Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng has called for Macau’s workforce to acquire new skills and knowledge and so complement the government’s effort in advancing the special administrative region’s adequate economic diversification, according to a statement released by the Macau Government Information Bureau (GCS) last night.
Ho said in the statement marking the International Workers’ Day he wished to thank those workers involved in maintaining the everyday services required by society during the COVID-19 pandemic, pointing out that their effort helped to ensure Macau’s stability. He said he was confident of Macau’s prospects post-COVID-19, provided the community stood united.
Ho said that this year International Workers’ Day – aka Labour Day or May Day – was being celebrated in a special way: digitally via the Internet. Such a modified approach to life had become familiar during the COVID-19 crisis, with some needing to work from home, and with pupils having to engage in home schooling, the chief executive pointed out.
Ho went on to say he hoped employers and employees could in this challenging period show even greater understanding and support for each other, as the community is striving to turn a crisis into an opportunity for progress.
Ho noted that his 2020 Policy Address, delivered last week, was focused on the aim of successfully concluding the fight against the novel coronavirus pandemic, maintaining community stability and boosting the conditions for Macau’s post-pandemic economic recovery.
The government has detailed a number of fiscal measures – including tax waivers and increased public investment – in order to safeguard employment, stabilise the economy, and protect local people’s livelihoods, Ho said.
In order to ease difficulties faced both by employers and employees, the government has launched a string of epidemic-relief initiatives, including a grant for eligible taxpayers, free training programmes, and tax exemptions for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
The government will continue to safeguard workers’ rights, enhance employment conditions and foster efforts to optimise labour legislation so that all hard-working workers can share the fruits of Macau’s economic development.
