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An association has formed a 300-strong Macau World Heritage dissemination team.

An oath-taking ceremony was held at the Ruins of St Paul's yesterday (29 April).

The General Union of Neighbourhood Associations of Macau (UGAMM) had organised half-day Macau World Heritage tours since April 2006, and more than 15,000 residents joined the tour.

Meanwhile, the Union also collaborated with the Institute of Tourism Studies (IFT) to organise courses to teach more than 300 residents knowledge of Macau's World Heritage.

More than 100 of them later became regular guides in showing other residents around the historic monuments of Macau.

The dissemination team was formed in celebration of the 2nd anniversary of the successful inscription of the Historic Centre of Macau onto the UNESCO World Heritage list.

More than 1,600 residents also took part in the half-day World Heritage tours that were held after the ceremony.

A summary of news on 28 April:

Crackdown
Police in Macau and Zhuhai have cracked down a criminal gang operating illegal telecom business. Four exchanges were known to have set up in Zhuhai so that calls from abroad would be diverted to there rather than to the exchange of Macau's Hutchison network. A member of staff from Hutchison Macau was arrested, and the Police estimated a loss of at least MOP30 million.

Rally
The six organisers of the May Day rally insisted that they will proceed according to the route they proposed to the Police, which had been rejected. They claimed that they have the right to use any roads, and that it is 'very difficult' for them to calm the mood of the participants. Jornal Va Kio criticised their move, saying that they have the 'pressure' to make matters worse, and do not treat Macau as their home.

The Secretary for Transport and Public Works claimed that the Government has lands to build 19,000 public housing units.

In a report submitted to the Chief Executive, the Office of the Secretary pointed out that exsiting resources should allow the Government to build about 6,000 social housing units, 4,000 economic housing units and 8,000 'unclassified' housing units.

The number of units were calculated based on T2 (two-room) units with an average area of 35.5 square metres.

The report also claimed that the Government should complete at least 8,000 public housing units by the end of 2009, with the others to be completed within five years after 2009.

Secretary Lau Si Io (¼B¥K³ó) pointed out that private enterprises and charities will be encouraged to participate in building these public housing units. The feasibility for suitable factories to be converted to public housing will also be considered.

The public housing taskforce of the Government will organise visits to Singapore at the end of May, and will also visit Hong Kong later, so that a more 'modernised' and realistic housing policy for Macau can be formulated.

Participants of the May Day rally will not be allowed to go through the city centre and the Inner Harbour, according to the route confirmed by the Public Security Police.

The organisers once applied to go past the Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro (San Ma Lou) from the Inner Harbour, but this was rejected by the Police.

The Police pointed out that the proposed route will have 'great effects to traffic and livelihood', stressing that the rights of other road users should also be respected.

The new route had been informed to the organisers on 18 April, according to the press release of the Public Security Police.

The Police specifically requested the organisers to follow the amended route and the instructions of the Police in situ to proceed their activities, and to keep the effects to other road users to the minimum.

According to the plan, the organisers will present petition letters to both the Central Government Liaison Office and the Government Headquarters.

The Legislative Assembly has passed the new Road Traffic Law, which will come into effect on 1 October.

New rules will be introduced under the law, including making fastening of seat belts compulsory, the ban to use mobile phones, and renewal of road taxes to be pegged with clearance of fine payments.

Penalties to other offences are also made more severe, including a maximum of a year in prison for drink driving, plus one to three year ban in driving.

Points system will not be introduced under the new law, as the existing conditions are not sufficient for such introduction.

Secretary for the Administration and Justice Florinda Chan told legislators that the aim of the law is to achieve prevention rather than cure.

The date when the new law will be in effect has been deferred from 1 July to 1 October, so that more time can be given to provide more promotion and training. Supplementary administrative regulations will also be promulgated in due course.

A summary of speeches by legislators on 26 April:

Kwan Tsui Hang (Ãö»A§ö) said that the Government should explain and provide more details to the recent announcement of major policy changes that aim to narrow the gap of wealth.

Ng Kuok Cheong (§d°ê©÷) pointed out that public housing policy is an entry point to social justice, and said that economic housing should be used to help young people to climb their property ladders.

Fong Chi Keong (¶¾§Ó±j) said that those who intend to participate in the forthcoming the May Day rally should also learn how to respect the rights and freedoms of others as well. He also pointed out that the rally this year is motivated by some self-serving politicians, saying that the rally 'is held because they want to hold one'.

