Briefs | Fewer visitors over New Year holiday

During the two-day New Year’s holiday, Macau welcomed 6.12 percent fewer tourists in comparison to the previous year’s figure. The Public Security Police Force (PSP) announced that nearly one million trips were recorded passing through the city’s various border gates during the two days, according to a report by TDM. Visitor arrivals were fixed at 319,000. Earlier, a report by Macao Daily News also stated that Gongbei customs had expected to see a slight decrease in the number of mainland visitors coming to Macau during the holiday.

Lawmakers call for more free drinking water supplies

Lawmaker Lei Cheng I questioned the government in a written inquiry delivered yesterday as to whether it will install free drinking water supplies in all of Macau’s government buildings and public spaces. Lei pointed out that currently, only a few governmental departments provide this kind of facility. However, as she noted, many frequented public places lack drinking water supplies. Lei indicated her belief that installing more water supplies will encourage members of the public to carry their own water bottles while spending time in the city, which would reduce the use of plastic water bottles.

130 police officers under internal investigation

The police force has been conducting investigations into 130 police officers from the Public Security Police Force (PSP), who were found absent from their positions while on duty during last Spring Festival, as announced in a notice published on the website of the Office of the Secretary for Security. According to the notice, the PSP first inspected some of these officers’ absences from their posts during the five-day holiday of last year’s Chinese New Year. After a continuous review of internal CCTV footage, the PSP found that 130 officers engaged in a suspicious behaviour, for instance lingering in pantries or rest rooms, leading to calls for the involved police to be investigated.

Gov’t to pay MOP135 million for bridge

The local government will pay more than MOP135.3 million to China Road and Bridge Corporation to build a bridge which will connect the city’s artificial island to Reclamation Zone A. A notice published in the Official Gazette indicated that the total payment will be completed in three installments: MOP13 million, MOP50 million, and MOP71 million, which will be settled in 2016, 2017, and 2018, respectively. According to an earlier statement from the Infrastructure Development Office (GDI) published in September, the bridge will be 140 meters long and will be completed by the end of November this year.