Briefs | Plan to remove two-stroke motorcycles concludes

The government financial support plan to scrap two-stroke engine motorcycles, which began last February, concluded on the last day of June, the Environmental Protection Bureau (DSPA) said in a statement. The statement also informs that the plan generated a greater and more positive response from the public than originally expected. According to the final figures, the DSPA received a total of 5,736 application, all of which were or are currently being processed. The plan is part of a series of government initiatives aimed at improving air quality on the streets in the region. On July 1, a new administrative regulation became effective, setting the new limits for exhaust pollutant emissions. 

José Dores exhibition opens at IFT Café

The Institute for Tourism Studies (IFT) has inaugurated an exhibition by local artist José Dores at IFT Café. Titled “Looking Through the Fog,” the exhibition opened on Friday and showcases Dores’ abstractionist paintings. According to a statement issued by IFT, the coffee shop located at the Anim’Arte Nam Van space “is one of the platforms to showcase local arts and provide citizens and tourists with a relaxing dining experience with cultural and art elements.” The exhibition will remain at the venue until August 21. 

203 enterprises registered in ‘Innovation Valley’

Hengqin Innovation Valley has registered 203 young entrepreneur-owned companies since the valley’s launch in 2015, over half of which are from Hong Kong and Macau. sixteen companies were granted venture capital, with their financing amounts exceeding MOP100 million. From launch to present, the companies in the valley have applied for a total of 600 patents, with more than 300 applications approved. By the end of May, the entire Hengqin area registered 4,903 companies with a recorded total capital of MOP6627.8 billion.

Majority deems pension system average

The latest survey conducted by the Macau Association of Social and Livelihood Enhancement and the Macau Jiangmen Communal Society indicates that 56.6 percent of the interviewees consider the current pension system in Macau to be average. Around 6 percent are unsatisfied with the local pension system, and only approximately 27 percent are satisfied with the system. The survey interviewed 1,708 people, of whom 1,299 were aged over 60 years old. Furthermore, the survey indicates that although the SAR government implemented many welfare policies for the public, there is still plenty of room for the authority to improve its pension system. The survey also suggested that quality of life for the elderly and other vulnerable groups have not yet been improved.

FM wants to avoid campaign fund spending

The Macau Foundation (FM) is attempting to make sure that the  local associations it subsidizes do not to spend those funds on electoral campaign activities. The subsidized associations will have to sign a “mandatory agreement.”  “Public funds can’t be used for the upcoming legislative elections. The process would no longer be fair while some associations get funded whereas some others don’t. Therefore, apart from signing an agreement, we will have our colleagues, including our subsidy department and our Executive Committee to oversee their activities and see if there’s anything that crosses our bottom line,” Au Weng Chi, member of the Macau Foundation’s Administrative Committee, said, cited by Radio Macau.