Source Macao Foundation
Education and research, culture, and sports and leisure activities topped the list of sectors that received funds from the Macao Foundation (FM) during the year of 2015.
According to the Foundation’s yearly report, these activities account for a total of 74.41 percent (MOP1.8 billion) of all funds granted (MOP2.4b) by the institution during the year.
From the same Annual Activities Report, it is possible to verify that FM’s financial support to entities outside the region in 2015 was over MOP209 million, an issue that has that has recently raised much concern in Macau. This is partly due to the donation made to the Jinan University of MOP120 million, which resulted in a public demonstration in May this year in which hundreds of protesters were calling for the resignation of the Chief Executive. The protests resulted in an investigation by the Commission Against Corruption (CCAC) that concluded there was no law breached in this case.
In total, including the Foundation’s own activities, 850 requests were approved and executed last year, with the majority (716) approved by the Administrative Council.
The request approval rate during the year of 2015 came to 76.4 percent.
The FM is responsible for the provision of subsidies and financial support to dozens of private institutions and individuals. The amount of these financing projects amounts to MOP2 billion yearly.
Since the case of the Jinan University donation, the Foundation has been in the ‘line of fire’ from several sectors of society.
Last month the president of the FM, Wu Zhiliang, was called by legislators to answer at the Legislative Assembly to spoken inquiries that aimed not only to address the donation, but to clarify the system in use by the Foundation and to determine and direct the subsidies granted to many institutions and associations.
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