Macao News https://macaonews.org Tue, 12 Dec 2023 00:20:29 +0000 Tue, 12 Dec 2023 08:20:29 +0800 Mariana César de Sá 68268 2023-12-12 08:20:29 2023-12-12 08:20:29 24374 A new bill clarifies rules around parallel betting, explicitly prohibits online bets, and significantly raises maximum prison sentences for offenders.]]>The government has finished drafting a bill that, if enacted, will explicitly prohibit online betting and parallel betting, as well as raise penalties for certain illicit gambling activities, the Macau Post Daily reports. The new law would replace one enacted in 1996, Secretary for Administration and Justice André Cheong announced yesterday. He said that the government was committed to combating illegal gambling. Several now defunct junket operators reportedly ran so-called parallel (or, under the table) betting schemes that reduced the amount of tax paid to the government. The new bill clearly defines this practice as illegal, Cheong said. It also proposes to expressly bar the operation, promotion and organisation of online gambling activities – regardless of where their IT systems are based. [See more: Convicted Suncity boss purportedly pens an open letter to Xi Jinping] Given that illicit gambling activities often take place at night, Cheong said the bill would allow police to search private homes between 9 pm and 7 am in the course of investigating suspected gambling crimes. Under the current law, police need residents’ permission to search homes during these hours. While current laws punish illegal gambling activities with prison terms of up to three years, the new bill would raise this to eight years.  ]]> Tue, 12 Dec 2023 08:07:37 +0800 Mariana César de Sá 68263 2023-12-12 08:09:04 2023-12-12 08:07:37 8 The University of Saint Joseph wants to merge China’s cutting-edge oceanic technologies with Portugal’s sustainable approach to marine farming, right here in Macao.]]>Macao could become home to a marine biotechnology hub where companies from China and Portugal work together on projects relating to the blue economy, Lusa reports. The University of Saint Joseph (USJ) is behind the concept, which would build on its newly minted Sino-Portuguese Joint Laboratory of Marine and Environmental Sciences. The lab was established in October, in partnership with the Portuguese Catholic University (UCP), the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The director of USJ’s Institute of Science and Environment, David Gonçalves, said he believed a partnership between China and Portugal that fostered the development of “blue and green biotechnology” would yield innovative, market-applicable results. He said that Portugal was already “pioneering” modern, sustainable methods to better utilise the ocean’s resources, noting “interesting steps” the country was taking to define protected areas in its Exclusive Economic Zone. [See more: How local researchers have taken the lead in Macao’s sustainability movement] Gonçalves said that Portugal’s approach could complement China’s “extremely advanced” oceanic monitoring systems and technologically sophisticated research ships, submersibles and remotely operated vehicles. “Successful teams could be created here [in Macao] to investigate certain topics at sea,” he said. Gonçalves is also president of Macao Association for Scientific Cooperation between China and Portuguese Speaking Countries. In connection with its Sino-Portuguese Joint Laboratory of Marine and Environmental Sciences, USJ reportedly plans to offer a new degree in biotechnology for the 2024-25 academic year.  ]]> Tue, 12 Dec 2023 07:59:53 +0800 Mariana César de Sá 68261 2023-12-12 08:08:16 2023-12-12 07:59:53 24374 As respiratory illness spreads in mainland China, officials are taking action. But Macao’s government says it’s already ahead of the game.]]>Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Elsie Ao Ieong has said there is currently no need for the SAR to change guidelines around mask-wearing – even though they’ve been ramped up in mainland China, the Macau Daily Times reports. On Saturday, mainland authorities mandated that people with respiratory symptoms and those in certain jobs wear medical grade masks. Affected workplaces include medical and care facilities, as well as so-called “key venues” where catering and cleaning staff must now don effective masks. According to Ieong, the mainland’s new guidelines align with Macao’s existing ones. The SAR recently reinstated a requirement that high-grade masks be worn by anyone in nursing homes, rehabilitation centres and drug rehab facilities, to minimise infection risks during the winter season. [See more: Taiwan extends voluntary health testing for cross-strait visitors] Ieong said that while some mainland cities were conducting rapid viral tests on travellers, this was not necessary for Macao. She said she was confident the city had robust measures against flu, mycoplasma pneumoniae (a bacterial disease currently spreading in the mainland) and Covid-19. Even if flu cases increased, the situation would remain manageable, Ieong noted. However, she urged anyone with cold or flu-like symptoms to avoid public places and to mask up. Ieong also reiterated that the Health Bureau constantly monitored disease data and that, if the number of patients or available beds exceed a critical threshold, more clinicians would be deployed.  ]]> Tue, 12 Dec 2023 07:52:23 +0800 Mariana César de Sá 68258 2023-12-12 07:52:23 2023-12-12 07:52:23 6952 The US and other G7 countries step up their investment in the latest instance of superpower rivalry on the African continent.]]