The central government is considering a series of new preferential policies for Hong Kong and Macau residents, an official with the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office of the State Council said this week, according to local newspaper The Macau Post Daily.
According to Xinhua, the central government has listed nearly 50 concerns of Hong Kong and Macau residents who live, study and work in the mainland, ranging from social insurance application and education access to job opportunities and tourism services, said the official who asked not to be named.
Hong Kong and Macau residents working on the mainland will be granted equal rights to housing provident funds to help them purchase homes and settle in the mainland, said the official.
Under current regulations, urban residents in the mainland, together with their employers, pay a portion of their incomes into the housing provident fund to be eligible for low-interest housing loans. The fund can also be used for rent, renovations and major illnesses.
The statement also said human resources authorities in the mainland are deliberating policies to give Hong Kong and Macau residents who live, work or study on the mainland access to social security.
The mainland also encourages Hong Kong and Macau residents to work in public institutions such as hospitals and universities, according to the official quoted by Xinhua.
The Ministry of Education will ensure equal opportunities for students from Hong Kong and Macau to receive compulsory education, Xinhua said
In order to protect the legal rights of Hong Kong and Macau students in the mainland’s higher education institutions, the ministry told tertiary education institutions to standardize enrollment regulations and provide instructions in seeking jobs, establishing student clubs and applying for medical insurance.
While traveling in the mainland, Hong Kong and Macau residents can now purchase and collect tickets via self-service ticket machines at train stations in Beijing and Shanghai as well as in Guangdong, Hunan and Fujian, among others, according to the China Railway Corporation.
