Northern District Community Service Consultative Council deputy convenor Chan U Iong quoted the Social Welfare Bureau (IAS) yesterday as saying that there are more than 100 people with disabilities from Macau living in the Greater Bay Area (GBA), more than 50 percent of them in Zhuhai, and the bureau was planning to extend its disability subsidy to those living in the Guangdong-Macau In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin first.
Chan made the remarks during a press conference after yesterday’s closed-door meeting of the government-appointed council attended by IAS officials, who introduced the government’s 10-year plan for rehabilitation services from 2016 to 2025 and the effectiveness of the bureau’s activities promoting responsible gambling since 2009.
The disability subsidy, paid out annually, is divided into two categories: Regular/Normal Disability Subsidy, which totals 9,000 patacas per year, and Special Disability Subsidy, which amounts to 18,000 patacas per annum, according to the bureau.
In addition, Chan quoted the IAS officials as saying that their responsible gambling promotions this year mainly target tourists, while next year the promotion would be directed mainly at young locals.
Chan pointed out that people with gambling disorders can apply for “self-exclusion” from casinos, and so far there have been 4,400 applications since 2012, of which more than 70 percent have been made through the bureau’s responsible gambling kiosks, while about 10 percent have been referred to the bureau for follow-up.
In addition, Chan said, 92 cases of casino employees entering casinos to gamble after work were detected last year, representing an increase of 48 percent year on year.
Northern District Community Service Consultative Council deputy convenor Chan U Iong (centre) and fellow council members Lao Cho Chon (right) and Kun Lai Ian pose before a press conference at the Macau Government Service Centre in Areia Preta district yesterday. – Photo: Ginnie Liang
