Half of Macao’s youth believe the chief executive’s 2022 Policy Address should focus on economic development and improving employment prospects, the Macao General Union of Neighbourhood Associations has found in a recent survey of 1,000 residents aged 18-45.
The Association’s statement said that in the last four years, when talking about the annual policy address, the city’s youth mainly showed concern about the city’s transportation and infrastructure issues, noting that they cared about housing policies the most when they were surveyed last year.
However, it is the first time in five years that Macao’s 18-45-year-olds showed the most concern about economic development and job employment issues in the policy address. The statement pointed out that the second topic of most concern was the city’s health care.
A representative of the union, which is generally known as Kai Fong, said that due to the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, many young people are more concerned about the employment situation.
He urged the government to increase vocational training in order to assist young people in finding new jobs. He also suggested that the local and mainland governments set up mutual recognition of professional certificates for young people between Macao and mainland China so that locals can also work in the Greater Bay Area’s (GBA) cities in Guangdong as well as in Zhuhai’s Hengqin island. Meanwhile, the union also said that the government should accelerate the planning process for building sandwich-class housing for young citizens.
Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng will deliver his 2022 Policy Address in the Legislative Assembly’s hemicycle tomorrow afternoon, reported The Macau Post Daily.
