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The New Lisboa Casino is expected to open this autumn, months earlier than Wynn resort at the opposite side of the road.

Director of the Sociedade de Jogos de Macau (SJM), Ambrose So, told Macao Daily News that the number of gaming tables in the eight-storey casino is yet to be established.

According to the plan, the New Lisboa Hotel is to be completed in 2008.

The New Lisboa casino hotel complex has a total construction area of 136,000 square metres. With a total height of 228 metres, the hotel is set to be the second tallest building in Macau, after Macau Tower.

The amount invested to the project totals 3 billion Patacas.

A Macau academic spoke of potential threats following the Japanese government's proposal to lift the ban on gambling.

Zeng Zonglu, a professor at the Macau Polytechnic Institute, told Macao Daily News that many Asian countries have begun considering opening up their gaming markets, or lifting previous bans on gambling.

The move could force mainland China to consider lifting the ban on gambling as well, Zeng said.

He believed that the Japanese authority's proposal could result from the successful development of the gaming industry in Macau, given more than 100% return rate was received from Sands Macau in just the first year of operation.

He also pointed out that gaming companies in Macau may have to invest more to attract visitors if Japan decided to allow casinos to open, which will affect Macau's development to the sector.

The Commissioner Against Corruption admitted that “some candidates” are involved in bribery cases in last year's Legislative Assembly election.

Cheong U pointed out in an annual encounter with the press that the election, which was held in September last year, “could not prevent irregularities from happening”.

There are six election bribery cases in the judiciary processes, with “hundreds” of people involved, according to Jornal Va Kio.

Cheong said that cases which are under investigation will have results come out “soon”, and his Commission Against Corruption will not tolerate any crimes.

Cheong also pointed out that the existing legal framework needs to be improved in order to prevent election briberies from happening in the future, although he also said that the population is now more willing to report any irregularities to monitoring bodies than before.

A summary of pre-session speeches made by legislators at the plenary session yesterday (27 February):

Kwan Tsui Hang strongly opposed further importation of foreign workers, which has caused imbalance in the labour market.

Tsui Wai Kwan and Chui Sai Cheong advised the Government not to neglect deeper social problems, namely house prices, social problems, public safety and traffic.

Fong Chi Keong pointed out that the authorisation of children living in mainland China to reunite with their families in Macau is the responsibility of mainland Chinese authorities. He said that legislators “should do what they should do and not do what they should not do”. He also claimed that certain legislators are “anarchists”, in the name of “democracy and freedom”.

Iong Veng Ian expressed worries that casino workers are becoming more addicted to gambling because of their working environment. She called for training courses to include training on the psychological quality of the students, and to add addictive gambling in the Youth Indicator system.

Josˆm Pereira Coutinho also expressed the same worries, and suggested that concessionaires should formulate solutions on casino workers gambling in other casinos, or should ban them from gambling completely.

Au Kam San appealed to the Government to restrict car importations, and the Government should formulate emergency measures to the current salinity crisis.

Leong Iok Va recalled the recent series of serious traffic accidents in Macau, and appealed to the Government to enhance the execution of law, as well as to accelerate the amendement of the Highway Code. She also said that the Government should continue to discuss with bus operators an introduction of night bus services.

Josˆm Chui appealed to the Government, enterprises and the population to work together to preseve water in response to the salinity crisis.

Ng Kuok Cheong expressed hopes that the Government could formulate the resettlement plan for those who are going to be affected by the regeneration project at the Iao Hon neighbourhood.

Chan Meng Kam suggested the Government should set up a help centre for new immigrants, as they are facing many difficulties in adapting their new lives in Macau.

The Legislative Assembly approved the Legal Regime governing the University of Macau.

Legislator Kwan Tsui Hang, who is also the chairwoman of the First Standing Committee of the Legislative Assembly which is responsible for deliberting the bill in detail, praised that the new legal framework will allow a more flexible operations and more effective management to the universities.

However, she also pointed out that more financial autonomy, more restrictions on the upper limit of pay levels of the Rectors and Lecturers, and a more established monitoring system to the University is needed.

Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Chui Sai On, who was present at the plenary session, said that he accpeted the Committee's suggestions.

Meanwhile, Legislator Ng Kuok Cheong said in a statement that although he supported the bill in general, he had “strong reservation” over the plan to keep the existing accounting system and the appointment of members of the University Council and the Supervisory Council.

He and another legislator, Au Kam San casted votes of objection to clause 4 of article 7, which Ieong Tou Hong casted an abstained vote. Josˆm Pereira Countinho casted an abstained vote to all articles.

Salinity forecasts for the coming four days:

Note: WHO standard salinity level is 250 mg of chloride ions per litre.

Source: Macao Water

Macau shares the honour for being the city with the “Best Economic Potential” with Seoul, an award given by a Financial Times magazine.

