as consumption cards (消費卡), which means “about” 8,000 patacas per person, according to Cheong, while the remaining 1.32 billion patacas will be spent on subsidising water and electricity bills of households and businesses.
Cheong said that the “about” 8,000 patacas per head was calculated with reference to last year’s government e-consumption benefit scheme, to help boost the local economy during the pandemic. He also said that the assessment of the current situation is based on a comprehensive analysis by the government.
Last year’s third round of the e-consumption benefit scheme comprised a 5,000-pataca startup fund and a 3,000-pataca immediate discount grant – 8,000 patacas in total. The first two rounds, both in 2020, gave residents consumption cards of 5,000 patacas and 3,000 patacas respectively.
Cheong did not give further details on the consumption card. However, he expressed confidence that the scheme could started next month.
Cheong also underlined that the scheme aims to strengthen residents and SMEs’ confidence in the economy and employment prospects, and to provide impetus to Macau’s economic recovery.
Cheong said that the government had requested the Legislative Assembly (AL) to carry out an urgent procedure for the debate and vote of the bill, so that the new round of the e-consumption benefit scheme and other financial support measures can get off the ground next month.
Normally, a bill submitted by the government must be reviewed in detail by one of the legislature’s standing committees before its second reading in a plenary session for its final debate and vote. An urgent procedure means that there’s no need for an article-by-article review of the bill by a standing committee, thereby speeding up the legislative process.
Secretary for Administration and Justice André Cheong Weng Chon addresses yesterday’s Executive Council press conference at Government Headquarters about the government’s new round of the e-consumption benefit scheme.
Photo: Maria Cheang Ut Meng
