Pereira Coutinho says assaults on civil servants are frequent

Lawmaker Pereira Coutinho argued that the government should introduce measures to stop cases of violence against civil servants.
In a written interpellation to the government, he claims that in some cases workers’ lives are put in danger. This statement was exemplified by a recent case where a smoking inspector was assaulted when performing his duties, resulting in several injuries.
Coutinho noted that when these incidents occur, the workers are often not covered by any special protection or health scheme. He added that the affected workers’ insurance on their health assistance cards has low coverage, forcing the workers to “pay from their own pockets” the remaining amounts when the limit is exceeded.
Within this “vulnerable group,” the lawmaker includes staff members from the Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO), Labour Affairs Bureau (DSAL), Macau Economic Service (DSE) and Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau (IACM), as well as smoking inspectors and police officers.
Besides carrying out preventative measures, Pereira Coutinho has asked for measures such as a “hardship allowance” scheme to replace the current health assistance card.