The Science and Technology Fund distributed a total of MOP79.6 million in subsidies to different schools, institutions and individuals in the fourth quarter of last year.
Figures released yesterday in the Official Gazette show that of the overall fund some MOP18.7 million went directly to the Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST), of which MOP6 million went towards the financial support of the Lunar and Planetary Science Laboratory, a partner laboratory of the Key Laboratory of Lunar and Deep Space Exploration, as the first payment. Another MOP6 million went towards the same university’s financing of laboratory equipment of Chinese traditional medicine, also as a first payment.
GPI (Macau) Ltd. received MOP400,000 as the first payment for a distributed solar power refrigeration intelligent system.
The University of Saint Joseph also received MOP1.35 million for a principal investigator to lead a team on ‘petrology and geochemistry of igneous rocks from Macau’. This is also only the first payment of a study on the ‘implications for the crustal evolution of Southern China’.
And a total of MOP31.6 million went towards the University of Macau.
From the descriptions listed as to where the funds would be used, a great deal included 3D printers.
In addition, the Culture Fund handed out subsidies totalling MOP19.5 million in the fourth quarter of last year.
As much as MOP8.4 million went to students in Bachelor and Master’s degrees in the culture and arts fields, primarily to cover tuition fees. Also included in this total were prizes and awards, as well as scholarships within the field.
Seven associations received a subsidy of between MOP1,700 and MOP10,000 to participate in the 6th Shenzhen Cartoon and Animation Fair.
The Macau Artists Society received a total of MOP176,560, of which MOP95,000 alone went towards the publishing of three visual arts works, while MOP50,000 went towards another such work, official figures show.
When it comes to the Tourism Fund, a total of MOP762,000 was handed out to a number of associations and groups in the fourth quarter of last year. The great majority, ranging in amounts of around MOP3,000, went towards the staging of a Chinese Opera.
Official data released yesterday shows that the Macau Association of Retailers & Tourism Services received MOP248,000 to organise a ‘self-learning training session’, while Kai Fong Neighbourhood Association received MOP215,000 to host the New Year’s countdown in the Three Lamps district. These two alone made up slightly more than two-thirds of the total fund distributed between the months of October and December last year.
Eco-friendly subsidy
Macau’s Environmental Protection and Energy Conservation Fund gave out a total of MOP14.9 million in the months between October and December last year.
A total of 145 beneficiaries received subsidies ranging between a few thousand patacas up to MOP500,000.
According to the Official Gazette, all the subsidies were given as part of the fund’s financial support plan to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), individuals, associations and companies purchase energy saving and environmentally friendly equipment and products.
The company receiving the single largest subsidy amount was Lei Seng Construction Ltd., with a fund of MOP500,000, followed by Kam Tat Lei Investment and Restoration Company Ltd. with a subsidy of just under MOP498,230, while Mazda Macau Ltd. received a subsidy of just over MOP464,000 in the fourth quarter of last year.
These four funds alone – Science and Technology, Culture, Tourism, and Energy Conservation – totalled MOP114.8 million that the government handed out to individuals, schools, associations and companies between October and December last year.
