The government should allow applicants of its Young Entrepreneurs Aid Scheme to start their start-ups in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area, not just in Macau, Marble Mak Ka Pou, vice-president of the Macau Wisdom Convergence think tank, said yesterday.
Mak made the appeal on the sidelines of a forum hosted by the think tank in Fai Chi Kei where he was a guest speaker. About a dozen members of the public attended the open-air forum which was about how to encourage young people to start a business in the Greater Bay Area (GBA) and the problems they may encounter.
The GBA consists of Hong Kong, Macau and nine Guangdong cities, namely Dongguan, Foshan, Guangzhou, Huizhou, Jiangmen, Shenzhen, Zhaoqing, Zhongshan, and Zhuhai.
The GBA initiative was launched by the central government earlier this year.
According to the website of the government-appointed Talents Development Committee, the government launched the scheme in 2013. The scheme provides an interest-free business start-up loan of up to 300,000 patacas which must be paid back within eight years maximum. The website says the scheme was specially designed for people aged between 21 and 44.
Currently, only those who start their business in Macau are eligible to apply for the scheme.
Mak pointed out that rents and wages in Macau are much higher than those in the mainland, adding he didn’t think that 300,000 patacas was enough to run a business for two to three years in Macau.
Mak also said the think tanks’ proposal could encourage young locals to gain experience in the mainland before coming back to Macau to run a business. He said he believed the suggestion was viable and would raise locals’ competitiveness.
Mak is a candidate in the upcoming direct legislative election.
Marble Mak Ka Pou, vice-president of the Macau Wisdom Convergence think tank, speaks to reporters yesterday on the sidelines of a forum hosted by the think tank in Fai Chi Kei. Photo: Debby Seng
