過去五年，作為全球最大博彩中心的澳門共收獲博彩稅700億美元（4564億元人民幣）。這是澳門政府的最大收入來源，而且規模遠超其他收入項目。然而，在澳門急需的基礎設施領域，投入其中的博彩稅還不到總額的十分之一。

上個月吹襲澳門的臺風造成10人喪生，并讓半座城市陷入斷水斷電狀態，從而凸顯出基礎設施投資的不足。學者、議員和居民認為，多年來管理不善、規劃失當以及腐敗是稅款一直未能得到更好使用的關鍵原因。曾在澳門圣若瑟大學擔任教授的蘇鼎德說：“他們的開支本有可能遠遠超過這個水平?！?蘇鼎德目前專門從事研究澳門的工作，他所指的正是基礎設施投資。

蘇鼎德指出，澳門政府財力非常雄厚，今后幾年的運轉甚至都不需要收稅。

與此同時，澳門六家賭場運營商繳納的稅金仍源源而來，它們的納稅額占澳門政府年收入的八成以上。

澳門財政局的數據顯示，截至2016年底，澳門的公共債務為零，同時擁有550億美元（3586億元人民幣）財政儲備，相當于當年公共支出的540%。

澳門貨幣監管部門表示，它用這些財政儲備進行了多元化全球投資，并且“嚴格控制著這些資產的整體風險水平”。

該部門稱，2012-2016年這些投資的年回報率介于0.7%-3%。

澳門有60多萬居民，通常澳門政府每年都會向每位居民派發9000澳門元（7290元人民幣）的紅包，還會在教育和小企業等領域提供補貼。

對政府數據的分析顯示，對于道路、橋梁、港口和學校等基礎設施項目，澳門政府近幾年的實施率一直很低。

2013年澳門博彩行業收入達到創紀錄的450億美元（2934億元人民幣），而政府的基礎設施項目實施率還不到40%。

澳門政府在電子郵件中表示，這些項目“由于多種原因而受阻”，但未做具體說明。

2014年獲中央支持的一批官員上任，開始清理前任留下的腐敗案，后者則面臨著長期牢獄之災。此后澳門的基礎設施項目實施率不斷提高。

2016年，盡管為公共基礎設施劃撥的預算從上年的148億澳門元（119.88億元人民幣）降至111億澳門元（89.91億元人民幣），基礎設施項目實施率卻躍升至85%。2012年澳門的公共基礎設施預算為198億澳門元（160.38億元人民幣）。

同時，澳門政府計劃制定新法案，以提高預算編制透明度并對公共財政進行監督。

待完成基建項目

但經濟學家指出，澳門有多處未完工公共工程，而且預算正在飆升。原定于今年開業的一家新公立醫院還處在初步建設階段。同時，澳門的新輪渡碼頭原計劃2007年投入運營，但今年才剛剛竣工，比計劃晚了10年，預算也增長了四倍以上。

光亞咨詢首席執行官保羅·布羅姆貝格稱澳門的公共工程經常延期。

他說：“我記得2003年政府官員就說要修建輕軌，現在都已經2017年了，輕軌還是不見蹤影?！?/p>

政府仍在緊張進行臺風善后工作，并在本周估算臺風損失為14億美元（91.28億元人民幣）。逾100處公共設施和50萬棵樹被毀，兩家賭場仍未開業。這還不包括臺風災害期間被迫暫停經營活動的公司可能出現的損失。

澳門政府已經成立了一個新的委員會來應對自然災害，并稱澳門將修建擋潮閘，以減輕今后嚴重洪澇的影響。

但老居民表示他們認為情況不會很快發生改變?！栋拈T郵報》主管哈拉爾德·布魯寧對擋潮閘的看法是：“這件事政府已經說了幾十年了。我猜這項工程要到2020年以后才會竣工?！保ㄘ敻恢形木W）

譯者：Charlie

審校：夏林

Over the past five years, Macau has raked in $70 billion in taxes from the casinos that have made the territory the largest gambling center in the world. But it has invested less than 10% of that take – by far its largest source of income – in much needed infrastructure.

That shortfall was laid bare last month when Macau was struck by a typhoon that killed 10 people and wiped out power and water for over half the city. Years of mismanagement, poor planning and corruption are key reasons why the money has not been better utilized, according to academics, legislators and residents. "They could spend much more," said Eric Sautede, a former professor at the University of Macau, and now a researcher specializing in the former Portuguese colony, referring to infrastructure investment.

He said the government's coffers were so large it could operate for the next several years without collecting taxes.

However, taxes from Macau's six casino operators - which account for more than 80% of government revenue annually - continue to pour in.

The southern Chinese territory has zero public debt and had fiscal reserves of $55 billion at the end of 2016, equal to 540% of public expenditure that year, according to statistics from Macau's financial bureau.

Macau's monetary authority said it invests the reserves in a globally diversified portfolio of assets, with a "stringent control on the overall risk level of the portfolio."

The annual rate of return during 2012-2016 ranged from 0.7% to 3%, it said.

Macau's government typically distributes an annual cash handout of 9,000 patacas ($1,117.73) for each of the more than 600,000 people living in the territory, as well as subsidies for things like education and small businesses.

The government's execution rate for infrastructure projects like roads, bridges, ports, and schools has also been low in recent years, according to an analysis of government figures.

In 2013, as casino revenues hit a record $45 billion, the government had an execution rate of under 40%.

The government said in an email without elaboration that projects were "hindered due to different reasons."

Execution rates have been improving since 2014, after the appointments of Beijing-backed officials charged with cleaning up a trail of corruption left by predecessors now facing lengthy jail sentences.

In 2016 the execution rate jumped to 85%, although the budget allocation for public infrastructure decreased, dropping to 11.1 billion patacas in 2016 from 14.8 billion patacas the year before. In 2012, the number was 19.8 billion patacas.

A new bill is also planned to improve transparency in the drafting of budgets and monitoring of public finances.

Infrastructure Backlog

However, unfinished public works projects are still scattered around Macau with skyrocketing budgets, according to economists. A new public hospital was meant to open this year but is still in the early construction phase. Macau's new ferry terminal, meanwhile, was scheduled to open in 2007 but was only finished this year, 10 years behind schedule and over five times its original budget.

Paul Bromberg, the chief executive of Spectrum Asia, a consultancy firm, said Macau's public works were frequently delayed.

"I remember government officials talking about plans to build a light rail in 2003 and now it is 2017 and there is still no rail system," he said.

The government is still grappling with the aftermath of the typhoon, this week estimating the losses at $1.4 billion. More than 100 public facilities were damaged and 500,000 trees were destroyed, while two casinos remain shuttered. The figures did not include potential losses for companies forced to suspend business operations due to typhoon damage.

The government has appointed a new committee to handle natural disasters and says it will build a tidal wall to help alleviate heavy flooding in the future.

However, long-time residents say they don’t expect changes any time soon. "The government has been talking about it for decades, “ said Harald Bruning, the director of the Macau Post Daily newspaper, referring to the tidal wall project. “I guess the project would only be completed in the next decade."