Briefs | Businesses see 70% rise in revenue at Food Festival

Businesses participating in this year’s Macau Food Festival, which came to a close last night, applauded its prosperity saying they have recorded a 70% increase in revenue. The popularity was attributed to this year’s satisfactory weather – sunny days with breezes – throughout the festival. A seafood restaurant debuted at the festival with lobsters and baby oysters. The manager said per capita spending at the stall was about MOP80. The Japanese food district also returned this year. A Japanese restaurateur who owns a two-decade-old establishment in Hokkaido, Japan, made his debut this year seeing an average spend of MOP60 per person. He felt Japanese food is popular among people in Macau, although he has no plan to open a shop here.

Space reserved for elderly, psychiatric facilities in Coloane

The elderly and psychiatric patient rehabilitation facilities at Seac Pai Van will be expanded using the facility originally built for the Health Bureau. Two floors of space have been reserved for the Social Welfare Bureau for such facilities. Construction drafts have been submitted to the Land, Transport and Public Works Bureau for approval. The Social Welfare Bureau is striving to open the expansion next year. The current facilities will be in normal operation during the expansion work. Meanwhile, the Social Welfare Bureau is currently looking for venues to house three facilities respectively in the São Lourenço, the Mong-ha and the Fai Chi Kei districts to provide an extra 2,400 beds.

Government plans to increase various pensions

The local government plans to raise social welfare pensions starting from next year. Adjusted benefits and subsidies include retirement and disability pension increased from 3,630 patacas per month to 3,740 patacas per month; unemployment allowance from 5,260 patacas to 5,418 patacas per month; birth allowance from 2,060 patacas each time to 2,120 patacas; marriage allowance from 2,670 to 2,750 patacas each time; funeral allowance from 2,385 patacas to 2,457 patacas; and relief fund increasing from 145 patacas per day to 150 patacas per day. Meanwhile, sickness allowance for hospitalization will grow from 145 patacas per day to 150 per day. After these increases, it is estimated that the total budget for next year will be about 5.2 billion patacas, of which retirement pensions will account for 4.6 billion patacas (about 88.5%). The number of pensioners is expected to be 126,000.  The increased pension will result in an additional budget of about 150 million patacas.

Three mainland women robbed by local man

The Judiciary Police (PJ) arrested a 27-year-old local man who robbed three mainland women. The three mainlanders work as prostitutes. The local man first defrauded the three women when he requested sexual services. The first victim provided the service and was robbed afterwards, having lost two phones worth 8,300 patacas in total. Following his first crime, the man immediately defrauded the two other victims in different guest rooms at the same hotel as the first. These two victims lost 5,000 yuan and two necklaces. During his robbery, he threatened the victims with a knife. He escaped to mainland China afterwards, where he dumped the knife. He was arrested upon his return to Macau.

Gov’t pledges public consultation for development fund

The Monetary Authority of Macao (AMCM) has pledged to carry out a public consultation if the local government sets up an investment and development fund management company. Earlier this year, Chief Executive Chui Sai On announced the setting up of a fund for the Greater Bay Area, which the AMCM says is still being planned. Replying to lawmaker Sulu Sou’s interpellation, AMCM said that the planned fund management company aims to improve the long-term return of public financial resources and promote a moderate and diversified economy. It is different from the business of Macao Investment Development Co., Ltd. and is also different from other investment projects in Guangdong Province.