Macau’s Executive Council announced today that, following diesel, it will also launch a subsidy programme for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and petrol .
The measures will be in effect between next Tuesday and July 25, offering direct discounts of 2.55 patacas per kg on LPG and 1.5 patacas per litre on petrol, the spokesman for the government’s top advisory body, Secretary for Administration and Justice Wong Sio Chak, announced during a press conference at Government Headquarters.
According to the announcement, the objective is to mitigate the effects of the sharp volatility and significant rise in global prices of petroleum products, resulting from the recent and ongoing instability of the international geopolitical situation. The initiative serves as a complement to the diesel price subsidy previously announced, Wong said.
LPG users will now benefit from a direct subsidy of 2.55 patacas per kg at the time of purchase. Fuel companies are required to display the prices before and after the subsidy on sales invoices or retail price lists, in order to inform consumers of the amount actually borne by the government.
Petrol users in will benefit from a subsidy of 1.5 patacas per litre on the amount actually paid. When calculating the selling price, fuel companies must first deduct the discounts usually granted to their customers, and then subtract the government subsidy from that already reduced price.
According to the press conference, the Interdepartmental Working Group for Fuel Supervision stressed that the legislation in force establishes a maximum limit for the storage quantity of flammable and explosive substances, including LPG, meaning residents and merchants do not need to hoard the product. The government has already coordinated with suppliers to guarantee a stable distribution, recommending that orders be placed only according to actual needs, the press conference underlined.
