‘Frequent’ changes to political system hinder city’s development: Chan

Addressing yesterday’s Q&A session in the legislature’s hemicycle, Secretary for Administration and Justice Sonia Chan Hoi Fan said that “frequent” changes to Macau’s political system would hamper the city’s socioeconomic development.Chan made the remarks when answering questions from directly-elected non-establishment lawmakers Sulu Sou Ka Hou and Au Kam San, on the last day of the two-day Q&A session about her portfolio’s policy guidelines for next year.Chan and several

November 23, 2017 | BY admin

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Govt plans service building for Zone A

Secretary for Administration and Justice Sonia Chan Hoi Fan said in the legislature’s hemicycle yesterday that the government plans to build a government service building on the land reclamation area known as Zone A.Chan made the remarks when answering questions from appointed lawmaker Davis Fong Ka Chio, on the last day of a two-day Q&A session about her portfolio’s policy guidelines for next year.The six new land reclamation zones are officially known as A, B, C, D, E1 and E2.PLEASE

November 23, 2017 | BY admin

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THE 13 Hotel delays opening to March

Hong Kong-listed The 13 Holdings Limited has once again delayed the opening of THE 13 Hotel in Coloane, this time until March 31 next year.The company incorporated in Bermuda announced the further postponement of the hotel’s opening date in a statement on its interim results for the six months ended September 30.According to a statement released on the website of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange late Tuesday, the company “will have sufficient working capital to finance its operations and to

November 23, 2017 | BY admin

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Chui launches disciplinary process against ex-weather chief & deputy

Chief Executive Fernando Chui Sai On has initiated disciplinary procedures against the former director of the Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau (SMG), Fong Soi Kun, and Florence Leong Ka Cheng, the bureau’s current vice-director, for their alleged failure to fulfil their duties properly over the hoisting of typhoon warning signals when deadly Super Typhoon Hato pummelled Macau in August, the Government Spokesperson’s Office (GPV) said in a statement yesterday.Leong also was the

November 22, 2017 | BY admin

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Bus pickpocket nabbed, 2 on the run: police

A man from the mainland was arrested on Sunday about his alleged involvement in three bus pickpocketing cases, a Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesperson said yesterday during a special conference at the PJ headquarters in Zape.According to the spokesperson, the suspect is a 35-year-old technician surnamed Nie from Hunan province. The suspect and two male accomplices, also from Hunan, stole mobile phones from three female victims on a bus on November 5. The trio boarded three crowded buses heading

November 22, 2017 | BY admin

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Local pupils rank 8th globally in shared problem-solving: PISA – down from 4th place in 2015

The global results of the Programme of International Student Assessment (PISA) 2015 Collaborative Problem-Solving (CPS) study were released yesterday – and among the 51 participating countries and regions, Macau ranks eighth and much higher than the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) member countries’ average score.However, Macau fell from fourth place in 2012, when Hong Kong ranked fifth.The findings were announced yesterday during a press conference at the

November 22, 2017 | BY admin

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Crime drops 0.7 pct in Jan-Sept: Wong

In the first nine months of the year the police recorded 10,751 suspected crimes, a year-on-year decline of 0.7 percent, Secretary for Security Wong Sio Chak announced yesterday.Wong also said that the number of suspected violent crime cases fell 2.3 percent to 594 in the nine-month period. Macau’s top security official revealed the figures during a press conference at the S. Francisco Barracks about the January-September crime statistics.Wong pointed out that the number of reported telephone

November 22, 2017 | BY admin

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Govt to invite bids for crematorium: IACM chief

Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau (IACM) President Jose Fonseca Tavares said in the legislature’s hemicycle yesterday that the government has decided on the location for the construction of Macau’s first crematorium, adding he expects the government to invite bids for its construction next year.Tavares made the remarks when answering questions from directly-elected lawmaker Wong Kit Cheng, on the first day of a two-day Q&A session about the Secretariat for Administration and Justice

November 22, 2017 | BY admin

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Public servant numbers to rise next year: Chan

Addressing yesterday’s Q&A session in the legislature’s hemicycle, Secretary for Administration and Justice Sonia Chan Hoi Fan said the government expects that it will need a total of about 37,000 public servants next year.Chan made the remarks when answering questions from directly-elected lawmaker Mak Soi Kun, on the first day of the two-day Q&A session about her portfolio’s policy guidelines for next year.Chan and several other senior officials of her portfolio attended

November 22, 2017 | BY admin

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In a first, govt spending to surpass 100 billion patacas

Secretary for Economy and Finance Lionel Leong Vai Tac said yesterday that the government expects its total expenditure to be more than 100 billion patacas next year, a 14.5 percent increase from this year’s budget.It would be the first time for the government to spend over 100 billion patacas in a year.Leong made the remarks when attending a plenary session to present the government’s 2018 budget bill.According to the bill, the government expects total receipts of 119.17 billion patacas

November 21, 2017 | BY admin

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Group slams 2018 Policy Address

Jeremy Lei Man Chao, director of the Macau Community Development Initiative, said yesterday it appeared that last week’s 2018 Policy Address by Chief Executive (CE) Fernando Chui Sai On was copied from his previous ones.The veteran activist also said the policy address was “not good enough”.Lei made the remarks yesterday at the grassroots group’s office in Iao Hon during a press conference about the 2018 Policy Address, which Chui delivered last Tuesday.Jeremy Lei Man Chao, director of

November 21, 2017 | BY admin

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Mainlanders rob money changer in guestroom: police

Two male suspects from the mainland robbed a victim of HK$300,000 last Monday in a currency exchange case, and one of the suspects was arrested on Saturday, Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesman Chan Cho Man said yesterday during a special conference at the PJ headquarters in Zape.Chan said that the arrested suspect is a 35-year-old mainlander surnamed Jiang, who claims to be unemployed.According to Chan, the victim, whose surname was not given, worked as a money changer for gamblers. On November 13

November 21, 2017 | BY admin

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Lawmaker can defend himself over possible suspension during plenum: committee

The House Rules Committee has finished drafting a report about the committee’s opinions on a request by the Court of First Instance (TJB) for the suspension of directly-elected lawmaker Sulu Sou Ka Hou from the legislature so that he can be tried for suspected aggravated disobedience, Kou Hoi In, who chairs the committee, said yesterday.Kou, an indirectly-elected lawmaker, briefed reporters after a closed-door meeting of the seven-member committee dealing with the matter.Sou’s suspension

November 21, 2017 | BY admin

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Venetian logs 280 million visits in 10 years: COO

The Venetian in Cotai has recorded 280 million visitations since the integrated resort opened in Cotai 10 years ago, Sands China President-cum-Chief Operating Officer Wilfred Wong Ying-wai said yesterday.Wong made the comments in a speech at a ceremony to mark Venetian’s 10th anniversary.Sands China, headed by US gaming mogul Sheldon Adelson, introduced the integrated resort concept to Macau. According to Wong, Adelson was unable to attend yesterday’s ceremony due to three fractured

November 21, 2017 | BY admin

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