Northern District Community Service Consultative Council deputy convenor Hong Wai Tong has urged the government to extend the one-off subsidy period for employers who hire unemployed local residents.
Briefing reporters after yesterday’s closed-door meeting attended by officials from the Labour Affairs Bureau (DSAL) and the Social Security Fund (FSS), Kou Ngon Fong, another deputy convenor of the government-appointed council, quoted the officials as saying that the measure was progressing well and the government would closely monitor the approval process.
During yesterday’s closed-door meeting, Kou said the government-initiated measure aimed at encouraging employers to hire unemployed local residents had received 884 applications, of which 789 were from employers to benefit 1,689 employees, as the unemployment rate among local residents has risen to 5.5 percent under the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hong also suggested the government increase the amount of the one-off subsidy – currently 19,968 patacas for each additionally hired employee, so as to boost employers’ incentive to increase Macau’s employment rate.
Fellow councillor Hoi Lok Man quoted the government as saying that most of the applicants were small businesses, with 10 or fewer employees, involved in the catering and retail sectors.
The measure, officially known as a provisional subsidy programme aiming to encourage employers to hire jobless local residents during the COVID-19 pandemic, came into force on July 1, with the aim of encouraging employers to create jobs so as to stabilise local residents’ employment situation.
The programme ended on September 30.
Hoi also quoted the council members as asking the government to provide more specialised and professional courses with the help of higher education institutions to boost young people’s employment.
In addition, Hoi urged the government to strengthen its vocational training subsidy scheme, which is divided into two parts, namely the “subsidised training for increasing technical skills” and “subsidised training for employability”, such as providing residents, especially young people, with courses that are in line with future market changes and economic development, in order to enhance the quality of Macau’s local workforce and provide the human resources required to meet the needs of the city’s future economic development.
Northern District Community Service Consultative Council members attend yesterday’s closed-door meeting with officials from the Labour Affairs Bureau (DSAL) and Social Security Fund (FSS) at the Government Service Centre in Areia Preta.
– Photo: Ginnie Liang
