Illegal taxi cases rise 56 pct in H1: Wong

The number of reported cases of passenger transport services provided without a taxi licence rose by 55.9 percent during the first six months of the year compared to the same period of last year, Secretary for Security Wong Sio Chak said yesterday. Wong made the announcement during a press conference about the city’s crime statistics for the first half of the year, at the Judiciary Police (PJ) Building in Cotai. Four senior police officers also attended the briefing.A total of 7,125

August 23, 2016 | BY admin

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Wynn says Wynn Palace a ‘gift’ to community

Wynn Palace opened last night, drawing big crowds to Cotai to try their luck in the new casino, while Wynn Resorts Chairman & CEO Steve Wynn told a ballroom full of guests that the new US$4 billion resort that took six and a half years to build was a “gift” to the community.“It’s our gift to the community, to the public,” Wynn was quoted as saying in a statement from Wynn Palace.While hundreds of people gathered around the approximately 27,000-square-metre musical fountain for the

August 23, 2016 | BY admin

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Police nab illegal cabbie

A driver was caught providing illegal passenger services last week, a spokesperson for the Public Security Police (PSP) said in a regular briefing yesterday.According to the spokesperson, the local suspect surnamed Lei is in his twenties. He told the police that he worked as a salesman.The spokesperson said the suspect was caught during an action combating illegal passenger services near the Barrier Gate checkpoint on Thursday afternoon.Please read the full article in our print edition.

August 23, 2016 | BY admin

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Lawyer urges firms to register trademarks in mainland

Businesses in Macau should register their trademarks in the mainland for brand protection, mainland lawyer Dong Yidong said yesterday at the Macau Economic Services Bureau (DSE) on the sidelines of the opening ceremony of a mainland trademark consulting service centre.The mainland trademark consulting service centre, located in Nam Van, has been set up by the Macau Chain Stores and Franchise Association. It is supported by the Macau Economic Service Bureau.Dong, one of the guests of the

August 23, 2016 | BY admin

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Govt publishes heritage evaluation consultation report

The Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) said yesterday in a statement that a consultation report on its cultural heritage evaluation of 10 old properties will be online from today.Late last year, the bureau initiated cultural heritage evaluation processes for 10 old properties.According to the statement, the consultation was carried out from December 28 last year to February 25.Please read the full article in our print edition.

August 23, 2016 | BY admin

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Lawmaker slams govt over Taipa-Houses Museum plan

Lawmaker-cum-unionist Jose Pereira Coutinho yesterday criticised the government for appearing to be destroying the historical characteristics and tranquillity of the Taipa-Houses Museum, in its project to convert the site into another leisure attraction with cultural and creative elements.Coutinho made the comments in a group interview at the headquarters of the Macau Civil Servants Association (ATFPM), which he heads.The proposal to modify the five buildings and the area next to a mangrove,

August 23, 2016 | BY admin

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Gaming sector jobs fall 3 pct in Q2

Macau’s vitally important gaming sector had 55,708 full-time employees at the end of the second quarter, down by 3.0 percent year-on-year, the Statistics and Census Bureau (DSEC) announced yesterday. According to a DSEC statement, the number of dealers (croupiers) fell by 3.1 percent to 24,285. Shift-working staff accounted for 92.7 percent of the sector’s total number of employees. Please read the full article in our print edition.

August 23, 2016 | BY admin

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Govt allows overnight roadworks

The government allowed yesterday urgent roadworks in the city centre to be carried out overnight, the first exception to the rule since the Environmental Noise Prevention and Control Law took effect in 2014. According to an executive order dated August 15 and signed by Sonia Chan Hoi Fan in her then capacity as acting chief executive, the badly damaged road surface at the junction of Avenida da Praia Grande and Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro, which the order said was posing a risk to traffic

August 23, 2016 | BY admin

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Inflation continues slowing down

Growth in the city’s composite consumer price index (CPI) continued to slow down last month, rising just 2.08 percent year-on-year, a decrease of 0.18 percentage points from the 2.26 percent growth in June, the Statistics and Census Bureau (DSEC) announced yesterday. A DSEC statement attributed last month’s increase mostly to higher rentals for parking spaces and the higher cost of eating out, as well as increases in car prices and property management fees. For the 12 months ended

August 23, 2016 | BY admin

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Muzzle test divides forum

Guest speakers and members of the audience at yesterday’s Macau Forum were divided on whether the government’s assessment examination to exempt certain dogs from wearing a muzzle is too strict.Yesterday’s focus of the forum was on the controversial assessment examination. Two officials from the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau (IACM) attended the forum.The weekly open-air debate is hosted by government-owned broadcaster TDM in Areia Preta Park every Sunday.Audience members and guest

August 22, 2016 | BY admin

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Chui to attend Pan-Pearl River Delta Forum

Chief Executive Fernando Chui Sai On will participate in the 11th Pan-Pearl River Delta Co-operation Forum this week, the Macau Government Information Bureau (GCS) has announced. According to a GCS statement, the forum will be held in Guangzhou on Wednesday and Thursday. Chui will attend the opening ceremony of the forum on Wednesday and a co-operation agreement signing session on Thursday. Please read the full article in our print edition.

August 22, 2016 | BY admin

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Students organise carnival to promote exchanges

Volunteers from the Centre for Higher Education Students organised a carnival in Iao Hon Market Garden yesterday afternoon to promote exchanges between student associations and encourage students to “go into the community”, according to one of the organisers. The event was titled Summer Gathering – Carnival of the Higher Education Student Associations. Many residents, mostly housewives and children, were queuing at the game booths run by various student organisations, including

August 22, 2016 | BY admin

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Visitors spend less in Q2 on non-gaming

Visitors’ per-capita non-gaming spending fell by 4 percent year-on-year and 3.4 percent quarter-to-quarter to 1,601 patacas in the second quarter, the Statistics and Census Bureau (DSEC) has announced. According to a DSEC statement, visitors’ total non-gaming spending in the second quarter amounted to 11.7 billion patacas, down by 4.5 percent year-on-year but up by 1.4 percent quarter-on-quarter. Total non-gaming spending by overnight visitors (9.3 billion patacas) and same-day

August 22, 2016 | BY admin

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New Cotai bonds hit distressed levels

SINGAPORE – Bonds issued by US partners in Studio City have dropped to distressed levels after gaming revenue in the city entered a third year of declines and S&P Global Ratings lowered its outlook on the project.The 10.625 percent notes co-issued by New Cotai Limited Liability Company and New Cotai Capital Corporation, units of US hedge funds Silver Point Capital and Oaktree Capital Group, were indicated at 42.5 cents on the US dollar on Thursday, according to prices from independent

August 22, 2016 | BY admin

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