Song Pek Kei’s group outlines economic relief, youth and welfare plans ahead of elections

The Macau United Citizens Association (ACUM), also known as Group Number One in the upcoming Legislative Assembly (AL) elections, held a press conference yesterday, where representatives led by Song Pek Kei and Nick Lei outlined proposals aimed at strengthening economic security, expanding social welfare, and empowering youth.

The ACUM holds three of the 33 seats available in the AL and is seeking to retain those seats in the upcoming election on the 14th, with Song Pek Kei (number 1), Nick Lei (number 2), and Chan Lai Kei (number 3) campaigning to secure them.

This election cycle, the ACUM’s policy platform spans job protection for locals, pension and healthcare improvements for seniors, youth employment and housing, and the continued proposal of an investment fund to share development dividends among permanent residents.

Speaking alongside Song and other members yesterday, Lei emphasized the need to safeguard local workers as the city navigates its economic recovery. He explained that while authorities have introduced several measures, including extending the repayment period for the Industrial and Commercial Development Fund, launching “Citywide Consumption Programs,” and integrating large-scale IP installations with community events, the overall impact has been limited.

“Now our fiscal reserves are starting to increase, our tourist numbers are very good, and even this year’s fiscal budget, especially the revenue side, has the potential to exceed projections,” said the candidate.

Lei highlighted the importance of tangible benefits felt by the community and emphasized that impressive economic statistics alone do not tell the full story.

“I always think that a few beautiful numbers are good. If the citizens do not have a sense of gain and identity, no matter how impressive the numbers are, they are meaningless,” he said.

“The distribution of consumption cards is not only an effective measure to reduce people’s spending pressure but also to stimulate the community economy and help our entire local economy recover,” he explained.

ACUM urged the government to seriously consider implementing the consumption card plan as part of a broader, long-term strategy focused on distributing tourist activity more evenly across Macau’s neighborhoods.

“We believe that the consumption card plan can effectively alleviate our people’s difficulties in the short term and support the development of our small and medium-sized enterprises,” Lei added.

The slogan “Everyone gets money, dividends every year” was featured prominently during yesterday’s press conference, reflecting the group’s vision for fair wealth distribution in Macau. The ACUM explained that their proposed Macau Investment Development Fund, financed through fiscal reserves, would treat every permanent resident as a shareholder.

Song called for Macau to accelerate its efforts toward diversified development. She urged the SAR government to fully leverage the advantages offered by the Hengqin In-Depth Cooperation Zone by integrating policies, human resources, and financial resources effectively. She said this concerted approach is essential to achieving “major breakthroughs across key industries.”

To support this vision, Song advocated for relaunching the Macau Investment Development Fund with a clear public ownership framework. She proposed that the fund allocate 10% of its annual profits as dividends paid directly to residents so citizens can “equally share” the benefits brought by economic diversification.

This proposal, however, is not new. Similar ideas have been previously introduced by the group and other members of the AL. In 2021, lawmaker Si Ka Lon advocated for a “population fund” where all residents would participate as shareholders, receiving returns from fund investments instead of one-off government cash handouts. Additionally, in 2022, Ella Lei called for discussion within the AL about Macau Investment and Development Limited’s activities, reflecting recurring interest in using public funds to benefit the community through investment returns.