Economic Services Bureau (DSE) Director Tai Kin Ip said yesterday the government had decided to raise the subsidy for businesses affected by Typhoon Hato from 30,000 patacas to 50,000 patacas after listening to opinions from the Macau Chamber of Commerce (ACM) and a number of other commercial associations.
Tai made the remarks during a special press conference about the government’s ongoing disaster relief measures in the aftermath of Typhoon Hato.
At a special press conference on Thursday, Tai said that the Industrial and Commercial Development Fund run by his bureau would offer a subsidy of 30,000 patacas for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) affected by Hato.
During yesterday’s press conference, Tai said that DSE officials had visited businesses in the areas affected by the typhoon-induced flooding to gain a better understanding of the extent to which they have been impacted by the disaster.
Tai also said his bureau had recently gathered opinions from the Macau Chamber of Commerce (ACM) and a number of other commercial associations about the difficulties the business owners in the affected areas are facing.
Therefore, Tai said, the government had decided to raise the subsidy from 30,000 patacas to 50,000 patacas.
Tai also said that those who had already received the 30,000 pataca subsidy would not need to make another application to receive the difference of 20,000 patacas, adding that DSE officials would give the beneficiaries the 20,000 pataca difference in cheques.
Tai also said that the Industrial and Commercial Development Fund had received over 3,500 applications for the subsidy until yesterday afternoon, adding that the fund had approved 334 applications involving a total of 10.02 million patacas.
Economic Services Bureau (DSE) Director Tai Kin Ip addresses yesterday’s press conference about the government’s Hato disaster relief measures, at the Government Information Bureau (GCS) in Nam Van. Photo: Tony Wong