The London-based fDi magazine (Foreign Direct Investment) pointed out that Macau¡¦s GDP was USD 10.7 billion in 2004 with a growth rate of an “astounding” 28%.

Macau has attracted USD 263 million in foreign direct investment inflows in 2003.

The magazine also pointed out that the World Trade Organisation once praised Macau for operating “one of the most open trade and investment regimes in the world”.

The award was announced in December 2005, and David East, Publisher of the magazine, presented the award to the Macau Trade and Investment Promotion Institute.

David East told the Macau Government's Information Bureau that following the strong economic performance of Macau, where it faces the world and with mainland China as its hinterland, in combination of free port policy and good business environment, it has successfully attracted foreign investors to set up businesses in Macau.

The inauguration of new casinos and hotels has stimulated other sectors “to perform well”, a criteria which won the approval of the panel to present Macau with the honour, East indicated.

In the same set of awards, Hong Kong was awarded “Asian City of the Future”, the highest honour; and the Tamil Nadu region in India was awarded “Asian Region of the Future”. The Chugoku region in Japan was awarded the Asian region with the “Best Economic Potential”.

Additional awards include cost effectiveness, human resources, transport, IT and telecoms, quality of life, and FDI potential. Hong Kong scooped the winner award for transport, IT and telecoms, quality of life and FDI potential.

According to fDi information, the search for the Asian Cities & Regions of the Future was begun in spring 2005, when investment promotion agencies, development authorities and national and regional governments were invited to return questionnaires giving detailed reasons why their locations should be chosen for an award.

A panel of judges, consisted of executives from firms in China, Singapore and Hong Kong, examined applications from the more than 60 cities and regions that entered the competition. A total of 34 criteria indicators were used to judge which locations offer investors the best deal.

In the note of categories and criteria, fDi admitted that the information was provided from government sources, and “it had not been possible to verify all figures provided by government agencies”.

The Institute for Tourism Studies said that it has no plans to recruit more local students for the forthcoming academic year.

In an annual open day, which allows perspective students to see for themselves the way of teaching at the Institute, Ian Mei Kun, the Vice-President, told Rˆhdio Macau that that owing to full capacity of existing hardware facilities, the Institute will not recruit more local students in order to maintain the existing teaching quality.

She has confidence that the number of applicants will remain at the level of previous year.

Meanwhile, the Institute will open an online application service from this year, to allow perspective students to apply their courses in a more convenient way.

Navigations channels in Macau are getting shallow, and the Government spends 100 million Patacas every year the dredge them.

In a press release, the Ports Authority pointed out that increasing deposits have “caused great concern” for the navigations and safety of the five channels.

According to information, the navigation channel towards the Inner Harbour begins from the east of the Macau International Airport runway and ends at the Navigation School, with a total length of 9.3km and 45m in average width. The depth maintains at 3.5m, allowing 1,000-tonne ships to pass through.

The Inner Habour navigation channel begins from the Navigation School and ends at Fai Chi Kei, with a total length of 2.3km and average width of 55m. The depth maintains at 3.5m, allowing 1,000-tonne ships to pass through.

The Outer Harbour channel begins from the east of the airport runway towards the Maritime Terminal via the two dikes at the Outer Harbor. The total length of the channel is 4.9m, with an average wideth of 120m. The depth maintains at 4.4m, and allows ships commuting between Macau and Hong Kong for use only.

The Kˆh-Hˆu channel begins from the south-east of the airport runway towards the Kˆh-Hˆu port via the restricted zone at the waters of the airport. The total length is 3.5m, and width of 75m. The depth maintains at 4.4m, allowing 3,000-tonne ships to pass through.

The navigation channel between Coloane and Taipa is a natural channel, which begins from the south-west of Coloane until the west of Sai Van Bridge. The total length of the channel is 7.5km.

The Authority pointed out that the navigation channels “barely maintain” the basic needs for Macau.

Several factors contribute the situation, including deposits, degreding, quality of water and the channels, as well as water flow.

The Authority recalled an agreement signed with the Ministry of Irrigation in 1998, in which a comprenhensive improvement planning for the navigation channels around Macau was to be conducted.

Under the plan, an overall ordering of navigation channels, the development of existing deposits and prevention of water pollution will be conducted within the boundary line of planning, which should be calculated using mathematical and physics models.

A developer has abandoned the plan to build a temple at Areia Preta.

The Macao Daily News reported that boards that fenced the land plot were removed several days ago.

Earlier, residents nearby protested against the plan, saying that the smoke and ashes the temple produces will affect their living environment.

They sent a petition letter to the Chief Executive, Ho Hau Wah, voicing their concerns on the temple, which was supposed to be dedicated to Tou Tei, or the Lord of the Lands.

The developer claimed that staff would be available to clean up the temple every day, but consensus was not reached with government agencies over the construction.

Residents in the area told the newspaper that there are several temples in the neighbourhood that are dedicated to Tou Tei, and there is “no need” to build another temple in the said land plot.