Lawmakers accuse public of politicizing imported labor

Two indirectly-elected lawmakers representing the business sector in Macau’s Legislative Assembly have described local people’s resistance to importing foreign workers as an obstruction to the city’s development.
Lawmakers Ip Sio Kai and Wang Sai Man said that Macau people harbored negative feelings about the idea of importing workers, and that the issue had been politicized.
The two business representatives made their views known before a plenary meeting at the Legislative Assembly.
Ip expressed his view that professionals in areas such as translation, finance, law and accounting are needed for the city to develop its economy. Such professionals are also a crucial part of Macau’s plan to further integrate into the Greater Bay Area.
Wang commended the achievements made by the casino sector before he voiced his concern regarding the reported staff shortages experienced by small and medium-sized enterprises.
Both expressed the belief that local people have negative feelings about importing foreign workers.
Moreover, Ip said the government has been too conservative in terms of its measures to attract foreign professionals to Macau, or entice already departed local professionals to return. Ip does not see the government making specific policies but instead asked the government to clarify the definition of “professional” and implement a transparent evaluation mechanism to support the import of foreign professionals.
Wang expressed his view that the approval time for foreign workers is too long. He suggests the government conduct scientific studies on the local employment market, while expediting its approval process for foreign worker applications. AL