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Chief Executive Edmund Ho Hau Wah told academics and social figures that foreign investors and high quality workers will come to Macau in large amounts in the next years.

He expected that there will be 100,000 to 150,000 new jobs created as a result of the economic development thanks to the liberalisation of casino operations in 2002.

Ho emphasised to the attendants that foreigners have to be accepted for a city to develop, and these people will have the right to vote in 10 years time. He predicted that Macau will emerge a middle class in 15 years, and the class will have their own political demands.

Attendants told press that Ho invited them to come to the Government Headquarters to consult with them the potential new policies, and the developing situation following the Legislative Assembly elections in September.

They also said that Ho answered some of the questions put forward by them, but they did not wish to give further details, as Ho had emphasised already that it was not appropriate to give responses at election times.

He promised that his Government will respond to the current social problems after the election.

The invited academics discussed with the Chief Executive a variety of issues, namely education, legal reform, the gaming industry, city planning, logisitics and elections.

They reminded that Government to pay attention to distributional justice within the community.

The Social Co-Ordination Commission convened a meeting yesterday (30 May), confirming a further eight applications from associations on representing the interest of the community.

The Commission has confirmed in total 41 associations during the voters' registration campaign, and no further applications will be accepted within this year, according to the arrangements of work of the Commission.

The government is to set up checkpoints at Porta do Cerco to combat smuggling amongst residents.

Many middle-aged unemployed residents in Macau earn their keep by bringing from and into Macau a variety of products and appliances. Vegetables, fruits and meat are what these residents bring in from the neighbouring Zhuhai.

The significant differences in prices also attract housewifes to shop vegetables and fruits in the mainland.

The law stipulates that every residents is entitled to bring in a maximum of 1 kg of fruits and vegetables. Vegetables with leaves and meat are banned from bringing in.

However, the execution of the law has been relaxed over the years.

The Customs Service and the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau will collaborate by setting up checkpoints at the Porta do Cerco tomorrow (1 June), with powers to confiscate vegetables and fruits and check whether they are contaminated, with heavier penalities in result.

The new Tamagnini Barbosa Market was officially open, after rows over the size of fish stalls which is known to be resolved.

The market, costs 17 million Patacas (US$2 million), is divided into the market, hawkers' zone and the community centre.

The Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau said that further reconstruction of markets in Macau will be planned, including the St. Lawerence Market and Patane Market, both located at the Inner Harbour area.

Some organisations spread rumours on when newly-registered voters can obtain their cards, making them desparate to make inquiries to the Administration and Civil Service Bureau (SAFP).

These organisations ring these people to go to the SAFP office to obtain their cards, or some people who ask the organisations to register on their behalf have not yet received responses from them after two to three weeks.

SAFP clarified that a residency check is required to ensure only permanent residents of Macau can cast their ballots at the Legislative Assembly elections in September.

Voters can obtain their cards even during the election day, and they will be notified when their cards are ready, SAFP added.

Macau is under discussion with neighbouring Zhuhai to install another raw water pipe to ensure the quality and stability of water supply.

The outcome will be due within this year.

Chu Wai Man, Vice General Manager of Macao Water, also said that the daily water consumption in Macau is currently 180,000 cubic metres, and the consumption rate is forecast to grow by 5 to 6% in the future.

Whether the cosumption rate will exceed 200,000 cubic metres this year will depend on the weather and the number of visitors, he added.

All water supply of Macau is basically obtained from mainland China.

Water stored in the reservoirs in Macau is used for emergency only.

80,000 more people in Macau had registered as voters since the last Legislative Assembly election in 2001.

The Administration and Civil Service Bureau estimated at the suspension of voters registration in preparation for another election due to be held in September this year, that the total number of voters may reach nearly 240,000.

The Bureau expected that the voters' registration records can be displayed to the public on 12 June.

Registered voters can obtain their Voters' Cards even on the election day, 25 September, at the Public Administration Building at Rua do Campo.

A commentary of Journal Va Kio expressed the doubt of the enthusiasm of the residents given the context of Macau, following the prosecution of 17 people in connection with election bribery.

The commentary said that the key to a fair election does not lie at the Commission Against Corruption or the Electoral Commission, but voters who actively participate in the election and reject briberies.

The Government will soon relax of the place of residence of benefit claimants aged 65 or above or who have been certified to have lost their working abilities permanently.

In replying an inquiry put forward by Legislator António Ng, the Director of Social Work Institute Ip Peng Kln said that amendments to the regulations are under way.

If the Insitute has not suspended assistance payments to qualified claimants in the past five years, they will continue to be entitled to receive assistance even if they choose to live in the mainland.

The inquiry follows after the old and vulnerable benefit claimants find the amount of benefits received not able to withstand the living cost of Macau.

Legislators expressed their worries on the continuing trend by casino concessionaires to sub-contract their rights to opearte casinos to other companies.

They also worried that since the government has no jurisdiction of control for those gaming companies floated in Hong Kong's boarse, it may lack the legitimacy to control if the ownership of the company changed hands as a result of the changes in stake.

The legal consultant to the Secretary for the Economy and Finance responded that companies floated in the stock market is not restricted by the Gaming Law, but the Government does regulate the management of the company concerned. If the Government bans floating of these companies in the stock market, that will make them impossible to finance their projects from the market.

Meanwhile, Francis Tam, Secretary for the Economy and Finance, acknowledged that there are only three casino operation concessionaires in Macau, and the Government hopes that the Sociedade de Jogos de Macau (SJM) operate a maximum of 18 to 19 casinos.

He also said that should the concessionaires failed to fulfill their promises, the Government has the right to terminate the contract early.

Tam also acknowledged that the speed of the development of the gaming market is much faster than what the Government expected, and has invited PriceWaterhouseCoopers to evaluate the overall situation of the gaming situation in Macau.

The consulting group will commission a new assessment to the current situation of Macau's gaming industry as well as the external factors affecting the industry.

Suggestions will also be proposed on the ideal model and speed of the development of the industry.

Tam promised that the overall target of the Government is to take advantage of the existing casino industry to bring forth the diversification of the economy, so that Macau's economy can continue to be sustainably developed.

The Government acknowledged that risks exist in unbuilt housing units transactions, and is currently considering the system of trading for real estate.

Cheong Veng Chun, Director of the Legal Affairs Bureau, gave these remarks to legislators after being questioned on how to remedy the recent case involving housing units of several aparment blocks being mistakenly distrained by court, because of the finacial troubles of the developer who had already sold them to individuals.

Cheong said that the risks to buy unbuilt housing units include that they are disqualified to be formally registered, which means it is possible for developers to sell the same unit to many individual buyers; and that developers can raise a mortgage on the unbuilt property.

If the developer could not afford to repay the loan later, banks can apply to the Court for auctioning the property. If he became bankrupt, the construction could not be completed.

Although individuals who had bought these unbuilt and unregistered housing units are also entitled to seek for compensation from the developer, this will cause delays and their rights are inevitably harmed.

Cheong said that government in neighbouring regions tend to restrict the sales of these unbuilt units, and mortgages raised from the unbuilt properties are regulated by a bank or a lawyer, which are only used for paying for building materials and other costs associated with the construction.

However, such system does not exist in Macau.

Cheong said that because the exeuction of system similar to above implies “a fundamental change” to the real estate development in Macau, the Government has consistently been studying in resolving this “very complicated” issue.