The government has initiated the setting-up of a centre dedicated to planning and coordinating the participation of different segments of civil society in its ongoing campaign to revitalise six historic areas, with the Macau General Union of Neighbourhood Associations (known as Kai Fong in Cantonese) having been commissioned to operate the centre, which was inaugurated yesterday.
The government revealed last month the implementation of a new model on revitalising the six historic areas, according to which the government will continue to coordinate and oversee the operations of the projects in the six areas, while the respective gaming concessionaires will continue to invest in the projects, with community associations and others from various segments of civil society participating in the projects by organising arts and cultural activities and events there.
The government said last month that the new model aims to enhance the effectiveness of the six areas’ revitalisations.
The centre inaugurated yesterday aims to advance the six areas’ revitalisations in compliance with the new model.
The government launched its campaign to revitalise six historic areas in 2023, with each of the city’s six gaming concessionaires to invest in and carry out one of the six revitalisation projects and the government to plan, coordinate and oversee their operations.
The government’s initiative to revitalise the six historic areas aims to diversify Macau’s tourism and leisure industry while strengthening its support for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by leveraging its requirements for the six gaming operators to invest in non-gaming attractions.
The six projects to revitalise historic areas comprise four in the peninsula, one in Taipa and one in Coloane. The six revitalised areas include various subareas featuring different historic and cultural characteristics, such as the Barra area, the pedestrianisation of Rua da Felicidade, the Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro area, the area around the Ponte 16 hotel in the Inner Harbour district, the Rua das Estalagens area, the Mount Fortress area, as well as Taipa’s erstwhile Iec Long Firecracker Factory and Coloane’s Lai Chi Vun Shipyards.
In the previous model, the six gaming operators, coordinated and overseen by the government, were respectively implementing the revitalisation of the different subareas covered by the six main historic areas.
Compared to the previous model, the new model launched by the government entails strengthened involvement of various segments of civil society by leveraging their respective advantages.
Yesterday’s inauguration ceremony about the newly established centre, officially known as “District Development Centre”, was held at Barra Kitchen near Ma Kok Temple.
Kai Fong President John Chan Ka Leong said during the inauguration ceremony that according to the new model, the government will draw up overall planning of the six revitalisation areas and coordinate and oversee their operations, while the six gaming operators will invest in the projects in the six areas as part of their non-gaming investment commitments.
Chan said that the role of Kai Fong is to create a platform aiming to coordinate various associations and other organisations in the community in planning, designing and organising arts and cultural activities and events there.
Chan did not say where the centre will be located. The ceremony was also attended by Economic and Technological Development Bureau (DSEDT) Director Yau Yun Wah.
Macau General Union of Neighbourhood Associations President John Chan Ka Leong presents details of the new “District Development Centre” during yesterday’s ceremony at Barra Kitchen near Ma Kok (A-Ma) Temple. – Photo: Kai Fong
