After signing an agreement to fund 36 reconstruction projects in Chinese mainland's quake-hit Sichuan province, the government of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) on Wednesday announced that it will continue to finance another 23 projects there.

The 23 new projects, including 16 education ones, and four health and three sports facilities, will cost the SAR government 1.13 billion yuan (US$166 million) and were scheduled to be completed between 2009 and 2011, according to a press release from the SAR government.

Previously, the SAR government has signed agreements with the Sichuan provincial government, under which the SAR will pay 2.09 billion yuan (US$307 million) to fund the 36 reconstruction projects in Sichuan. So far, the SAR government has announced the funding of some 59 reconstruction projects in Sichuan, the cost of which amounts to 3.22 billion yuan (US$474 million).

The magnitude-8.0 quake that 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 and 500 million yuan in financial assistance to the southwestern Chinese province.

As for the rest of the promised funds, the Sichuan provincial government is drawing up the third batch of reconstruction projects and will soon propose them to the SAR government for financing, according to the press release.

(Xinhua News Agency April 30, 2009)