Macau’s fiscal surplus between January and July has dropped by 59.1 percent when compared with the same period of last year, standing at over MOP27.18 billion, according to the latest Central Account released by the Financial Services Bureau. During the period, public revenue was recorded at nearly MOP64.49 billion, representing a 32 percent drop year-on-year. Within that, direct taxes from gaming amounted to MOP51.93 billion, down by 35.7 percent. Meanwhile, public expenditure increased by 27.9 percent to MOP37.3 billion, reflecting an execution rate of 42.4 percent of the budget.
Hengqin Port to become entry and exit point for migrant labor from mainland
Transport Bureau director Lam Hin San has said that local imported workers would gradually begin to use the Hengqin Port to enter and leave the region before and after work, as the authorities have pledged to further such an approach in a bid to mitigate the mounting burden on local traffic. Since talks with local gaming operators over the possibility of the casinos offering carpool vehicles, three companies have begun driving their employees between their workplaces and the Border Gate. The average daily volume of passengers involved in the commute has reached 4,000. In addition, for all six companies that give their mainland workers free rides between their workplaces and the Hengqin Port, the frequency during rush hours per day totaled 85 trips, with more than 2,700 people benefitting from the service.
Lawmaker pushes for facial detection system in border auto-channels
Lawmaker Si Ka Lon has questioned the Security authorities in his written inquiry about the effectiveness of the newly implemented facial detection system at border checkpoints. The lawmaker noted that the system being used to check visitors’ identities was introduced in 2011 with the purpose of identifying non-local residents who have previously committed a crime, especially that of overstaying, and preventing them from re-entering the region. Si questioned whether the authorities have expanded their use of the system into other fields in order to maximize the technology’s crime-fighting potential.
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