Macau General Union of Neighbourhood Associations’ (Kai Fong) Macau Peng On Tung Tele-Assistance Service Centre Manager Pun Ka Lon said yesterday that the age for fee exemption for the service may be lowered in the future.
Peng On Tung means “safe telecommunication”.
Speaking to reporters at the Kai Fong headquarters in Toi San district, Pun noted that the government had waived monthly fees for the fixed-line Peng On Tung service in January and May this year for solo-dwelling senior and elderly couples aged 85 and over, and 75 and over, respectively.
According to Pun, around 2,200 new users were added between January and September this year, of whom approximately 1,800 were eligible for the monthly fee waiver. At present, around 160 to 250 new users are added each month.
The centre will carry out in-home trials of 10 wireless personal emergency alarms early next month, Pun said, adding that if progress goes smoothly, it will strive to launch a pilot scheme covering around 50 people in December. Priority will initially be given to newly built estates, such as those in Zone A and the social housing units on Rua de Francisco Xavier Pereira, before gradually extending the service to other districts.
Meanwhile, Peng On Tung and CTM held a gift-giving event at Kai Fong headquarters to hand home appliances, electric wheelchairs, and other equipment to individual Peng On Tung users in need.
In his address, Kai Fong President John Chan Ka Leong expressed his gratitude to CTM for providing high-quality telecom services to Peng On Tung over the past 17 years, as well as for offering users measures such as waivers of fixed-line installation and relocation fees, and monthly fee concessions.
He noted that the service has been in operation since 2009, with an outdoor version added in 2018. It currently has 7,198 users and provides a 24-hour emergency call service for solo-dwelling senior citizens, elderly couples, and people with chronic illnesses, Chan said. He added that Peng On Tung has completed testing of the wireless personal emergency alarm, and the new equipment is expected to be trialled by the end of this year.
CTM Director of Corporate Communications Eliza Chan (陳靜儀) also said that over its 45 years, CTM has offered dedicated caring telecommunications concessions to communities in need, and has built a community care network through charitable work. She expressed the hope of expanding cooperation with Kai Fong and other social welfare organisations to jointly build a harmonious “Digital-Intelligent Macau”.
Macau General Union of Neighbourhood Associations’ (Kai Fong) Macau Peng On Tung Tele-Assistance Service Centre Manager Pun Ka Lon speaks to reporters at the Kai Fong headquarters in Toi San district yesterday.
Kai Fong President John Chan Ka Leong (centre, right) and CTM Director of Corporate Communications Eliza Chan (centre, left) visit a Peng On Tung user in Toi San district yesterday. – Photos: Armindo Neves
