Gaming industry staff association slams latest gov’t stimulus

The Macau Gaming Staff Rights Association yesterday submitted a letter to the Chief Executive expressing the group’s dissatisfaction with the government’s latest stimulus rollout, which was announced on Monday.
Many social media users have expressed similar sentiments regarding the scheme since the announcement. Most are not happy with the complicated model of the scheme, as well as the spend-for-reward model of the shopping incentive.
Sharing the same view is the aforementioned association, led by its director-general Cloee Chao. In the letter submitted to the government head, the group describes the shopping incentive as short of relieving. “It is the practice of a commercial entity, not a government,” Chao pointed out.
The government’s scheme requires the public to spend a certain amount of money in order to be rewarded with corresponding amounts of e-coupons. The practice is described by some as either “complicated” or “baiting.”
Chao added that the over-reliance on mobile payment platforms to administer the stimulus may exclude junior and senior members of the public. These groups of individuals may not even have cellphones, Chao pointed out.
In addition, as the government requires the account to be identity-verified in order for the users to obtain the reward, younger consumers who have cellphones may still not be able to enjoy the benefits, as Chao fears they may not be able to verify their identity with the payment platform operators.
Chao fears that the scheme will only push up prices in general, causing even greater problems for already struggling families. She reiterated that gambling industry staff are not an isolated case of furlough, which left workers with only portions of their monthly salary.
“It’s been a matter of a year, not months,” she stressed.
With base salaries in fact being cut, workers will face greater pressure if they want to enjoy the rewards of the stimulus. Chao even foresees price hikes when the stimulus kicks in. “For example, a bowl of noodles currently priced at MOP40 will be MOP50 to reach the reward-triggering threshold,” she noted.
As such, the group manager asked the government to drop the stimulus model and opt for the consumption card model, which was used in last year’s consumption stimulus.
Moreover, the group wants the government to issue an extra phase of cash handout valued at MOP10,000 in the second half of the year.
Lawmakers not happy
with the scheme either
Several lawmakers have expressed their dissatisfaction with the stimulus scheme. Lawmaker Ng Kuok Cheong suspects that the government is not attentive to grassroots individuals with weak spending power in developing this policy. He also accused the government of forcing people to change their payment habits, aside from depriving their rights to the stimulus if they do not use mobile payment.
Another lawmaker, Agnes Lam, described the stimulus as far from supportive. She said it goes in the wrong direction, explaining that the stimulus will not be effective for individuals with unstable or low income. She hopes the government can issue a one-off subsidy to low-income groups, while resuming the consumption card scheme.
Lawmaker Sulu Sou finds the scheme unhelpful to people subject to furlough or with low income. He doubts whether the scheme can indeed help boost the economy. “It is too far from a stimulus scheme,” Sou wrote in his latest written inquiry.
Lawmaker Becky Song accused the government on her social media platform of being “completely unrealistic,” while urging the government to resume the consumption card scheme.
Lawmaker Wong Kit Cheng asked the government to issue a “more specific” economic relief scheme.