>The United States is set to invest more than US$2 billion in Angola in a bid to position itself as an alternative source of financing to China, according to reports. More than US$1 billion in US investment has been committed this year to fund solar power, bridges and internet infrastructure. A further US$1 billion has been offered to fund the Lobito Corridor – the strategically important connection running from Zambia to the Angolan coast – as part of the G7’s Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment launched last year.  President Joe Biden praised the first-of-its-kind project as “the biggest US rail investment in Africa ever,” noting that the Lobito Corridor promises to “create jobs and connect markets for generations to come.” [See more: Angola home to 36 of top 51 most critical world minerals: official] The Lobito Corridor projects, including the refurbishment of the 1,300-km Lobito Atlantic Railway line and the US-EU joint project to build a new 800-km rail line connecting Angola and Zambia via the Democratic Republic of the Congo, are also considered a key step in developing clean energy supply chains to fuel Angola’s green transition. All three African countries are major producers of critical minerals like copper and cobalt. Since the end of the civil war in 2002, Angola has relied on massive Chinese investment to fund its reconstruction, accounting for more than a quarter (US$45 billion) of China’s total spending on the continent between 2000 and 2022. The oil-backed loans pioneered by China offered easy access to Chinese funding – until oil prices fell. China’s “lending spree has come to a hard stop,” Dominik Kopinski, co-founder of the Polish Centre for African Studies, told media. While relations between the countries remain friendly, Angola sees Western investment as an opportunity to expand its financial and geopolitical options.  ]]> Mon, 11 Dec 2023 16:08:55 +0800 Mariana César de Sá 68244 2023-12-11 16:08:55 2023-12-11 16:08:55 8 While the decrease – just 1.3 percent overall – is small, a trend has become evident, the latest figures show.]]>The overall residential property price index for the August to October period fell by 1.3 percent when compared to the July to September period, the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) says. Prices for existing properties on the Macao peninsula fell by 1.5 percent. Those in Taipa and Coloane fared a little better – decreasing by 0.7 percent. Meanwhile, the pre-sale prices of residential units stayed stable across the board. When analysed by age, units in buildings aged between 11 and 20 years old saw the biggest decline: 5.4 percent. Those in even older buildings saw 0.8 percent dips, while prices for units in buildings less than five years old grew by 0.4 percent. [See more: Macao residents can now buy more property in Shenzhen] Units with a usable floor area of between 50 and 74.9 square metres experienced a marginal increase in value of 0.2 percent. Prices fell for units of all other sizes. Last month, the government announced it would ease cooling measures implemented to curb property speculation more than a decade ago. The deregulation, set to start on 1 January, will see the 5 percent stamp duty for second homes axed. Also last month, the government put its so-called sandwich-class housing scheme on hold due to lacklustre demand.  The scheme had been intended to help those who earned too much to buy a flat under Macao’s home-ownership scheme, but not enough to afford a flat in the private housing market, get onto the housing ladder.  ]]> Mon, 11 Dec 2023 15:46:57 +0800 Mariana César de Sá 68238 2023-12-11 15:46:57 2023-12-11 15:46:57 8 Not only will Macao increase the number of MICE events it hosts, it will broaden the scope of subject matter covered at these events, an IPIM official says. ]]>Next year should see a greater variety of MICE events unfold in Macao, branching out from the traditional business and trade topics, local media reports. The Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM)’s president, Vincent U, has said that more emphasis will be placed on events championing sports as well as arts and culture in 2024. Speaking at the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) Forum on MICE Tourism Economy last week, U also reiterated IPIM’s goal to increase the number of MICE events held in Macao. [See more: Marketing and technology are the keys to unlocking Macao’s MICE potential, says IPIM] He had previously said that the government aimed to host around 1,500 MICE events next year – 50 percent more than 2023’s tally.  One example of Macao diversifying its MICE events was last month’s Global Legal & Sustainable Timber Forum, held at the Galaxy International Convention Center. A local academic involved in the forum cited the SAR’s excellent MICE facilities and supportive academic environment as reasons why the SAR was well-positioned to host events across the subject matter spectrum.  ]]> Mon, 11 Dec 2023 15:36:18 +0800 Mariana César de Sá 68236 2023-12-11 15:36:18 2023-12-11 15:36:18 24374 Lam Hin San has strongly denied the allegations of wrongdoing, following a complaint lodged by a legislator to the anti-graft commission.]]>Transport Bureau (DSAT) chief, Lam Hin San, has stressed that the recent public tender process for 500 taxi licences was undertaken transparently and in accordance with regulations.  His remarks follow a complaint that a legislator filed to the Macao Commission Against Corruption (CCAC) last week, questioning the integrity of the tender process.  In a statement to the media during yesterday’s Walk for a Million, Lam said that the bureau had performed “all the tendering and assessment works in accordance with the law, so that all the new taxis could be put into service as soon as possible.”  [See more: Cabbies want a fare hike, while bidders query the integrity of the latest licence tender] The complaints originated from a number of disgruntled bidders who complained to legislator Lam U Tou about what they said were irregularities, including the allegedly improper sealing of tender documents. They also protested the lack of independent oversight of the process, which was only monitored by DSAT officials. In response to the allegations, the DSAT chief said “If you have enough evidence, some leaked information to tell…please report it to the regulator.”  CCAC head Chan Tsz King stated yesterday that his department had received a complaint from a lawmaker but not from any bidders or related parties.  Chan mentioned that the CCAC would conduct an assessment of the complaint before it would consider launching a formal investigation.  In a bid to boost the number of taxis on Macao’s streets, DSAT recently launched a public tender for 10 taxi licences, with each one allowing the winning company to operate a maximum of 50 taxis.  40 bids were submitted, but only 21 applications were submitted, with the approved submissions ranging between 2.5 million to 3.8 million patacas.  —With reporting by Kenny Fong  ]]> Mon, 11 Dec 2023 15:22:53 +0800 Mariana César de Sá 68233 2023-12-11 15:22:53 2023-12-11 15:22:53 7 This year’s Walk for a Million saw more participants than ever as well as a record-breaking 18 million patacas in donations.]]>The 40th iteration of the Walk for a Million charitable event was held in Macao yesterday, following a three-year long pandemic induced hiatus.  This year’s four-kilometre fundraiser walk was the first to be held both online and offline, with an unprecedented turnout of approximately 100,000 participants.  The event – organised by the Macao Daily News charity fund – raised over 18 million patacas in donations for the vulnerable and underprivileged groups, shattering previous records. Speaking to the media, the president of the fund, Ho Teng Iat, said “I am grateful to the people of Macao…[who] have been with us for 40 years.”  [See more: The French chamber is launching an ESG awards programme] High ranking officials, including Chief Executive, Ho Iat Seng, and his predecessor, Edmund Ho, participated. They were joined by multiple Chinese Olympic champions.  One local resident interviewed by TDM said that “the atmosphere was overwhelming” and “joyful.”  The walk kicked off near the Kun Iam Statue on Avenida Dr Sun Yat-Sen at 10 am and concluded in the A-Ma Temple area at approximately 2:30 pm.  —With reporting by Kenny Fong  ]]> Mon, 11 Dec 2023 08:23:24 +0800 Mariana César de Sá 68226 2023-12-11 08:23:51 2023-12-11 08:23:24 8 If achieved, the tally would be 70 percent of 2019’s tourism numbers – slightly better than what the government predicted in November.]]>The SAR saw 25 million visitors arrive in the first 11 months of the year and finance secretary Lei Wai Nong says it shouldn’t be too difficult to squeeze an additional three million in by the end of December – bringing the total to 28 million. Lei made this prediction at the 40th Macau Walk for a Million charity event on Sunday, local media reported, upping a prediction made by the government in early November. Twenty-eight million would be more than 70 percent of the 39.4 million visitors welcomed in 2019 – the last year before Macao effectively closed its borders under a draconian zero-Covid policy. [See more: The government has proposed a budget to lure foreign tourists to Macao] Lei also noted that next year’s tourism campaign will focus on attracting visitors from Northeast and Southeast Asia. Last month, the government announced its plan to spend 235 million patacas on promoting Macao as a destination for foreign tourists in a bid to reduce its dependence on mainland Chinese travelling to the city to gamble. Foreigners currently make up less than 6 percent of arrivals.  ]]> Mon, 11 Dec 2023 08:02:02 +0800 Mariana César de Sá 68230 2023-12-11 08:23:24 2023-12-11 08:02:02 24374 Alvin Chau is currently spending 18 years behind bars after being convicted on dozens of counts of racketeering.]]>Specialist publication Inside Asian Gaming has published what it says is an “open letter” from convicted fraudster Alvin Chau to President Xi Jinping, pleading for a reduction in the 18-year prison sentence imposed by the Court of First Instance in January. The publication did not disclose how it obtained the document. Chau founded Suncity Group, a junket organiser, in 2007. He and several of his employees were found guilty of more than 100 counts of illicit gambling activities, fraud and involvement in a criminal organisation. In the purported letter to President Xi, the former gaming bigwig – who was accused of defrauding the government of billions of patacas in tax revenues – depicts himself as a humble “silent and unknown person” who worked selflessly and hard to help transform a “small fishing port” into a “world centre of tourism and leisure.” [See more: A court has increased the compensation to be paid by Alvin Chau] The text continues: “It is because of the return of Macau to the motherland and thanks to the central government policy to promote Macau that I have achieved what I did.”  The author of the letter goes on to acknowledge that there “are many problems in our industry”, but denies many of the crimes he was convicted of. He insists that his company was barely associated with illegal activities. “In general casino crimes do not involve violence and are usually at most worth a few years of imprisonment, so why is the crime in this case so serious?” The letter concludes with an appeal to Xi, calling him “the greatest President in the history of our country” and China’s spiritual leader. “We just need a fair and normal verdict,” the letter says. “I am really overwhelmed by the situation, and I only hope to salvage the disaster that has happened to all of us, so I make this plea in an audacious manner.” Inside Asian Gaming has published the original, handwritten Chinese text and an English translation here.  ]]>