Briefs | Lawmaker wants incentives for budget hotels

Lawmaker Lam Lon Wai has asked the government for more measures to encourage investors to open budget hotels in Macau. In his written inquiry to the government, Lam said that Macau’s approximately 50 budget hotels currently provide 1,700 rooms, which represent less than 5% of all hotel rooms in Macau. “There are not many types of hotels available in Macau to choose [from]. During holidays, hotels rooms are always full, which pulls up the price of Macau’s overall hotel rooms, therefore reducing the tourists’ interest in staying in Macau longer. This, in turn, aggravates the illegal guesthouse situation,” said Lam.

MOP195 million granted to subsidize housing maintenance

The Housing Bureau (IH) granted MOP195 million in subsidies for the maintenance of Macau’s buildings in the first half of 2019, according to a statement released by IH last week. Over MOP7.6 million was granted to 81 applicants seeking assistance for the repair of facilities in the common areas of buildings, including gates, water, electric and sewage facilities. Additionally, over MOP6.9 million in subsidies was approved for other building maintenance programs. Some 60 applications requested building management funds, with the bureau granting MOP140,000 to each applicant for the selection of a management committee and the establishment of a common sinking fund.

Nine trash stations around Areia Preta in 2019

The Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) plans to establish nine trash stations in Areia Preta within this year. The district’s trash collection facility has been abandoned since October 2018 due to erroneous usage. The misuses of the facility included throwing out garbage which should not have been left in the trash collector. The trash collection facility at Areia Preta was built at a cost of MOP120 million. Originally, it was expected to have a 25-year service life span. Secretary for Transport and Public Works Raimundo Arrais do Rosário predicted that similar misuse of trash collectors would occur at future trash collection facilities.