blogmacau.info

Updates to this blog will become irregular over the next few weeks, until the end of March, because of travelling.

At least seven prisoners were reported to have contracted with TB in the Macau Prison, according to a Portuguese-language newspaper.

Ponto Final reported that the disease had been found since mid-December last year, and that the Prison knew about it, but did not report the cases to the Health Services and the lawyers of the prisoners.

However, the paper emphasised that the news is yet to be confirmed, as no responses were received from both the Director of the Prison Services and the TB Clinic.

Parents of the Macau Portuguese School (EPM) decided to send a petition letter to the Education Minister in Lisbon to urge the EPM Foundation to rediscuss with a Macau developer over the new campus for the school.

Both Hoje Macau and Jornal Tribuna de Macau reported that the Parents Association of EPM also demanded the Consul-General of Portugal, Pedro Moitinho de Almeida, to discuss with the Macau Government as well the issue.

They emphasised that this issue is an “intergovernmental” one.

Earlier, Almeida expressed “worries” over the land concession of the new campus for the school, the only one in Macau which offers full syllabus as currently in effect in mainland Portugal.

Meanwhile, the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Chui Sai On, said that he will invite the Minister to visit Macau during his visit to Portugal for the inauguration ceremony of the new President of the Republic.

The Secretary for the Economy and Finance, Tam Pak Yuen, said that the Government has been “notified” about Wynn's decision to sell its casino operation rights to Melco-PBL consortium.

However, he added that formal applications have not yet received, and the Government will “carefully consider” upon the receipt.

He also said that the Government will primarily consider whether the sub-concession will bring benefit to the development of the economy and the gaming industry of Macau, as well as whether this will bring more diversified sources of visitors.

When commenting on Wynn's profit of USD 900 million from selling the casino operation rights, Tam pointed out that Government “has never considered levying premium” through concessions of gambling operation. It is the economic development and job opportunities that the Government pays more attention to, he emphasised.

He assured that the Government is capable of monitoring the concessionaires despite the increase, as all of these concessionaires, apart from SJM, are listed companies, and that they are monitored by their home countries due to their rights of casino operation there.

Should Wynn's application be approved by the Government, there will be six casino operators in Macau, namely SJM (Macau-Hong Kong capital), Galaxy (Hong Kong capital), Wynn Resorts (US capital), Venetian Las Vegas (US capital), Pansy Ho with MGM, and Melco with PBL.

CEO of SJM Stanley Ho said that he “welcomed” Wynn's decision to sub-concede its casino operation rights to Melco-PBL consortium.

He told journalists at a Lunar New Year reception organised by the Macau Monetary Authority that the transaction has nothing to do with SJM and he himself.

Melco is owned by Stanley Ho's son, Lawrence Ho.

Stanley Ho said that he welcomed competition, but not “vicious competition”.

He also belived that such “vicious competition” will be unlikely, given the sub-concession was given to his son.

Meanwhile, he denied reports that the listing of SJM will be done in batches.

He emphasised that the listing exercise will have to be completed within the first half of this year.

The Health Minister of East Timor, Dr. Rui Maria de Araujo, visited Macau between 6 and 7 March, according to a Health Services statement.

Araujo visited the Disease Control Centre and discussed with members of staff there the consturction of health institutions, monitoring of diseases and health, as well as training of public health professionals.

He also visited the Taipa Health Centre, and the Conde S. Januˆhrio Hospital.

A delegation headed by the Secretary for Transport and Public Works began its visit to mainland China yesterday (7 March), to discuss ways to alleviate Macau's chronic water crisis in the long term.

Ao Man Long told reporters of local Chinese newspapaers that the delegation will meet provincial leaders and discuss how to resolve the problem salinity, the worst for Macau to experience this year.

Meanwhile, a regional co-ordination mechanism is agreed to set up between Guangdong and Macau in order to resolve the problems concerning water resources and water quality.

The delegation will visit Guangdong and Guizhou Provinces, as well as the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Members of the delegation included representatives from the relevant government agencies, Macao Water, the Association Concerning Public Utilities, as well as the Central Government Liaison Office in Macau.

Meanwhile, Macau deputies to the National People's Congress (NPC), Josˆm Chui and Ung Si Meng, moved to establish a cross-region water resources management organisation in order to resolve the salinity crisis in cities in the Pearl River Delta region.

The NPC replied that the Ministry of Irrigation has forumlated a comprehensive plan for water resources in the Pearl River region, including construction of infrastructures to help diverting water from Xi Jiang, the enhancement of dredging along the river channels, as well as water quality improvement and water conservation schemes in Guangdong Province.

In further response, Chui and Ung counter-proposed the enhancement of the management mechanism headed by the Central Government, and to take advantage of the 11th Five-Year Plan to unify the diversion and management of water resources in the region.

Imports of poultry from mainland China remains, despite a man was contracted with the deadly bird flu virus in Macau's neighbouring Guangdong Province.

After an emergency meeting held across government agencies, the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Chui Sai On, told newspapers that the prevention measures against bird flu is to be upgraded in Macau, including compulsory confiscation of backyard poultry.

Meanwhile, imports of poultry from mainland China for consumption remains in place, and inspections will be tightened to combat smuggling.

However, imports will be suspended if bird flu cases was found within 10 km of Macau, and where there are exclusive poultry farms for exports to Macau.

Guidelines will also be issued to schools, poultry stalls and restaurants regarding personal hygiene.

A 24-hour hotline has also been set up for inquiries for prevention of bird flu, on 561122.

The man in suspicion of murdering a woman in Areia Preta was arrested by police in Guangdong.

The 36-year-old man, surnamed Long, will later be referred to the Judiciary Police in Macau for further investigation.

The murder happened at the early hours in 4 March, with a 35-year old woman was found strangled to death in her flat at Hoi Pan Gardens.

Earlier, Long told his wife that he had “strangled her to death”, and brought her to the flat to show her body.

He fled despite her wife advised him to confess to the police. The case was known after she decided to report to the police on her own.

The Macau Government has yet to receive application from Wynn Resorts, one of the concessionaires in operating Macau's casinos, regarding its sale of rights to build a casino resort to the Australian firm.

News agencies reported that Wynn Resorts had agreed to sell the right to PBL for USD 900 million, almost five times greater than analyst forecasts.

American magazine Forbes deemed that Wynn's decision will block Harrah's Entertainment, the largest casino operator in the world, from entering the Macau casino market without a partner.

“Because of our current focus in Macau, our board of directors decided that any decision we make must enhance the vitality and future of Macau,” Steve Wynn, Chairman and CEO of Wynn Resorts told AP.

“Making it possible for PBL to enter was a positive and dynamic step toward upgrading and expanding the quality of investment in Macau.”

PBL has also teamed up with Melco International Development, effectively a subsidary of the Sociedade de Jogos de Macau (SJM) in developing the Crown Macau casino hotel project in Taipa.

PBL said that it will share its operation rights to Melco by means of a joint venture.

Sources told Jornal Va Kio that the sub-concession to another international firm does not affect the domination of Macau and Hong Kong businesses in Macau's gaming industry.

Earlier, government officials made clear openly that the three concessionaires are allowed to sell their casino operation rights once. With this in mind, the Government of this term will no longer authorise any applications of sub-concessions after Wynn's application.