The Cultural Heritage Committee held this year’s first plenary meeting yesterday at the Macau Cultural Centre (CCM), during which all its members backed the Macau Cultural Development Fund’s (FDC) second round of its programme launched last year to provide subsidies to five private buildings that are officially listed as cultural heritage sites, according to Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) President and Cultural Heritage Committee Acting President Deland Leong Wai Man yesterday.
Leong made the remarks at a press conference after a closed-door meeting, during which the bureau also briefed members on the work relating to the cultural heritage portfolio for this year.
According to Leong, the five additional cultural heritage sites are located in the vicinities of Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro (新馬路), Largo do Senado (議事亭前地), Rua de Cinco de Outubro (十月初五街) and Estrada de Coelho do Amaral (連勝街) respectively.
According to committee member Wu Chou Kit, the programme aims to encourage owners of the cultural heritage buildings to carry out regular maintenance and repairs on the buildings, in order to better facilitate their conservation and revitalisation. The fund received applications from September 24 to November 22 last year.
In addition to properties that have already been officially classified as cultural heritage sites, the subsidy programme also covers private buildings that the government is proposing to list as officially-protected cultural heritage sites or that it regards as being of “special cultural value”.
According to the fund, the programme will pay out subsidies totalling 10 million patacas this year. Each beneficiary will receive a subsidy equivalent to 50 to 80 percent of the cost required to repair or maintain the respective building, with a maximum subsidy amount of two million patacas.
FDC member Hoi Kam Un said during yesterday’s press conference that the programme does not require owners to submit project estimates during the application submission period and, once the project is passed by the Cultural Heritage Committee, the fund will notify the applicant to prepare a maintenance programme within two months or so, which needs to be completed by a third-party specialised consultant, and the budget will be made available only after the submission of the maintenance programme.
Hoi underlined that the subsidies will only be granted after the proposal has been approved.
In addition, Leong pointed out that two restoration projects will be the most important this year, namely the second stage of restoring the bronze statues at the Ruins of St Paul’s and restoring the Chapel of Our Lady of the Snows on Guia Hill.
Leong underlined that on the occasion of the 20th Anniversary of the Inscription of the Historic Centre of Macau on the World Heritage List on July 15, 2005, the bureau will further promote the conservation and revitalisation of Macau’s UNESCO-listed World Heritage site, including the organisation of international cultural forums, as well as cultural heritage-related training workshops.
According to the Cultural Heritage Protection Law, which came into force in March 2014, the local government is required to draw up its official plan for the protection and management of the Historic Centre of Macau in compliance with the UNESCO World Heritage Committee’s requirements.
Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) President and Cultural Heritage Committee Acting President Leong Wai Man (centre), Cultural Heritage Committee member Wu Chou Kit (left) and Macau Cultural Development Fund (FDC) representative Hoi Kam Un look on during yesterday’s press conference after the committee’s first plenary meeting this year, at the Macau Cultural Centre (CCM). – Photo: Ginnie Liang
