Lawmaker urges crackdown on parallel trading

Lawmaker Sulu Sou has urged the local government to regulate parallel trading activities.

In his latest interpellation, Sou highlighted the problem posed by parallel trading activities in the vicinity of the Border Gate, mainly along Istmo Ferreira do Amaral, Rua Tres do Bairro Va Tai, Estr. dos Cavaleiros, among other streets.

Parallel traders buy products from Macau and transport them to mainland China for resale. These goods are typically either restricted or otherwise difficult to acquire on the mainland.

Sou pointed out that such activities nearby the Border Gate area are presently still rampant, causing nuisances, blocking roads and creating other problems.

In this area, shops under the name of “trade agencies” sell daily goods, such as showering products, cigarettes, alcohol and baby care products. Sou specifically stressed that these shops mark the profit margins on their products to tell customers the amount of money they can make if the products are sold across the border.

Sou asked whether the local government will instigate an investigation to crack down on “goods gathering points”. He proposed that the government investigate whether there are bigger organizations or operations involved behind the individual parallel traders.

From January until October of this year, the Municipal Affairs Bureau issued more than 1,400 fines for littering in the aforementioned areas.

Sou asked the government to issue an update on hygiene and environmental problems, as well as on the effectiveness of the government’s operations.