Poultry vendors unsatisfied with IACM subsidies offer

The Civil and Municipal Affairs Bureau (IACM) had a meeting with employers from the poultry sector to discuss the city’s permanent ban on sales of live poultry.

Approximately 70 poultry vendors joined the closed-door meeting yesterday at the IACM headquarters.

Leong Meng Lap, chairman of the Macau Live Poultry Vendors Association, expressed his dissatisfaction to the media regarding IACM’s compensation proposals to live poultry sellers.

IACM proposed financial subsidies ranging from MOP240,000 to MOP480,000. “In past years, we listened to IACM asking to purchase stainless cages, equipment and machines, and now these things have become obsolete, which means we will have to sell them as scrap iron,” complained Leong. 

“I think it’s too little,” said Leong, adding “what can you do with MOP240,000? It can’t buy many things.”

Leong mentioned that ten years ago in Hong Kong, the HKSAR government offered MOP800,000 to poultry vendors who had given up on their poultry trade.

“Not accounting for inflation, not accounting for housing prices, just accounting for the increase rate of civil servants’ salaries will be already a very reasonable method,” said Leong.

Leong noted that it “does not matter” if the government does not account for the aforementioned factors regarding the subsidies. He expressed that it would be favorable if the government offered the same subsidies Hong Kong offered its vendors ten years ago.

“We are not to blame for the disappearance of this industry,” said Leong.

Leong noted that many of the people who worked in this industry have done so for many years, which means that transferring into another industry will be a difficult process, although some of the people will choose to retire instead of changing industries.

“The government thinks that MOP240,000 up to MOP480,000 is a really large amount, and that it can buy many things,” criticised Leong.

IACM chairman José Tavares said that IACM did not reach an agreement with the industry during yesterday’s meeting.

“A few people expressed their opinions, having considered our proposal too low, therefore they cannot accept it,” noted Tavares.

IACM said that the government has considered all suggestions proposed by the vendors, such as their equipment only being sold as iron, as well as handling issues, in a similar manner to Hong Kong ten years previously.

“We referred to the Labour Affairs Bureau’s highest compensation regulations to come up with the amount of money,” said the IACM head.

Subsidies to each individual vendor will be decided by many factors, such as the number of employees.

“Overall, the average subsidy is estimated at MOP360,000 for most vendors,” said the IACM chairman, further declaring that the bureau will consider whether to increase the maximum value for compensation. Notwithstanding, he rejected the necessity of having to refer to Hong Kong’s approach in order to solve the problem.

IACM will meet with the approximately 70 vendors in another discussion taking place next Monday.