The now-defunct Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) and Sports Bureau (ID) were merged on Sunday into a new public entity, the Culture and Sports Bureau (DSCD).
The Cultural Development Fund (FDC) – also a bureau-level public entity – was also merged into the new public entity, which started operating two days ago.
The new Culture and Sports Bureau is regulated by a new administrative regulation governing its organisational structure and operation, which was promulgated in the Official Gazette (BO) on Thursday last week and took effect on Sunday. Government-drafted administrative regulations, aka by-laws, do not require the legislature’s approval.
The now-defunct Cultural Affairs Bureau, headed by a president and two vice-presidents, comprised seven departments and 16 divisions, while the now-defunct Sports Bureau, also headed by a president and two vice-presidents, comprised five departments and 11 divisions.
Including its president, the board of the now-defunct Cultural Development Fund had three members. The president received a bureau-director salary, while the other two members each received a bureau-deputy-director salary. The fund comprised one department and four divisions.
Consequently, these three bureau-level public entities comprised three bureau-director-level positions, six deputy-director-level positions, 13 departments, and 31 divisions in total.
According to its administrative regulation, the new Culture and Sports Bureau comprises eight departments and 16 divisions. It is headed by a director and three deputy directors.
The eight departments are respectively tasked with cultural heritage, libraries and archives, culture and arts, cultural and historical research and dissemination, promoting the development of cultural and sports industries, managing cultural and sports facilities, promoting mass sports and organising sports competitions, and athletes training and sports science.
While the bureau-level Cultural Development Fund has been merged into the new Culture and Sports Bureau, the Sports Fund – which was operated by the now-defunct Sports Bureau – has now been replaced by a new fund called Cultural and Sports Fund – operated by the new bureau.
The new fund has a board consisting of seven members, all of whom each receive a salary equivalent to 80 points for public servants – 7,520 patacas currently.
Meanwhile, according to an executive order gazetted on Friday, the new Culture and Sports Bureau is headed by Deland Leong Wai Man, who had headed the now-defunct Cultural Affairs Bureau since February 2022.
In the run-up to the IC-ID-FDC merger, Leong had concurrently headed the now-defunct Sports Bureau since September 20.
While the new bureau has three deputy directors in its organisational structure, only two deputy directors have so far been appointed – Choi Kin Long and See Lei Si Leng. Choi was an IC vice-president, while Lei was an ID vice-president.
Pedestrians walk past the headquarters of the new Culture and Sports Bureau (DSCD) in Praça do Tap Siac yesterday. The building was the headquarters of the now-defunct Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC). The now-defunct Sports Bureau (ID) was headquartered in Zape. – Photo: Tony Wong
