Coutinho calls for another round of consumption cards, support for SMEs

Lawmaker José Pereira Coutinho continues to urge the government to provide a new round of financial support using consumption cards.

Coutinho made the call in a written inquiry to the Legislative Assembly. He noted that due to the current situation in Macau and the low chances of the borders reopening and normal economic activities resuming in the short term, companies, namely Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), have been filling for bankruptcy or ceasing to trade, leading to the firing of many workers.

“The pandemic has dealt a hard local blow. The support for families and businesses remains insufficient because of the development of the pandemic in the neighboring regions. [This] makes it necessary to urgently implement a new round of cash support, namely with the monetary injection in electronic cards,” Pereira Coutinho said. 

He stressed that, “the support for young and low-skilled job-seekers should be strengthened to help them adapt to changes in the labor market. More support is still needed to capitalize on viable SMEs.”

The lawmaker wants the government to publicly state its macroeconomic plans for the post-pandemic period, and how it intends to assist the recovery of the economic, social, and labor sectors that have been “devastated by Covid-19.”

This response should include a plan for the creation of well-paid jobs in the sector of new technologies, he said.

The lawmaker is also reiterating his calls for a thorough reform of the public administration sector. Coutinho says that this would provide security for those approaching retirement as well as provide an incentive for younger generations to work in the public sector.