Macao Foundation (FM) President Wu Zhiliang said yesterday that the total funding provided last year reached 933 million patacas, a significant increase of over 60 percent compared to the 572 million patacas in the previous year. The foundation also received more than 2,100 funding applications last year, marking an increase of over 230 applications from the previous year.
Wu made the remarks yesterday in a phone-in programme hosted by public broadcaster TDM’s Chinese-language radio station, Ou Mun Tin Toi, which discussed adjustments to the foundation’s procedures to better align its funding efforts with the government’s policies.
According to Wu, the foundation primarily supports operational expenses for community organisations, academic projects, community activities, exchange programmes, scholarships for higher education students, and initiatives that assist disadvantaged groups. Wu stressed that the foundation’s procedural adjustments have successfully addressed the issue of overlapping funding and waste of public funds.
Wu said that the foundation has optimised its approval procedures, according to which organisations must submit applications within designated timeframes for each subsidy programme, which ensure that the resources are directed towards the projects that address civil society’s needs, and also allow for comprehensive and equitable evaluations of all funding requests.
For relatively larger funding amounts, beneficiaries are required to submit an execution report, Wu said, adding that if obligations are not fulfilled, funding may be revoked or future applications denied, depending on the severity of the violation.
Wu reiterated that the foundation conducts annual reviews of its effectiveness, aiming to improve the relevance of funded activities and projects to the community’s needs, thereby contributing to sustainable social development.
Addressing yesterday’s programme, Macao Foundation Funding Department Chief Wong Tai Lok noted that over 500 site visits were conducted this year, resulting in 280 written warnings issued to organisations for late report submissions or incomplete obligations. Among these, 99 cases involved a 5 percent deduction for late reporting.
Wong stressed that the foundation’s resources are limited, and funding approvals are strictly based on the principle of “selective granting”, adding that under the foundation’s improved funding system, all projects are vetted and approved according to the same criteria, which include consideration of their effectiveness in civil society, the reasonableness of their budgets and the ability of the organisations to implement their projects, as well as fulfilment of their obligations.
Macau Foundation (FM) Administrative Committee President Wu Zhiliang (behind) and MF Funding Department Head Wong Tai Lok pose during yesterday’s phone-in programme hosted by public broadcaster TDM’s Chinese-language radio station, Ou Mun Tin Toi. – Photo courtesy of TDM
