IAM repainting to complete by year-end

The repainting of the Municipal Affairs Bureau’s (IAM) external wall is expected to be completed by the end of this year, according to José Maria da Fonseca Tavares, president of the bureau. Earlier this year, the IAM building was graffitied by a tourist from Portugal, who wanted to demonstrate his love to his Portuguese girlfriend, who lives in Macau. The repainting has not been prompted simply by this incident. It serves also to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Macau handover, according to the government. The bureau is outsourcing the project and will launch a bid soon.

Locals fall for GBA property propaganda

A group of around 100 Macau residents have complained about the failure of their investment in mainland commercial property, according to a report by Macao Daily News. The group bought shops in a real estate project in Zhongshan, investing a total of RMB10 million. Many of them paid between RMB200,000 and RMB300,000. The group claimed that they invested due to being inspired by the propaganda of the Greater Bay Area. They complained to several mainland government departments, however, no mainland department would handle their case. They hope that the Liaison Office and the Macau government can help them get refunds on the investment.

Consumer Council strikes agreement in Brazil

Representatives from Macau’s Consumer Council visited Rio de Janeiro in Brazil for a meeting with PROTESTE, the consumer protection organization in the Portuguese-speaking country, to discuss the establishment of a long-term communication mechanism. Both parties reached a consensus to work together in the meeting in Rio, with cooperation covering personnel training, the exchange of information, conduct of joint activities, and sharing of research. A mutual dispute resolution mechanism was also discussed. PROTESTE is the largest consumer protection organization in Brazil and Latin America, and the second largest in the world. There are over 200,000 members under PROTESTE.