Kou Hoi In (°ª¶}½å), Cheang Chi Keong (¾G§Ó±j) and Ho Teng Iat (¶P©w¤@) said in a joint speech that human resource planning is now an urgent task.

Tsui Wai Kwan (®}°¶©[) pointed out that may small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are also facing “poverty” with workers in certain sectors. Amid the recent proposal of the Labour Bill, which increased compulsory holidays, triple pay and maternity leave, he appealed to the community to face the rights of employers too.

Chan Chak Mo (³¯¿AªZ) said that the Government's human resources policy should be made more rational and fairer, in order to soothe labour conflict, and the 'bad conduct' of those who change jobs frequently to seek for pay rises.

Ieong Tou Hong (·¨¹D¦J) and Chui Sai Cheong (±Z¥@©÷) said that more measures are needed to increase the competitiveness of the SMEs.

Lei Chong Ching (§õ±q¥¿) appealed to the Government to make employers refusing to pay their employees a criminal offence, and to regulate the forms of payment to construction workers.

Iong Veng Ian (®e¥Ã®¦) suggested that a specific agency to be set up to promote tobacco control in the community.

Chan Meng Kam (³¯©úª÷) said that the condition to release general pensions to unemployed residents over 60 should be lifted.

Au Kam San (°ÏÀA·s) criticised the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau for issuing fine tickets to small eateries too frequently.

Wynn Macau recorded an overall profit of MOP6 billion last year.

In the annual report published yesterday (26 April), it pointed out that it received a total of MOP2.1 billion of revenue of gaming since its opening on 6 September.

It had contributed a total of MOP1 billion to the Government.

Since Wynn Macau had sold its rights of operation to another firm, which gained MOP7.2 billion, it covered the operating losses of MOP410 million, resulting in an overall after-tax profit of MOP6 billion.

Rumours about managers and directors of the public sector will receive pay rise of 50% was denied by a principal official.

The Secretary for the Administration and Justice Florinda Chan clarified that amendments to the general regulations governing public sector managers and directors are under way, and the scale of pay rise is still 'left blank'.

She stressed that the rate of increase will definitely not reach 50%, and said that she did not understand why such figure would come up.

Earlier the Director-General of the Macau Civil Servants Association, Josˆm Pereira Coutinho, who is also a legislator, claimed that managers and directors of the public sector will receive pay rise of 50%.

It is generally believed that his claims merely serves as a message of appeal to civil servants to take part in the May Day rally.

Meanwhile, Chan said that she 'completely respects' public sector workers taking part in the parade, adding that they also have the right to choose what to do on holidays.

The Federation of Trades Union of Macau (FAOM) will organise activities lasting for a month to celebrate May Day, the international day of working people.

Talks, seminars and fun fair will be organised. A quiz is also open at the Federation's Internet homepage, with prizes to be given.

In a press conference, the leaders of the Federation also revealed that the trades union for workers at Wynn Macau, Galaxy and Venetian are currently under preparation. However, the exact date of establishment has yet to be decided.

Meanwhile, the Federation reiterated its position to reflect the opinions of workers through different channels, and will not take part in the May Day rally, although it will not oppose anyone to take part.

Three operating Macau gaming concessionaires report their 2006 performance on the Macau Special Administrative Region Gazette today (25 April).

The Sociedade de Jogos de Macau (SJM) reported an annual profit of MOP25.1 billion, and annual revenue of MOP35.2 billion, an increase of MOP8 million compared to 2005.

In the report, SJM pointed out that they had contributed MOP12.5 billion of taxes to the Government, plus MOP1.1 billion to the Macao Foundation, city construction and tourism promotion activities.

The Galaxy Casinos recorded a loss of MOP449 million, whilst received a total of MOP75 billion of revenue. It had contributed more than MOP3 billion of taxes to the Government.

The Venetian Macau SA and Subsidaries recorded a profit of MOP2.97 billion, and more than MOP11.2 billion in revenue from casinos. It had contributed MOP522 million of taxes to the Government.

In the Board of Directors' Report, it pointed out that the performance in 2006 'had greatly exceeded from the expected'.

It also revealed that a franchise had been applied to operate ferry services between Macau and Hong Kong at the end of 2006, with plans to expand to other destinations in the future. It promised to provide services 'beyond existing standards'.

Meanwhile, MGM Grand Paradise, whose premises is still under construction, also reported on the Gazette a loss of MOP43 million in 2006. There was no revenue generated last year, according to the extract of the report.