Macau residents can apply for the government’s subsidy to scrap scooters and other kinds of vehicles with two-stroke engines starting next Wednesday until the end of June, Environmental Protection Bureau (DSPA) Vice Director Ip Kuong Lam said on Monday.
Ip made the announcement while addressing a press conference about the plan at the bureau.
Ip said the 3,500 pataca subsidy scheme, promulgated by Chief Executive Fernando Chui Sai On on Monday and taking effect today. It aims to encourage residents to give up their two-stroke engine vehicles which produce more exhaust emissions than those which have four-stroke engines.
According to Ip, the subsidy was launched in accordance with the limit on exhaust emissions which will be implemented in July.
DSPA Director Raymond Tam Vai Man pointed out that the government has banned the import of all kinds of two-stroke engine vehicles since 2009. This means such vehicles have been used locally for at least eight years, adding that they would probably exceed the exhaust emissions limit.
Tam said the bureau expected to scrap around 30 percent of the city’s 9,575 two-stroke engine vehicles with the subsidy plan.
Tam said the bureau will inform applicants of the result within seven to 75 days. Tam said the bureau was confident to arrange for those who apply before March 10 to hand over their vehicles by the end of March, which is the deadline for owners to pay their vehicle tax.
“Applicants who can hand over their vehicles before the end of March will not need to pay this year’s vehicle tax,” Tam said.
However, owners of two-stroke engine vehicles which have been re-registered after September 1, 2014 are ineligible to apply for the subsidy to prevent residents who have deliberately kept two-stroke engine vehicles from taking advantage of the subsidy, according to Tam.
The bureau conducted a string of public consultations about the subsidy in September 2014 and released a statement about the outcome one month later.
(Macau News / The Macau Post Daily)
