The findings of a survey carried out by a local think tank, the Collective Wisdom Policy Centre, released yesterday show that nearly 49 percent of 1,331 respondents said they hoped that the government’s second 10-billion-pataca financial support plan would be distributed in a combination of “cash and e-consumption benefits”, while 42 percent said they wanted the financial support plan to be allocated in cash only.
The second 10-billion-pataca financial support plan will be launched by the government later this year, aiming to lessen the adverse impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the local economy.
The findings also show that 40 percent of the respondents said that they wanted the financial support plan to include both childcare assistance and subsidies for household expenses.
The think tank hosted a press conference yesterday at its office on Avenida de Horta e Costa to present the findings of the survey about locals’ views on the government’s second 10-billion-pataca financial support plan.
The survey was conducted last month when members of the think tank collected 1,331 valid questionnaires from local residents aged at least 18 in the street and online.
According to the findings, over 80 percent of the respondents said that their financial situation has deteriorated since last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with those working in the gaming, hotel and catering sectors and clerical occupations having been affected the most. At the same time, they are facing “multiple” pressures, such as financial problems in taking care of their children and parents, mortgage and car loan payments, and worrying about their jobs, being fired, or being asked to take unpaid or half-paid leave.
The findings show that about 48 percent of the respondents said that they have observed “significant” price increases since the launch of the third round of the government’s electronic consumption benefits scheme on June 1, while 41 percent reported a “slight” increase in prices.
According to the findings, 64 percent of the residents surveyed said that they considered the new round of the government’s “monetary support plan for employees, self-employed professionals and business operators” to be the most efficient financial support measure, while 24 percent said that the enhancement of the government’s “subsidised training plan” was effective. Some 19 percent of the respondents said they supported the government’s plan to launch its “Citywide Consumption Carnival”.
Ngan Iek Hang, lawmaker-cum-vice president of the think tank, urged the government to expand the scope of benefits, so as to provide economic assistance to relieve locals’ financial burden and support civil society. He also urged the government to strengthen the monitoring of price fluctuations to safeguard consumers’ rights and interests.
In order to rebuild local residents’ confidence, Ngan urged the government to “actively” attract more tourists to Macau, while accelerating the development of emerging industries, so as to support Macau’s tourism recovery and promote Macau’s appropriate economic diversification.
Collective Wisdom Policy Centre Vice President Cheong Sok Leng (left), Executive Director Lei Wing Kin (right) and Vice President Ngan Iek Hang address yesterday’s press conference at the think tank’s office on Avenida de Horta e Costa about the findings of a survey about local residents’ views on the government’s second 10-billion-pataca financial support plan for this year. – Photo: MPDG
