Briefs | Police concerned with child pornography cases after third this month

The Judiciary Police (PJ) has issued a statement to stress that possession and distribution of pornographic materials with minors is “a serious crime and bears grave consequences.” The statement comes after three recent cases have been uncovered just this month. According to the police statement, the PJ has recently been notified by INTERPOL that some individuals in Macau have been using social media platforms or communication software to transmit or distribute pornographic videos with minors. A designated division has been assigned to investigate the matter. The PJ also said it would continue cooperating with INTERPOL to prevent and combat crimes pertaining to child pornography. According to the Penal Code, production, sales, retail, import, export or distribution of pornographic materials with minors (videos or photos) by any name or means could face imprisonment of up to five years. Procuring or possessing such materials for the purpose stated above could be liable to the same penalty. Anyone who profiteers from or makes a living out of these activities could face imprisonment of up to eight years.

Foreign exchange reserves climb 3.5% in June

The Monetary Authority of Macau announced today that the preliminary estimate of the SAR’s foreign exchange reserves amounted to 189.6 billion patacas ($23.75 billion) at the end of June 2020. The reserves increased by 3.5% from the revised value of 183.3 billion patacas for the previous month. The Macau SAR’s foreign exchange reserves at end-June 2020 represented 10 times the currency in circulation. Meanwhile, the trade-weighted effective exchange rate index for the pataca dropped 1.25 points month-to-month but rose 1.51 points year-on-year to 108.2 in June 2020, implying that overall speaking, the exchange rate of the pataca declined against the currencies of Macau’s major trading partners on a monthly basis but increased on an annual basis.

IC to welcome album subsidy applications

The Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) will be accepting applications for the “5th Subsidy Program for the Production of Original Song Albums” from August 17 until September 30 September, according to a statement released yesterday. According to the IC, all local music creators and producers are welcome to participate. This year’s program comprises two categories: the album category and the mini album category, with each selected album being granted a subsidy of up to 270,000 patacas and 135,000 patacas respectively, as well as professional advice from members of the jury. The subsidy will be given to a maximum of three and six beneficiaries for the album and mini album categories respectively. The program aims to cultivate musical talents in Macau, support the production and promotion of original song albums, and encourage musicians to produce and release more works.