The government plans to hire 2,224 new staff next year, raising the total number of public servants to 35,015, Andrew Chan Chak Mo, presidents of the 2nd Standing Committee of the Legislative Assembly, announced Tuesday.
The number of government workers will then account for nearly nine percent of Macau’s total workforce.
The government, the Venetian, Galaxy and SJM are Macau’s top four employers.
Chan revealed the figure after the committee signed its report on the government’s 2015 budget bill. He pointed out that according to the current legal framework, it is entirely up to the government how many people it wishes to employ.
During a plenary session on the budget bill last week, some lawmakers had suggested that the legislature be given a say on the number of public administration recruitments.
Chan, a restaurateur by profession, also revealed that the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) will hire 170 new staff next year.
Next year’s budget predicts overall receipts of 154 billion patacas and a surplus of 71 billion patacas.
After the committee members signed their report on the budget bill yesterday, it will undergo an article-by-article vote in its second and final reading next week.
Government employees are the city’s top earners.(macaunews/macaupost)
