Lawmakers pass 2018 record budget bill

The Legislative Assembly (AL) yesterday passed the government’s 2018 budget bill, according to which the government expects a total expenditure of 109.61 billion patacas next year, a year-on-year increase of 14.5 percent, or 13.89 billion patacas.It’s the first time that the government plans to spend over 100 billion patacas in a year.According to the bill, the government expects total receipts of 119.17 billion patacas next year, up 15.8 percent, or 16.23 billion patacas, on the 2017

December 14, 2017 | BY admin

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Macau gets new free public wireless service

Cooperating with different Internet service providers, the Macau Post and Telecommunications Bureau (CTT) launched its free Wi-Fi hotspot – FreeWiFi.MO – at the Communications Museum in Estrada D. Maria II yesterday.The three Internet service providers cooperating with the scheme are CTM, Y5zone MACAU, a subsidiary of Hong Kong-based Wi-Fi hotspot providerY5zone, and WIFI GUIDE.The bureau and its three partners have set up the free Wi-Fi hotspots at different locations in the city in order

December 14, 2017 | BY admin

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Group urges public to care about men’s emotional needs

Sheng Kung Hui Gambling Counselling and Family Wellness Centre Director Posso Ip Kam Po said yesterday that men were taught to solve problems while growing up rather than to understand their personal feelings, but it was necessary for them to care also about their own emotional needs.Ip made the remarks during a press conference at the Sheng Kung Hui Macau Social Service Coordination Office in Fai Chi Kei. The press conference was about the centre’s work since its launch in 2016.The office

December 14, 2017 | BY admin

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Chui vows to remove Macau from EU ‘tax haven’ list

The Macau government will thoroughly study the European Union’s official documentation on its recent decision to include Macau on its controversial list of 17 “non-cooperative tax jurisdictions”, Chief Executive Fernando Chui Sai On said yesterday, stressing the aim was to convince Brussels to remove Macau from the list.According to a statement by the Office of the Chief Executive, Chui made the remarks during a meeting with consul-generals from EU member countries at the government’s

December 13, 2017 | BY admin

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Heritage evaluation of shipyards to be launched: Tam

Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Alexis Tam Chon Weng said yesterday that he and Chief Executive Fernando Chui Sai On recently approved the launching of a cultural heritage evaluation process for Coloane’s Lai Chi Vun Village and its traditional shipyards.The Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) said in a statement yesterday evening that the evaluation process for the village and its shipyards will officially get underway on Friday, adding that the bureau was “confident” that it can start

December 13, 2017 | BY admin

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IACM aims to lure tourists to markets’ food courts

Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau (IACM) Administrative Committee Vice-President Lei Wai Nong said yesterday that the bureau planned to put QR codes in public areas so that, after reading with a mobile device, users can be shown the way to municipal markets’ food courts.Lei made the remarks during an IACM Consultative Committee meeting at the Northern District Public Services Centre in Rua Nova de Areia Preta.Addressing the meeting, fellow committee member Kevin Ho King Lun said that Macau

December 13, 2017 | BY admin

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Hato did not affect SMEs’ confidence: survey

The findings of a survey carried out by the local Social Studies Think Tank released yesterday show that local small- and medium-sized enterprises’ (SMEs) confidence was not affected by Super Typhoon Hato that pummelled Macau in late August.The survey is titled Macau Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) Confidence Index.A press conference about the survey’s findings was held yesterday at the Macau Chamber of Commerce (ACM) in Zape.Macau Chamber of Commerce (ACM) Vice President

December 13, 2017 | BY admin

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Govt launches consultation on cyber security bill

The government yesterday launched a 45-day public consultation on a bill on cyber security which proposes the mandatory implementation of real-name registration for the provision of telecom services – i.e. customers will be required to provide their real identification data to telecom service operators, including when a customer buys a pre-paid SIM card.A press conference about the public consultation was held yesterday at the S. Francisco Barracks. The public consultation will end on January

December 12, 2017 | BY admin

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NPC election presidium confirms 15 candidates for 12 seats

The presidium of the electoral conference for local deputies to the 13th National People’s Congress (NPC) yesterday endorsed 15 local residents as candidates for the election of 12 local NPC deputies that will take place on Sunday.Of the 15 local residents, eight are sitting deputies in the 12th NPC, which will end in March. Each NPC term is five years.Legislative Assembly (AL) President Ho Iat Seng, Macau’s only member of the NPC Standing Committee, is among the eight sitting local NPC

December 12, 2017 | BY admin

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LRT project to be filmed for 5.4 million patacas

The Macau government has authorised the signing of a 5.45 million pataca deal with a multimedia firm to film the ongoing Light Rail Transit (LRT) project, according to an executive order signed by Chief Executive Fernando Chui Sai On.The order was published in the Official Gazette (BO) yesterday.According to the order, the contract has been awarded to Salon Multimedia (Macau) Ltd. PLEASE READ THE FULL ARTICLE IN OUR PRINT EDITION.

December 12, 2017 | BY admin

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Gaming union asks for 6 pct wage hike

The New Macau Gaming Workers’ Rights Union handed a petition to a government representative yesterday, urging the government to push the city’s six gaming operators to increase their workers’ salaries by at least six per cent.Cloee Chao Sao Fong, the union’s high-profile leader, told reporters outside Government Headquarters, after handing in the petition, that the six gaming operators last year told employees to expect a raise from 2 to 6 percent. However, according to Chao, most of

December 12, 2017 | BY admin

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Brigitte Bardot urges CE to ‘save’ greyhounds

French film star Brigitte Bardot has written a letter to Chief Executive Fernando Chui Sai On, asking him to save the Canidrome greyhounds to prevent Macau from being identified globally as a “town of suffering” where “innocent animals die running for their life”.The letter, dated May 15 this year in St Tropez and signed by Bardot writing “with all my heart and all my wishes”, was posted on Facebook last night by local animal welfare and protection group Anima President Albano

December 12, 2017 | BY admin

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23 mainlanders nabbed for loan sharking, illegal credit card deals: police

The Judiciary Police (PJ) arrested 23 suspects yesterday in raids on two addresses in Taipa for their alleged involvement in casino loan sharking and illegal credit card transactions.The suspects belonged to two separate gangs.PJ spokeswoman Yeung Sau Chan announced details of the arrests during a special news conference in Taipa near the two flats where the suspects were arrested.Police officers escort some of the 23 suspects from the mainland to a police vehicle in Taipa yesterday.

December 12, 2017 | BY admin

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New culture chief is capable: Chui

Chief Executive Fernando Chui Sai On said yesterday he believes that the president-designate of the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC), Cecilia Tse Heng Sai, is “capable” of working in her new position as she has extensive work experience in the public administration and sound managerial skills.Chui made the remarks while speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the annual “Walk for a Million” charity event in Nape.Tse, one of the two vice-directors of the Macau Government Tourism Office

December 11, 2017 | BY admin

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