Briefs | Bridge to reclaimed land estimated to cost MOP305m

  China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) has been assigned the contract to build a bridge connecting the new reclamation project, known as the Macau New Urban Zones (Zone A), to the Macau Peninsula. The local government chose CHEC, according to a notice signed by the Chief Executive and published in the government’s Official Gazette. The company will be paid MOP305 million for the project, with the final installment to be settled in 2018. According to the Transportation Infrastructure Office, the bridge will be approximately 400 meters long with six traffic lanes. It will connect the north of Zone A to the Rotunda de Amizade.

Casino staff represent one-third of problematic gamblers

The Social Welfare Bureau (IAS) says that 33 percent of problematic gamblers who seek help from the IAS are employed within the gaming industry. IAS has reported that each year there are approximately 130 to 150 cases concerning casino employees. No notable increase has been registered in this year. In the first half of 2016, there were approximately 780 recorded cases of gamblers asking assistance from IAS. These people are mainly aged between 40 and 70 years old. Problematic teenage gamblers normally prefer to seek help from their friends and families, which means that gambling addiction cases within the youth population are less commonly registered.

Grade repetition below fourth grade discarded

The latest recommendation on the metric to evaluate  Macau’s students’ performance has suggested removing grade repetition for students in year levels below the fourth grade of primary school. According to the Education and Youth Affairs Bureau (DSEJ), the draft states that unless the student’s parents apply for the child to repeat a grade, the school can not require students to do so. The draft also points out that the repetition rate must be below 4 percent in fifth and sixth grades of primary schools, and must not exceed 8 percent in middle school. In primary school, fifth and sixth grade students would now be allowed to move to sixth grade and to graduate respectively if they fail only one subject.

Rabbit lantern class next month

Albergue SCM is to organize “Traditional Chinese Lantern Workshop – Part 18 (Advance)” to be held between December 5 and 19. It will be co-organized by Círculo dos Amigos da Cultura de Macau and sponsored by the Macau Foundation. According to a statement from the organizers, a master in lantern marking has been invited to lead the program. Alfredo Ceynas will instruct participants on how to construct a traditional rabbit lantern. Albergue SCM has been holding workshops of lantern-making since 2010, providing a platform for the public to learn the traditional Chinese art and craft. The application period for the class is now open.

‘Macao Tourism Data plus’ introduces new indicators

The ‘Macao Tourism Data plus’ (MTD plus), an online platform run by the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO), is now equipped with new statistical indicators for hotel industry figures. The three new indicators include: occupancy rate of operating hotel establishments, number of guests of operating hotel establishments and operating hotel establishments. Currently available in Chinese, Portuguese and English, MTD plus is equipped with an array of features including interactive data, tourism statistics tables, e-publications, distribution maps of visitor source markets as well as a tourism situation video. MGTO introduced MTD plus in late November 2015.

Police investigating Huang Shan’s case

The Judiciary Police (PJ) is cooperating with the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau in regard to former Macau junket promoter Huang Shan. Huang had fled Macau after having stolen HKD10 billion from gaming investors in 2014. The 40-year-old mainland resident from the Guizhou province was found earlier in Cambodia and is allegedly being held by some of his debtors in Vietnam. PJ Director Chau Wai Kuong said that the case is still under investigation. Because Huang Shan is not a Macau resident, his return to Macau requires time and further judiciary procedures.

Zhuhai links traffic infractions and price of cars

One car worth more than RMB1 million has more infractions recorded against it than the total infractions of those worth less than RMB100,000. According to a report by Jornal Va Kio, 60 percent of the cars worth less than RMB100,000 have infraction records. Regarding cars worth between RMB100,000 to RMB200,000 patacas, 85 percent have broken the city’s transportation laws. The percentage with respect to cars sold from RMB200,000 to RMB300,000, RMB300,000 to RMB400,000, and from RMB400,000 to RMB500,000 is 70 percent, 90 percent and 94 percent, respectively. When compared, cars worth more than RMB 1 million have significantly more infractions.

Observation deck completed at Small Taipa Hill

The construction of the 180-degree observation deck at the Small Taipa Hill is finished. The Land, Public Works and Transport Bureau (DSSOPT) is expecting the deck to be open to the public next month. According to a report by Macao Daily News, the deck will be opened at the beginning of next year at the latest. The public can access the deck by taking the stairs or the elevators at the Rotunda Leonel Sousa bus stop. Once they arrive at the deck, passengers will be able to see out over the southern region of the Macau Peninsula.