AL Plenary | Plan to build a ‘neighborhood’ for the elderly in Hengqin announced

The government is planning to build not just a nursing home for elderly people on Hengqin island, as was revealed previously, but a “neighborhood” dedicated to the senior citizens.

The Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Alexis Tam, went yesterday to the Legislative Assembly (AL) for a meeting dominated by elderly-related issues. “We have an idea… maybe we can use Hengqin island to build a all area or a neighborhood for the elderly,” Tam said. “We are still waiting for the master plan for the Greater Bay [area] but maybe we can even have more space in other [neighboring] regions to do this job.”

The focus is to work “in favor of a decent life” for the senior citizens, Tam explained. “In the future, and if that is the wish of the elderlies, they can live in mainland China, at one of the nine regions of the Greater Bay Area. People might consider this as an option,” Tam said, noting that mainland life is cheaper and nursing homes have “great quality and are very well equipped.”

The secretary presented statistical data on the current occupancy of the elderly homes existing in the region. “In Macau there are currently 21 homes and from those, 11 are subsidized by the government, presenting a total of 2015 beds in total,” the secretary said. “There are currently 1,514 elderlies that are housed in those places, which means that the occupancy is currently at 71 percent. For private houses it [the occupancy rate] is 85 percent, so generally I would say that there is still space to house more people.”
Ho Ion Sang immediately queried the data. “Seventy percent occupancy? So why is it needed to wait for more than a year to be accepted in a home?” he asked, giving as an example the elderly home located in the Areia Preta district. In addition Ho said, “In the private [sector the homes] cost as much as MOP10,000 and these nursing homes do not provide a large number of the services [needed]. How are we going to solve this [problem]? Is the government going to give subsidies to the families take care of their elderlies?” Ho asked.

Ella Lei was in agreement, noting that she has received many complaints from citizens about the long wait to access such facilities, “always over one year.”

Agnes Lam recalled the “huge amount of money” that the government has been spending on “elderly activity centers,” money that according to Lam could be put to better use in daycare centers that are “very different from activity centers” as well as in keeping the elderlies in their own homes.

According to Lam, “the government can provide a range of services [to the elderly] through the daycare centers avoiding that the elderlies rush to queue up in the hospitals and healthcare centers,” adding, “Neighborhood clinics also can provide these services.”

Explaining the figures aired by Tam, the director of the Social Welfare Bureau (IAS) Vong Yim Mui said that the “formalities take some time” but she guarantees that “everyday that are new vacancies opening.”

“We are trying to make use of the facilities we have as much as possible,” she added. “This year we will have another large size home opening that will feature [another] 300 bed spaces,” additionally, “there will be two more until 2020 with another 300 beds in total.”

The director of the IAS also noted that the government is doing all that is possible to find more places to install homes and recalled that in the neighboring region of Hong Kong, “the waiting period is of three years or more,” noting that the IAS will continue to provide all support to the families and elderlies while they are waiting for their vacancy in a home.

‘Mainland is exception’ for gov’t contribution to pensions

During yesterday’s session, lawmaker Ho Ion Sang questioned the government on the special exception granted to pensioners residing in mainland, who may still receive the government’s contribution to the individual providence accounts of the residents.

The law states that in order to be eligible to receive such special granting from the government, residents of Macau need to be in the MSAR for a period of at least 183 days in a year. An exception was considered on such regulations to allow Macau permanent residents that are living in the mainland to continue to receive the payments even if they do not spend such time (or any time) in the territory.

According to Ho, who cited unhappy citizens that seek his help, other residents in the same situation but currently residing in Hong Kong or Taiwan cannot benefit from such an exception, which is only granted to the mainland.

Ho urged the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture to explain why this special treatment is granted only to the mainland.

Tam replied by saying that over 40 percent of the population of Macau was born in the mainland, which “reflects the close bonds [between the two]. According to Chinese traditions noted in the quote, ‘fallen leaves return to the roots,’ it is natural that these people want to return to their birthplace after they retire.”
Ho was not pleased with the reply noting, “We must review this. We must include all of China. We are in a policy of full integration,” he argued.

New system to ‘ease’ F&B licensing issues

THE DIRECTOR of the Public Administration and Civil Service Bureau (SAFP), Kou Peng Kuan, said that in reviewing of the laws that regulate the licensing Food and Beverage (F&B) establishments, the bureau is implementing a new system of temporary licenses that will allow establishments to start operating conditionally while the licensing process is ongoing.