The government-appointed Northern District Community Service Consultative Council held its first regular monthly meeting of the year yesterday, where, among other things, ideas of how to boost the Spring Festival (aka Chinese New Year) community economy were raised.
The nearly two-hour meeting was held at the Patane Activity Centre on Avenida de Demétrio Cinatti (爹美刁施拿地大馬路).
The first part of the meeting was open to the media, during which councillors raised various issues one by one. The meeting then proceeded behind closed doors.
The closed-door meeting was attended by Economic and Technological Development Bureau (DSEDT) officials to brief the councillors on regulations related to the import and export of endangered wildlife, while officials from the Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) introduced quarantine measures for ornamental plants ahead of the 2026 Chinese New Year.
The Chinese New Year this year falls on February 17, when the Year of the Horse begins.
Councillor Chan Ka In expressed hope that the government would continue to organise various Chinese New Year (CNY) celebratory activities in the northern district, complemented by distinctive street art installations or festive “da kat” (the Chinese term for photo op places) spots, to establish the area as a “must-visit” destination for visitors. Chan also suggested that, inspired by the “Flora Fête with Sanrio Characters” themed bus initiative, a CNY zodiac-themed bus service be launched to tour the district and even be extended to Zape, enhancing inter-district connectivity.
“Zape” is the Portuguese acronym for Outer Harbour Land Reclamation Zone.
Councillor Lei Choi Hong said that she hopes that the government will launch consumption-boosting activities at weekends and statutory holidays, while strengthening collaboration with online payment platforms to facilitate participation by tourists and residents alike. This would encourage local spending and help distribute crowds during the CNY holiday, she said.
During the post-meeting press briefing, the council’s deputy convenor Wong Chio U and councillor Ip Weng Hong cited a DSEDT statement released to the councillors during meeting about the local regulations of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), clarifying that DSEDT and IAM serve as the management and scientific authorities respectively concerning the CITES regulation. The restrictions on importing and exporting CITES Appendix-listed species and corresponding penalties (with fines of up to 500,000 patacas) were also explained by the four officials from the two bureaus, two from each, who attended the meeting.
Wong and Ip also cited an IAM statement as stating that a temporary quarantine station for ornamental plants will be set up at the Barrier Gate checkpoint prior to the CNY period (February 14–16, from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.) to facilitate residents bringing in CNY ornamental plants, with a limit of one kilogram per person per entry. Both stressed that only the Barrier Gate will provide this temporary measure.
Northern District Community Service Consultative Council Deputy Convenor Wong Chio U (right) and fellow councillor Ip Weng Hong pose during yesterday’s press briefing after the government-appointed council’s closed-door meeting at the Patane Activity Centre on Avenida de Demétrio Cinatti. – Photo: Armindo Neves
