Lawmakers push new stimulus measures to revive economy

Amid soaring international oil prices, legislators Ella Lei and Chan Hao Weng urged the government at a Legislative Assembly session yesterday to stimulate the local economy, with Lei calling for a fresh round of consumer incentives and Chan pressing for the introduction of a MOP10,000 universal consumption card.

In her opening remarks at yesterday’s plenary session, lawmaker Ella Lei urged the government to act after Beijing’s outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan stressed linking “improving people’s livelihoods” with “boosting consumption.” Lei called for more comprehensive short-term measures to stimulate local spending, strengthen residents’ purchasing power, and create a healthier consumption environment, citing survey data that Macau’s consumer confidence index fell 1.79% in Q4 2025 from the previous quarter. “The authorities need to formulate specific plans focused on stimulating local consumption in the short term,” she said.

The government has twice rolled out the Citywide Consumption Reward Scheme in the past year, yielding what Lei described as “certain results.”

Citing shifts in Macau’s consumer base and spending patterns – especially in the off-season – and operational difficulties faced by businesses in some districts, she urged authorities to continue addressing residents’ rising cost of living and the pressures on small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Noting “strong” public calls for a prompt new round of consumption incentives, Lei went on to urge the government to stimulate community spending in the short term while refining the Community Consumption Rewards Program’s resource allocation and implementation details, including larger instant discounts for vulnerable groups such as the elderly and people with disabilities, and more flexible usage periods.

Also pressing the government to heed ordinary residents’ concerns, lawmaker Chan urged the immediate rollout of a universal MOP10,000 consumption voucher during yesterday’s session.

“This is the most direct and fair way to alleviate the burden on citizens and inject momentum into Macau’s economy,” he said, questioning whether previous vouchers had been merely “a drop in the bucket” against rising prices and arguing they had failed to fundamentally ease public hardship.

Chan pointed to the Special Administrative Region’s (SAR) ample fiscal room – noting last year’s investment income of more than MOP42.9 billion – as evidence that the government can afford more substantial support.