Community group People Power Macau is urging the government to increase its wealth-sharing cash handout to 12,000 patacas, Iam Weng Hong, the president of the group, told reporters yesterday outside the Barrier Gate checkpoint.
The annual hand out currently stands at 10,000 patacas for permanent residents and 6,000 patacas for non-permanent ones.
Iam said that his group was also urging the government to give out the handout earlier next year, ideally before March. He added that along with the handout, his group was also urging the government to add another 5,000 patacas to local residents’ consumption subsidy smartcards.
This year, the government started its handout payments in April. However, in previous years, it distributed the handouts in the summer.
Moreover, Iam said that his group also wants Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng to rethink the installation of new taximeters in local taxis.
A taxi driver surnamed Kam told reporters outside the Barrier Gate that the government is ordering all taxi owners to install a new taximeter made by a private company. Kam said that each taxi owner would need to pay 5,000 patacas as deposit and a 300 pataca monthly maintenance fee for the taximeter. Kam said he and his fellow cabbies would like to talk to the government about the issue.
Iam said that his group would stage a protest next Friday on the two issues in Praça do Tap Seac, adding that he was expecting around 100 people to attend.
People Power Macau President Iam Weng Hong talks to reporters yesterday outside the Barrier Gate checkpoint. Photo: Prisca Tang
