Income supplement reaches MOP15 mln in H1

2014/10/29

From：Macau Business Daily

Sometimes a helping hand is necessary. Property management attracted the largest group of Macau residents to apply for the government’s income supplement scheme in the first half of the year.

Property management accounted for the largest share of Macau permanent residents who applied for the government’s income supplement scheme in the first half of the year.
Figures from the Financial Service Bureau (DSF) show that the total applications approved in the first six months of the year totalled MOP14.6 million patacas, down 11 percent compared to the same period last year.
A total of 1,405 residents working in property management had their applications approved, each receiving MOP3,967 quarterly, accounting for 38 percent of the overall income supplements granted.
But it is Macau’s manufacturing industry that is the lowest paid, given that each of the 714 approved applicants received MOP8,436 quarterly, accounting for 42 percent of the total sum spent on the scheme in the first half of the year.
In all, a total of 2,699 applicants had their requests approved and received the government’s income supplement. The average per capita amount of the supplement was MOP5,408 for every three months.
Individuals in retail received MOP5,648 quarterly, making them the second lowest paid workers here, followed by people in the food and beverage service who received MOP5,113. A total of 64 such applications were approved for the latter and 61 for the former.
The government increased the minimum income it guarantees poorly paid older people under its income supplement scheme. Under the revised scheme, the maximum income was increased by 6.4 percent to MOP5,000 a month. The increase was backdated to January. Prior to this, the maximum income for eligibility for the scheme was MOP4,700.
For the whole of last year, the number of applications approved for the government’s income supplement totalled 6,255, a drop of 13 percent compared to that of the previous year. This is the lowest figure on record since the implementation of the scheme in 2008.
In 2012, the scheme cost MOP31.6 million, and MOP35.8 million the year earlier.
According to official figures, the government spent some MOP30.8 million on income supplement in 2013, compared to 31.5 million the previous year.
The scheme tops up with cash the incomes of poorly paid Macau permanent residents aged 40 or older. An employee is eligible if he or she works at least 152 hours a month, or 128 hours a month if employed in the textiles or garment industries. The supplement is paid quarterly.

Copyright@Macau Business Daily