Legislator Lam U Tou says that since the dissociation of the Macao Orchestra from the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) earlier this year, the orchestra has shown little improvement in its new form as a privatised company.
Lam made the remarks in a recent interview with The Macau Post Daily at his office in the city centre.
Macao Orchestra Company Limited was established in February by the local government to manage the operations of the Macao Orchestra and the Macao Chinese Orchestra, the Cultural Bureau (IC) said in a statement at that time.
According to Lam, a business model for the orchestra should have more flexibility than within the government structure. “There are pros and cons for the privatisation of the orchestra. On the one hand, the orchestra needed to actively look for methods to balance its income and expenditure, leading to fewer guarantees for the musicians’ income. On the other hand, with risk comes reward, and if the orchestra managed to find a way to cooperate with the business sector, especially the gaming sector, I see no reason for privatisation to fail,” Lam noted.
However, so far, the government does not seem to have any plans for the orchestra besides cutting the budget, Lam said, adding: “It’s a shame that the public sector is seriously lacking talents to manage not only the orchestra but the cultural sector in general. There is no doubt that the orchestra has been facing management problems in the recent decade, but cutting the budget is not helping at all.”
Lam said that the government should seriously consider how to develop the orchestra strategically and make use of its new position as a private company. “Instead of constantly looking for new developments, the local government should treasure institutions the city has at the moment. The Macao Orchestra is one of them,” Lam noted.
Lawmaker Lam U Tou looks on during a recent interview at his office in the city centre. – Photo: William Chan
