Macau Jiangmen Communal Society Vice Chairwoman Lo Choi In yesterday urged the government to review its disaster coordination system.
Deadly Typhoon Hato descended on Macau last Wednesday, killing 10 and injuring over 200.
Addressing a press conference about how Macau should prepare itself for natural disasters in the future at the group’s headquarters in Zape, Lo pointed out that serious flooding has affected the Inner Harbour area and Patane district for many years, slamming the government for still not having solved the protracted problem.
Lo urged the government to learn from the aftermath of Typhoon Hato and come up with solutions as soon as possible. She also said the government’s coordination and response to last week’s typhoon turned out to be “poor”, adding that the government should review its interdepartmental disaster coordination system.
Lao Ka U, an architect and the society’s president, who also attended yesterday’s press conference, urged the government to strengthen the infrastructure of the city’s power and water supplies to prevent a massive blackout or lack of tap water which may be caused by natural disasters in the future.
Leon Leong Chan Kun, a vice-chairman of the society, told reporters that four of his dried seafood Sengshops located in areas seriously affected by the flooding had suffered a huge financial loss. He also said some of his peers had just paid off all the loans borrowed from the government after Typhoon Hagupit hit Macau in 2008, adding that now, after Typhoon Hato, they would have to borrow money from the government again to deal with the latest flooding fiasco.
The government announced last week that it has launched an interest-free loan scheme for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) affected by Hato. The maximum for the interest free loan that an SME owner can apply for is 600,000 patacas.
Lo is running in the September 17 direct legislative election.
Macau Jiangmen Communal Society Vice Chairwoman Lo Choi In (centre) addresses yesterday’s press conference, as the society’s President Lao Ka U (left) and Vice-Chairman Leon Leong Chan Kun look on, at the group’s headquarters in Zape. Photo: Debby Seng
