Briefs | Group reports to CCAC regarding gov’t land debts

Earlier this month, the Collective Wisdom Policy Centre (CWPC) delivered a report to the Commission Against Corruption of Macau (CCAC) regarding six land debts owned by the government, according to a notice posted by lawmaker Ho Ion Sang, the president of CWPC. The six lots occupy a total of 88,806 square meters, which had been retaken by the government previously. Ho Ion Sang said that the government has not released any information related to these lots. He expects the authority to do so in order to increase the transparency of land management.

Fong accused of interfering in operation of Flower City Complex

Lawmaker Fong Chin Keong, who is also the general manager and the administrator of Sociedade de Investimento Taipa, Limitada, has been accused of sending representatives of his company to the Flower City Complex for them to stand in the lobby of the building and rearrange office facilities at the place in order to de facto take over the running of operations there, according to a notice published earlier this week by the management committee of the complex. The notice reads that the committee is the only authorized management body of the complex. It condemns the group as well as Fong Chi Keong for interfering in the community. Previously, Fong’s representatives “disturbed the mall at the complex several times.” Fong even appealed to the courts, claiming that the committee was occupying property that was actually his, but the lawsuit failed.

Casino cage supervisor turns himself in to police

On Monday, a 31-year-old Macau local turned himself in to police after stealing chips worth HKD13 million from a casino cage he was working at. The suspect, surnamed Cheung, was a supervisor working in a VIP room. According to the Judiciary Police, Cheung has had a gambling addiction for seven to eight years. In recent years, Cheung has lost a total of HKD7 million. From last Friday until Sunday, Cheung obtained the chips gradually, taking them in four batches before losing all of them gambling afterwards.

Most restaurants still report revenue decrease

Around 60 percent of interviewed restaurants and similar establishments reported a year-on-year decrease in receipts in the year to August 2016, down by 14 percentage points from July. According to results from a business climate survey of restaurants, conducted by the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC), 47 percent of interviewed restaurants and similar establishments anticipated a year-on-year decrease in receipts in September.

Local orchestra to perform at China Arts Festival

The Macao Chinese Orchestra is set to perform at the 11th China Arts Festival next Monday, October 24 in Xi’an, capital city of Shanxi province. This marks the second time the local orchestra will perform at the Chinese Festival. Their last performance was in 2010, when the festival was organized in Guangzhou, Guangdong. The orchestra will perform three pieces related to Macau and produced by Portuguese-speaking composers, including Pixinguinha from Brazil and Frederico de Brito e Ferrer Trindade from Portugal. The festival will hold more than 70 performances from professional art groups and over 80 performances by amateur players.