blogmacau.info

The Government promised to help small business to overcome their difficulties as a result of the ‘unexpected’ devastation caused by a powerful typhoon earlier this week, while clearing up is still under way.

The Chief Executive Ho Hau Wah (何厚鏵) said that the agencies will speed up applications for financial assistance, so that they can resume their commercial activities as early as possible.

Meanwhile, the actual water level recorded when Typhoon Hagupit was closest to Macau was almost two metres higher than forecast.

Director of the Port Authority Vong Soi Man (黃穗文) pointed out that the highest water level according to the Authority’s forecast was 2.7 metres, but the actual water level had reached 4.6 metres.

She added that the storm surge was ‘unexpected’, and that the same situation also happened in Hong Kong and Zhuhai, after communicating with the authorities of the territories concerned.

Vong also revealed that water levels at the Macau Maritime Terminal at the Outer Harbour had once exceeded the Terminal itself, but fortunately the ferries berthed there did not flow ashore, otherwise further damage could be given.

She said that half of the berths in the Terminal cannot be used for the time being, but added that this does not affect maritime traffic with Hong Kong and mainland Chinese cities nearby.

Vong also indicated that an emergency meeting had been called for after the typhoon, and had decided to enhance contingency mechanism, including timely forecast through electronic media.

Meanwhile, the Portas do Cerco bus terminal, once announced to be reopened for use yesterday (26 September), had been delayed because of a ventilation system breakdown.

Passengers will have to catch buses at the bus stop located at Rua da Tribuna until further notice.

Damages the typhoon had caused to Macau were also reflected by the amount of rubbish collected by the refuse collection monopoly, the CSR.

The CSR claimed that they had deployed 450 members of staff, including those on leave, to work overnight to clear up over 1,100 tonnes of rubbish.

They predicted a further 2,000 tonnes will be collected when the clearing up operation is over, which will become the largest single day collection amount in 15 years.

The Incinerator in Macau will work in full capacity to meet the increasing consumption demand, coinciding with two new combustors recently been installed as part of an expansion project.

The Office for the Development of Infrastructure (GDI) appealed to those living in the affected areas, namely the Inner Harbour and Praia do Manduco area, to throw away their rubbish at provisional collection points where skips were placed, as many streets in these areas are too narrow for refuse collection vehicles to access.

On the other hand, a total of 20 households who lived in huts in Coloane went to the Housing Bureau (IH) to seek for advice and assistance.

Some claimed that all their properties were ‘all gone’ as a result of the typhoon, and hoped that the Government could build public housing units in Coloane for settlement, or arrange them to live in existing units.

The Coloane Neighbourhood Association, which led the residents to visit the IH, said that they have received 30 to 40 similar cases so far.