The Legislative Assembly’s Follow-up Committee for Public Finance Affairs has reported a significant boost to Macau’s investment budget for the third quarter of 2024, rising from an initial 17.42 billion patacas to 18.18 billion patacas – an increase of 760 million patacas, while the actual expenditure reached 12.82 billion patacas, reflecting a budget execution rate of 70.5 percent.
Committee Chairwoman Wong Kit Cheng noted that the information provided by the government indicated changes in the approved budgets across 13 public entities, with the most significant increase coming from the Macau Public Security Forces (FSM), which recorded a budget rise of 130 million patacas.
Wong said this increase relates to the renovation project for the temporary transportation hub of the Macau-side checkpoint zone of the Hengqin joint checkpoint, which initially had a budget of 84.44 million patacas but grew to 222 million patacas by the third quarter, as the government confirmed the project was completed. The committee has called for a detailed explanation of the overall renovation situation and specifics regarding the project.
The government’s investment plan for the third quarter of 2024 included 241 projects, with nine new initiatives totalling 18.51 million patacas, including construction of a pedestrian bridge at Sai Van Lake, the extension of the light rail train to Qingmao checkpoint, the Taipa ferry terminal heliport, and construction of the health station in Zone A.
Lawmaker Ip Sio Kai (left) and the head of the Legislative Assembly’s (AL) Follow-up Committee for Public Finance Affairs Wong Kit Cheng, pose before yesterday’s press briefing at the Legislative Assembly Building. – Photo: Ginnie Liang
AL seeks clarification on public housing budget cuts
The investment plan report for the third quarter of 2024 also highlighted significant budget changes in seven projects, each exceeding 100 million patacas. Notable increases include the government’s Big Taipa Hill Tunnel project, which increased from 97 million patacas to 2.147 billion patacas, and the flood-prevention project on the west side of Coloane, which rose from 437 million to 703 million patacas, Wong noted.
In contrast, five public housing projects in Zone A experienced a combined reduction of over 3 billion patacas, Wong noted, expressing the committee’s concerns regarding these public housing projects—specifically five plots of B5, B7, B8, B11, and B12—and requested the government to explain the reasons behind these cuts and the future direction for public housing planning.
Moreover, Wong noted that the government had not clarified the reasons for delays or early completions in three specific projects, namely the undersea tunnel project between the land reclamation areas known as Zone A and Zone B, which is expected to be delayed by three years, pushing its completion to 2027, while the East Line light rail project is now anticipated to finish ahead of schedule in 2027.
Notably, 14 projects reported a budget usage rate of zero, involving a total of 160 million patacas. Among the 241 projects in the investment plan, the government has modified the execution period for 10 projects, with five anticipated to be delayed, including the light rail consulting and inspection services and the Macau Peninsula section of the light rail.
