Macau legislators have urged the government to implement urgent measures regarding fuel prices, including temporary subsidies and enhanced pricing monitoring, to shield the transport sector from the economic fallout of rising global oil costs.
Lawmaker Kevin Ho King Lun stated during a parliamentary session that the surge in fuel prices, driven largely by conflict in the Middle East, has severely impacted logistics and transport industries.
Ho pointed out that low-sulfur diesel prices in Macau have jumped by 37%, rising from under 16 patacas to nearly 22 patacas per liter, warning that if the sector cannot absorb these long-term costs, it will likely pass the financial burden onto consumers, thereby inflating the cost of goods and affecting daily life.
Urging the government to look at regional models, Ho suggested examining fuel subsidies for commercial diesel vehicles similar to those recently implemented in Hong Kong, or the digital subsidy platform used in Malaysia. He also proposed a long-term mechanism involving a temporary fuel surcharge for public transport that would trigger automatically when oil prices cross a certain threshold, providing flexible cost relief.
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Furthermore, Ho advocated for accelerating Macau’s transition to electric energy by offering tax incentives and subsidies for electric commercial vehicles while expanding charging infrastructure to decouple the sector from oil dependence.
Fellow legislator Becky Song Pei Kei echoed the call for government action, emphasizing the need for reinforced oversight of fuel pricing through systematic and comprehensive measures, including a temporary subsidy to buffer the impact of oil price fluctuations on the local economy.
Meanwhile, legislator Lei Cheng I highlighted the need for greater transparency in pricing, noting that neighboring regions have already enacted relief measures and that mainland China has recently reduced gasoline and diesel prices.
As the vice-president of the Macau Federation of Trade Unions, Lei stressed that authorities must ensure that fuel pricing mechanisms are reasonable and transparent to mitigate the financial pressure on both residents and businesses. Collectively, these legislators are pushing for a swift government response to ensure economic stability in the territory.
