Emergency largesse

The Office of the Secretary for Economy and Finance granted a total of MOP333.6 million (US$41.7 million) yesterday as a ‘Permanent Fund’ for 27 government departments, of which the Office of the Chief Executive was given the most, totalling MOP1.02 million, the Official Gazette announced yesterday. The Permanent Fund, according to Articles 26 and 27 of the law regulating the management of public finance, can only be spent by the departments and used for ‘small-amount urgent expenditure’, such as labour, operational costs and compensation. Meanwhile, the amount of each item of expenditure cannot exceed one-twelfth of its total fund. Following the Office of the Chief Executive, the city’s Judiciary Police (PJ) was granted the second highest amount from the fund, at MOP880,000, whilst the Unitary Police Service was granted MOP283,000. Macau Prison received the lowest amount of all the departments, with only MOP24,000. The Public Administration and Civil Service Bureau, meanwhile, received MOP700,000 for its fund, the third highest amount. The five Secretaries’ offices were granted some MOP1.65 million, with the fund amount of the Office of the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture topping its peers at MOP676,932. The other four offices were all granted less than MOP300,000 for their funds. The Office of the Secretary for Administration and Justice received MOP299,200, while the Office of the Secretary for Economy and Finance received MOP220,000. The Office of the Secretary for Security was granted MOP250,000, while MOP204,800 was given to the Office of the Secretary for Transport and Public Works. K.L.