Briefs: IPM academic year opening ceremony tomorrow

The Macao Polytechnic Institute (IPM) will host an opening ceremony for the 2014-2015 academic year tomorrow, during which scholarships will be awarded to students. The ceremony will be held in the IPM Pavilion tomorrow at 3:00 p.m. with free admission. The school will welcome new students as well as teaching and administrative staff, and will also introduce the institute’s latest developments and future plans to parents and the wider community. During the ceremony, scholarships will be awarded to excellent IPM students and graduates for their outstanding academic achievements over the course of the previous academic year. The Macao Foundation and the Henry Fok Foundation, along with government departments and corporations in different sectors in Macau, will contribute to more than one hundred scholarships. School orientation activities will be held after the ceremony.

MTel to start testing its network next month

New landline service provider MTel’s chief executive, Michael Choi Tak Meng, has revealed that MTel will start network testing as soon as the end of September, and will trial-run in October and November before rolling out services in December. Mr Choi also said that MTel has already submitted its pricing scheme to Macau’s government and is waiting for the authorities to approve it. The chief executive said that at present the MTel network could cover 28 percent of potential users in Macau, 29 percent in Taipa and 40 percent in Coloane. He asked residents to “bear with it” during the cable laying process, which involves the digging of roads. Moreover, MTel has signed a contract with SONIQ, an Australian electronics manufacturer and distributor based in Melbourne. The partnership will see SONIQ and MTel building a collaborative relationship over smart home technology.

Minimum wage not to address domestic helpers

The Labor Affairs Bureau (DSAL) has denied rumors that the minimum wage bill will also cover domestic helpers. In a press release, the government said that the work performed by domestic helpers is quite particular; therefore it has to be addressed separately. DSAL has said that the government will conduct research and learn more about the stances of neighboring regions and countries regarding domestic helpers’ salaries. They stressed that, in Hong Kong, domestic helpers are not covered by the minimum wage legislation. Once the minimum wage is extended to other industries, the Macau government will regulate domestic helpers’ salaries and provide specific legislation for this working group.  The minimum wage bill was first drafted to address cleaning and security personnel working under management companies, but the Legislative Assembly’s 3rd Standing Committee is discussing its extension to other sectors. Lawmakers have suggested drafting an attachment to the bill, listing all the professional sectors that would be covered by this legislation.