The government’s income from gaming taxes fell 13.3 per cent year-on-year to MOP 8.83 billion (US$1.1 billion) last month, the Financial Services Bureau (DSF) announced Thursday.
In January last year, the government’s receipts from gaming taxes amounted to MOP 10.19 billion.
Last month’s income from gaming taxes paid by the city’s six rival gaming operators – Sands, Galaxy, SJM, MGM, Wynn and Melco – accounted for 88.9 per cent of the government total current receipts of MOP 9.93 billion.
Macau’s 41 casinos – 29 of which reopened on Thursday after a 15-day government-ordered shutdown in response to the novel coronavirus threat – pay 35 per cent of their gross receipts as direct tax. Additionally, they pay around 4 per cent in other dues to the government.
The current novel coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic began to affect Macau in the second half of last month, its Chinese New Year holiday period in particular.
The government’s income from indirect taxes fell 35.4 per cent year-on-year to MOP 240 million (US$29.9 million).
The government’s total income last month, comprising current and capital receipts, fell 19.4 per cent year-on-year to MOP 10.02 billion.
The government’s current expenditure rose 0.9 per cent year-on-year to MOP 3.07 billion last month, resulting in a surplus of MOP 6.94 billion. In January 2019, the surplus stood at MOP 9.38 billion.
Expenditure on personnel accounted for 35.7 per cent of the government’s current expenses last month.
The government employs about 33,000 people, or around 11 per cent of Macau’s workforce.
(The Macau Post Daily/ Macau News)
