Macao to finance another 36 reconstruction projects in quake-hit Sichuan

MACAO, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- The government of Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) Thursday announced that it decided to allocate funds for another 36 reconstruction projects in China's quake-hit Sichuan province.

The 36 projects, which was the third batch of its kind, included 22 health facilities, nine educational and cultural facilities, one social welfare facility, two sports facilities and two infrastructure facilities, which will cost the SAR government a sum of 1.05 billion patacas (133 million U.S. dollars), according to a press release from the SAR government. These projects were expected to be completed in 2011.

Authorized by the SAR's Chief Executive Ho Hau Wah, the SAR's Secretary for Administration and Justice Florinda da Rosa Silva Chan has informed the Sichuan provincial government of the matter in written form.

The magnitude-8.0 quake occurred in Sichuan last year left more than 69,000 people dead and damaged numerous buildings.

The SAR government and the government-run Macao Foundation have respectively promised to pay five billion yuan (732 million dollars) and 500 million yuan (73.2 million dollars) in financial assistance to the southwestern Chinese province.

By far, Macao has agreed to finance a total of 95 reconstruction projects in Sichuan, the cost of which amounted to 4.8 billion patacas (608 million dollars).

Of these reconstruction projects, only half of the first batch, comprising 36 projects, were under construction for the time being, the SAR government said.