Macau Foundation President Wu Zhiliang said on Thursday he understood public concern about the modus operandi of the foundation and how it spends public money.
Wu, a former journalist, made the remarks in a speech during a luncheon hosted by the public foundation at Grand Lapa Hotel for the local media.
Wu said that, in response to citizens’ concern about the spending of public money, the foundation had adopted a “very careful and prudent attitude” when carrying out its mission. He said the aim was to ensure the balanced utilisation of public money and to avoid the improper use of public resources. He also said the ultimate objective of the foundation’s financial support for local associations was to promote social harmony, stability and progress.
Wu revealed that the foundation granted 2.368 billion patacas in financial support last year, benefitting 2,568 activities. He said that about 48 percent of the financial support was spent on “qualified human resources” development including the construction and improvement of educational infrastructures.
Some 12 percent of the financial support was earmarked for academic and scientific studies, such as for Macau studies, according to an FM statement released on the sidelines of the luncheon.
The foundation also supported a string of poverty alleviation programmes in Guizhou province last year, and it also granted financial support to the Beijing-based China Soong Ching Ling Foundation and China Disabled Persons’ Foundation (CDPF), the statement noted.
According to Chief Executive Fernando Chui Sai On’s 2019 Policy Address in November last year, the Macau Foundation’s budget for this year amounts to 2.99 billion patacas.
