Gaming resort operator Sands China launched an Entrepreneurship Recruitment Programme for Rua das Estalagens (草堆街) yesterday, with the aim of encouraging businesspeople to set up shop there to revive the neighbourhood’s economy, Sands China Executive Vice Chairman Wilfred Wong Ying-wai said yesterday.
Wong made the remarks during the programme’s launch ceremony held at The Londoner Macao yesterday, with the attendance of Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Elsie Ao Ieong, Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) President Leong Wai Man, Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO) Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes and other government officials.
Leong said in a speech at the press conference that the revitalisation project for Rua das Estalagens ("Street of Inns") not only encompasses the integration of artistic elements to enhance the aesthetics of the shops and street, but also encourages local enterprises to give full play to their creativity with its positioning as a “trendy street with a fun atmosphere”, so as to create a brand-new cultural and tourism attraction.
According to Wong, applicants are required to come up with a minimum investment capital of at least 300,000 patacas, and the programme will provide operational subsidies of up to twice the initial capital investment, capped at one million patacas.
The selection process considers factors such as innovation, feasibility, uniqueness, store attractiveness, and sustainable business models, Wong pointed out.
“Rua das Estalagens was once an exemplary and thriving commercial street in Macau with significant historical and cultural value,” Wong said, adding he hoped the programme will introduce diverse business features to the district in order to revive its erstwhile bustling street atmosphere, so as to promote sustainable economic development within the community.
Applicants must register no later than May 31. For more information, potential applicants can visit https://www.sandschina.com/the-company/sands-resorts-incubation-center.html for more details.
Sands China Executive Vice Chairman Wilfred Wong Ying-wai addresses a press conference at The Londoner Macao yesterday. – Photo: Ginnie Liang
