Lawmaker wants cash handouts to be only distributed to those residing in Macau

Lawmaker Lo Choi In wants the government to amend the rules of the wealth partaking scheme system, commonly known as the annual cash handouts.

In an interview with the Chinese language newspaper Si Man Pou (Citizen’s Newspaper), Lo, who is a directly elected lawmaker representing the interests of the Macau Jiangmen Communal Society Affinity, said that the government should consider, for one side to make the measure permanent, and for another, to enforce restrictions on which residents are eligible to receive the annual cheques.

Lo believes the handouts should be distributed only to permanent and non-permanent residents who effectively reside in Macau.

She suggested that this scheme follow the same rules as others, such as the elderly pension and other government benefits attached to permanence for over 183 days per year or over six months.

The lawmaker justified her proposal by arguing that it would improve the use of the public purse and allow the government to allocate more financial resources to support those living full-time in Macau, such as by issuing electronic consumption cards or similar plans.

She also argued that the current system makes use of annual administrative regulations to enforce the cash handouts as well as the period of distribution and amount to be distributed (MOP10,000 to each permanent resident and MOP6,000 to each non-permanent resident) is not practical and always causes some concerns and anxiety on the citizens wishing to know if the scheme will continue and when the money will be distributed in each year. She claims that turning into a permanent measure would alleviate this pressure, particularly from those for whom this benefit is essential to balance their life and expenses.

According to government information, in 2024, the cash handouts reached 740,000 residents, which cost the public purse some MOP7.3 billion.

Official statistics show that the population of Macau at the end of the same year was just 683,700 people, which also includes a high number of non-resident workers.

This is not the first time this matter has been raised, but the governments have never accepted this suggestion. They justified that the scheme aimed to support all residents and their families. They also noted that it would be challenging to create then an exception system for residents who are absent from Macau for long periods due to work, studies, or health-related matters, as well as those of old age who opted to live across the border in the neighboring cities of the mainland.