Briefs | Maintenance work required on major water pipeline

Macao Water will carry out further maintenance work on one of the water pipelines under the Sai Van Bridge today from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. The maintenance work involves replacing the rubber joints throughout the water pipeline located on the side of Macau under the Sai Van Bridge, near to the Gates of Understanding. The work is being done in order to reinforce the pipeline’s shockproof and pressure-resistant strength, thus ensuring greater stability. Macao Water has said that the first part of the maintenance work was completed smoothly on March 1. It is believed that the second part will be completed on schedule, while maintaining a normal water supply service. According to the company, under normal circumstances, this kind of rubber joint needs to be replaced every 10 to 15 years. After having the situation professionally evaluated, Macao Water has decided to carry out the joint replacements before the arrival of the peak season of water consumption during the hot summer months.

MGTO to focus on foreign markets

Over the past five-day Easter and Ching Ming holiday, Macau received a total of over 775,000 visitors, 1.67 percent up year-on-year. According to the director of Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO), Helena de Senna Fernandes, the growth was mainly attributed to visitors from Hong Kong and Taiwan, while tourists from the mainland recorded a 3.5 percent year-on-year decline. The director said in a TDM radio program yesterday that it’s still unable to conclude that the number of mainlander visitors to Macau has shown a downward trend. However, she revealed that the MGTO would focus on exploring foreign markets. According to the Public Security Police (PSP), the city’s six checkpoints recorded more than 2.37 million border crossings during the past holiday period, whith more entries than departures. Opinions indicate that Macau has a difficulty in attracting visitors to stay over night, due to the expensive hotel rates. In response, Ms Fernandes acknowledged that local hotels’ occupancy rate has for the first time showed a negative growth during this Chinese New Year

Ng Kuok Cheong calls for measures against food inflation

In a written interpellation filed yesterday, Ng Kuok Cheong urged the government to hammer out detailed and concrete policies and measures to curb the rampant inflation in the food sector for the sake of ordinary citizens. Following Secretary for Economy and Finance Lionel Leong’s announcement of the import, wholesale and retail prices of local pork (MOP19.9, MOP21.7 and MOP68.9 respectively) during the policy address debate, the lawmaker expressed doubts over whether the government has explicitly acknowledged the huge differences between the import and retail prices. Meanwhile, Ng Kuok Cheong’s written inquiry also asked for the government to publicize the specific mechanism that will be used to curb food inflation.

IFT hosts international conferences

Between March 23 and 28, the Institute for Tourism Studies (IFT) hosted international conferences titled “Vernacular Religion, Folk Belief, and Traditions of the Supernatural 2015” and “The Supernatural in Literature and Film.” The conferences explored past and present supernatural traditions from across the globe, and addressed a wide range of topics of interest to scholars and students embarking on heritage and cultural studies. Delegates also spoke with local tradition bearers in Macau and visited the city’s spiritual and religious sites. The previous conference was held in Scotland, where the series was founded in 2009. The co-host of this year’s conference, the Island Dynamics, is responsible for organizing conferences about island studies, aiming to strengthen small island communities through information sharing and cross-sector collaboration.

Perfect Shape opens new service center in Macau

Perfect Shape announced that it has opened a new medical beauty service center in Macau. With the establishment of this service center, the total area of service centers in Macau has increased by 71 percent to 7,200 square feet. According to a press release, the opening aims to capture “the huge market demand.”