Macao to spend $1.61b on public subsidies next year: chief executive

MACAO - Chief Executive of China's Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) Chui Sai On said here Tuesday that the SAR government will spend 12.89 billion patacas ($1.61 billion) on public subsidies next year.

Chui made the announcement in the Policy Address for the Fiscal Year 2018 at the Legislative Assembly Tuesday afternoon.

He said the SAR government will continue the Wealth Partaking Scheme, which offers 9,000 patacas annually to each permanent resident and 5,400 patacas for each non-permanent resident.

It will also offer medical coupons worthy of 600 patacas for each permanent resident and subsidies worthy of 5,000 patacas for each new-born, he added.

The SAR government will also continue to offer public subsidies for elderly, disadvantaged families, low-income full-time employees and those who need help, Chui said.

For instance, it will offer subsidies worthy of 9,000 patacas for each elder people every year. It will also offer 8,000 patacas for the disabled people each year, he added. ($1 equals to 8.03 patacas)