New loan approvals fall

New approvals of residential mortgage loans (RMLs) and commercial real estate loans (CRELs) both witnessed decreases in February, according to data released yesterday by the Monetary Authority of Macau. In February new RMLs approved by local banks decreased by 29.5 percent month-on-month to MOP2.3 billion, 91.8 percent of which was extended to residents. Meanwhile CRELs fell 49.6 percent from the previous month to MOP2.7 billion, of which 87.9 percent was granted to residents. On an annual basis, new RMLs fell by 57.1 percent, while CRELs fared similarly, observing a drop of 43.4 percent. At the end of February 2016, the delinquency ratio for RMLs was 0.09 percent, up 0.01 percentage points from January and also from end-February 2015. The ratio for CRELs remained virtually unchanged from a month ago.

Bus lane trial opens today

The Transport Bureau (ID) will be running a trial today of the recently installed bus lane that passes along A-Ma to Rua do Lam Mau, Macau Daily News reported. The lane will open at 10:30 a.m., enabling buses to drive from R. da Ribeira do Patane towards Avenida do Almirante Lacerda. The trial will last for one hour, during the course of which, roads connected to the exit of the Pak Kong car park and to Travessa da Guelra will see a reduction in the number of permitted traffic.

Urban Renewal Committee website launched

The government has launched a new website for the Urban Renewal Committee, to provide the public with more information about the committee’s work. The Secretary for Transport and Public Works, Raimundo do Rosário, announced the government’s plans for the website on Friday, following the second meeting of the Urban Renewal Committee, of which Rosário is the chairman. The secretary said he encourages all public bodies under his portfolio to increase the amount of information they share online. The new website (http://www.cru.gov.mo/zh/news.php) is available in Chinese and Portuguese.