The Legislative Assembly has passed a government-initiated bill to amend the city’s overall minimum wage law, setting the new statutory minimum wage for Macao at 35 patacas per hour, up from the current 34 patacas. The 2.94 percent increase is scheduled to take legal effect on 1 January next year, Macau Post Daily reports.
The overall minimum wage system was first introduced on 1 November 2020, covering all private-sector employees, with the exceptions of domestic helpers and those with disabilities.
The initial rate was 32 patacas an hour, equivalent to 256 patacas a day, 1,536 patacas a week, or 6,656 patacas a month. This was subsequently increased to 34 patacas an hour – a 6.25 per cent rise – from 1 January last year.
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According to the amended law, the new rate of 35 patacas an hour will translate to 280 patacas a day, 1,680 patacas a week, or 7,280 patacas a month.
The amendment bill’s outline was approved by the legislature last month before undergoing review by a committee. It was resubmitted to yesterday’s plenary session, where it was passed in its second and final reading, Macau Post Daily says.
The government estimates the upcoming minimum wage increase will benefit 18,200 workers, with the majority employed in the property management and cleaning service sectors. The law requires the government to review the minimum wage amount every two years.
