The Macao government is launching a two-month long diesel subsidy scheme between 11 May (12 am) and 10 July (11:59 pm), in order to support motorists and industries impacted by fluctuating fuel prices caused by the Middle Eastern conflict.
At a press conference this morning, the Economic and Technological Bureau (known by its Portuguese initial DSEDT) announced that for every litre of diesel purchased, a subsidy of 3.3 patacas would be directly applied, with no registration required to redeem the discount.
With a budget of 80 million patacas, the scheme will require participating fuel suppliers to maintain their current discount measures for motorists. When users purchase diesel, the supplier’s discount will apply first, followed by the government’s subsidy.
Motorists will be able to check for relevant information on their receipt, including the original price of the purchased fuel and the amount of subsidy applied.
Meanwhile, petrol stations taking part in the program will also need to display an information poster concerning the scheme.
[See more: How will the Middle Eastern oil crisis impact the Greater Bay Area?]
In order to ensure that the initiative is being carried out smoothly, the inter-departmental fuel monitoring group will carry out inspections across different petrol stations in Macao to assess their operations and management, and to inspect their equipment, including fuel pumps, dispensers and fuel indicators.
The fuel monitoring group pointed out that the scheme would be a temporary and limited support measure aimed at assisting local motorists and the business sector.
During the conference, the head of the DSEDT, Iao Ion Wa, spoke of the beneficiaries of the scheme, which include around 8,600 motor vehicles and 63 boiler rooms running on diesel.
Over 200 other venues, as well as around 400 cross-border and work vessels that also make use of the fuel, are due to benefit.
When asked by local media whether a similar subsidy would be introduced for petrol, Iao noted that the use of diesel was essential, with the fuel not having any substitutes and prices surging over the past two months. He added that the authorities would study different policies in a timely manner based on the situation in the future.
