Meanwhile, in the other SAR ... Debate is raging in Macau about the government's cash subsidy that will go to all residents next month. Many students are confident they know exactly how to spend the money, but it seems their parents have different ideas. Macau Chief Executive Edmund Ho Hau-wah announced last month that the government would spend 2.6 billion patacas on a one-time giveaway for local residents. The 480,000 permanent residents will receive 5,000 patacas and the 66,700 non-permanent residents will receive 3,000 patacas. For people under 18, cheques will be made payable to their guardians or parents. Melissa Ho said she had discussed with her mother how to spend her subsidy. The 15-year-old said there was a great deal of differing opinion among Macau families about who should decide how to use the cash. 'Mum and I decided that I would get access to my own money; I had to detail how I would spend it,' Melissa said. 'I have a big interest in photography and plan to buy a new camera. I had to prove to mum that it would be put to good use and she was satisfied.' Daniel Silverio said he had not been as lucky. The 14-year-old wanted to buy an Xbox 360 console, but his father decided to spend the cash on a family holiday. Henry Lei Chun-kwok, assistant economics professor at Macau University, said that for a low-income family, 5,000 patacas would be enough to pay for about one month's expenditure. 'To the poor it will be a big bonus,' Professor Lei said. 'It will help in the short term, but the prices of everything in Macau are going up so fast, which means a decrease in the quality of life and purchasing power in the long term.'