49 investment projects report zero execution rate in Q1

Out of 202 active investment projects, 49 reported a 0% execution rate in the first quarter of 2025, according to the Legislative Assembly’s Follow-up Committee for Public Finance Affairs.

Committee Chairperson Wong Kit Cheng announced the figures following a meeting Wednesday, during which the committee signed an opinion letter on the “Investment Plan Budget Implementation Report for the Third Quarter of Fiscal Year 2024” and reviewed preliminary findings for the first quarter of 2025.

According to Wong, the initial investment plan budget for the first quarter was MOP19.78 billion. By the end of the quarter, actual expenditure reached MOP4.52 billion, resulting in a 22.8% execution rate and an 81% budget utilization rate.

The 49 projects with no execution progress had a combined approved budget of MOP2 billion. These included 13 projects under the Public Works Bureau, five each under the Marine and Water Bureau and the University of Macau, and four each under the Municipal Affairs Bureau and the Public Security Forces Affairs Bureau.

The committee has accepted the government’s written explanations regarding delays in these projects.

Of the 23 newly registered projects in the quarter, two were newly approved: the culvert reconstruction along Av. do Aeroporto and the soft soil filling and dike construction at the construction waste landfill.

The culvert reconstruction was deemed necessary due to road subsidence and drainage inefficiencies, while the dike construction, with a budget of MOP770 million, aims to create space for soft soil backfilling near the Coloane Power Station.

According to Wong, the committee requested further written clarification on these projects.

The budget estimates for nine ongoing projects were revised during the quarter. Three projects stood out: Zone A dike optimization, which increased by MOP74 million; the Taipa Light Rail spur line, which rose by MOP17 million; and the A2 road connection between Zone A and the Macau Peninsula, which decreased by MOP25 million.

The committee chairman said they have sought explanations regarding how these changes may affect the respective projects.