Policy Research Centre (GEP) Director Lau Pun Lap said on Wednesday that his centre’s estimate for Macau’s population in 2025 to be 750,000 was not the government’s target, adding that Macau’s population development was closely linked to the city’s economy.
Lau was a guest on a phone-in programme of TDM’s Chinese-language radio station Ou Mun Tin Toi Wednesday morning about the centre’s recent report about Macau’s population growth.
He suggested at a press conference last week that the government should encourage more local women and able-bodied older people to join the workforce, adding that policies should be in place to foster a better environment for employees so that they can balance their work and family life. The policy researcher also suggested that the government should consider encouraging non-local workers to live outside Macau.
Lau, an economist by profession, said on Wednesday that the percentage of non-local workers living in Macau had been as high as 80 percent, but after round-the-clock border crossing services were introduced late last year, that figure has since dropped to 60 percent. He said he believed that the decrease would continue.
He also said his centre suggested that if permanent residents working abroad are willing to return, they would be given job priority. (macaunews/macaupost)
