Gov’t to raise civil servants, keep ‘partaking scheme’ for 2020

Although the Chief Executive (CE) mandate will come to a close before the end of this year, it is within the authority of the government to propose the budget for the upcoming year.

In the fulfillment of this duty, Chui Sai On revealed that after discussing the topic with the upcoming CE, Ho Iat Seng, it is proposed for 2020 to update the salary index of all the civil servants from the current 88 patacas per point to 91 patacas, an increase of 3 patacas, the same increment as last year (MOP85 to 88).

As for other measures, Chui also announced that the Wealth Partaking Scheme will also continue into Ho’s government, distributing cash handouts at the same amount as this year (10,000 patacas for permanent residents and 6,000 patacas for non-permanent residents).

Also continuing are the measures previously announced regarding the taxation of professionals with the retention of the reduction of 30% on professional tax and a refund of 60% of tax paid and deducted from salaries until the ceiling of 14,000 patacas.

On the acquisition of the first house, the first 3 million patacas will continue to be exempt from stamp duty.

According to the CE, all these measures, including the subsidies for use of public transportation and injection of funds into the Social Welfare Individual Accounts, amounts to 3.42 billion patacas of government investment.