Gov’t proposes raising civil servants’ birth allowance to MOP6,580

The government has proposed increasing the birth allowance for civil servants’ children to MOP6,580, but this amount cannot be received in conjunction with the birth allowance provided by the social security system.

Secretary for Administration and Justice André Cheong attended the second Standing Committee meeting of the Legislative Assembly on Monday.

Following the meeting, committee chairman Andrew Chan Chak Mo announced that the government aims to raise the birth allowance for public servants’ children by 10 salary points, from 60 to 70 points, as outlined in the General Regulations for Macau Public Administration Employees and related legislative bills.

At the current rate of MOP94 per salary point, this increase would amount to MOP6,580.

Currently, the birth allowance for civil servants’ children stands at 60 salary points, or MOP5,640.

In this year’s Policy Address, the government also proposed increasing the birth allowance under the social security system from MOP5,418 to MOP6,500.

To maintain consistency between the allowances for civil servants and those under social security, the authorities proposed adjusting the civil service allowance accordingly.

In his inaugural Policy Address at the Legislative Assembly in April, Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai outlined measures aimed at benefiting the public. He emphasized the importance of efficient resource allocation, given the current uncertainties in Macau’s economic outlook and its reliance on a single source of fiscal revenue, along with significant fixed expenditures.

To address these challenges, he stressed the need for targeted assistance, policy prioritization, and resource allocation to areas of greatest need.

In a joint statement issued yesterday, the Office of the Secretary for Administration and Justice and the Public Administration and Civil Service Bureau (SAFP) clarified that public servants are not eligible to receive both the social security birth allowance and the civil service birth allowance.

“The birth allowance is a one-time subsidy paid upon the birth of a child. According to current laws, the social security and civil service welfare systems are separate, and benefits from these systems cannot be received simultaneously,” the statement said.