Realtor ‘worries’ raising stamp duty too harsh on 1st-time homebuyers

Raising the stamp duty would mean raising the cost for people who are buying their first home, local real estate agency Mcore Properties Investment and Development Operating Director Noel Cheung Lai Wah said yesterday, pointing out that she trusts the government would look at the actual situation before toughening up the cooling measures to curb the rise of property prices.Cheung made the remarks during a press conference about property market trends, at the agency’s office in

November 17, 2016 | BY admin

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Cross-sector co-op benefits cultural industries: FIC chief

Cross-sector co-operation is beneficial to the development of Macau’s cultural industries, Cultural Industries Fund (FIC) Director Davina Chu Miu Lai said yesterday.Chu made the remarks on the sidelines of a forum about cultural industries and civil society held at the Macau Polytechnic Institute (IPM).FIC granted almost 138 million patacas, including close to 100 million patacas in subsidies and nearly 40 million patacas in interest-free loans, for 113 projects between 2014 and last

November 17, 2016 | BY admin

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Man suffers multiple fractures in beating by robbers

A man was attacked and left with multiple fractures by four or five men who attempted to rob him in Areia Preta district on Saturday, a Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesperson said yesterday.Addressing a press conference, the spokesperson said the victim was walking alone past a park near Rua Central da Areia Preta around midnight on Saturday when he heard a man behind him shouting someone’s name. He took no notice and continued walking as he did not know the man.The man

November 17, 2016 | BY admin

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CE election system to be kept for long time: Chui

Chief Executive Fernando Chui Sai On said yesterday that the current chief executive (CE) election method should be kept for a long time, as it was suitable for the situation in Macau.Chui made the remarks in a reply to grassroots lawmaker Ng Kuok Cheong’s question during a Q&A plenary session in the legislature’s hemicycle. The session came one day after Chui delivered his 2017 Policy Address.After Chui answered Ng’s question, Ng complained that the government did not have any

November 17, 2016 | BY admin

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Social rental housing will be given priority: Chui

Chief Executive Fernando Chui Sai On said in his 2017 Policy Address yesterday that the government would continue to implement its current public housing policy in which social rental housing will be given priority over subsidised home ownership scheme (HOS) flats.Chui also said that the government would continue its annual “wealth-sharing” handout scheme next year – 9,000 patacas for permanent and 5,400 patacas for non-permanent residents, both amounts unchanged from this year.Presenting

November 16, 2016 | BY admin

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Chui stresses importance of building public housing on ex-Scala plot

Chief Executive Fernando Chui Sai On said yesterday that the government would push ahead with its controversial plan to build public housing on the plot of the abandoned La Scala luxury housing project in Taipa, as the government was determined to tackle the city’s strong public housing demand.Speaking during a post-policy address press conference at Government Headquarters, Chui said the government made the decision to build public housing on the plot after listening to residents’ requests

November 16, 2016 | BY admin

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Police nab credit card fraud trio

A married couple and their male friend were arrested on Monday for alleged credit card fraud of 260,000 patacas, a Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesperson said at a press briefing yesterday.The spokesperson said the PJ received a call from a staff member of a local bank to report suspicious credit card transactions made between September 6 and October 5 by the married couple, who are owners of a seafood hotpot restaurant near Kiang Wu Hospital. After further

November 16, 2016 | BY admin

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Casino system provider looks to diversify from gaming

While showcasing its latest live multi-game machines at this week’s Macau Gaming Show, casino system provider LT Game Limited is also rolling out non-gaming products to reach the overseas market and also is testing new virtual reality (VR) technology.The three-day Macau Gaming Show opened yesterday at the Venetian.LT Game Chief Operating Officer Betty Zhao Yi told reporters yesterday that while most of the products that the company provides to the Macau market are gaming,

November 16, 2016 | BY admin

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Angela Leong says SJM pay rise yet to be decided

SJM Managing Director and Chief Administrative Officer Angela Leong On Kei said yesterday that whether there would be a pay rise for SJM staff depended on the board’s decision.Leong made the remarks prior to a press conference at Grand Lisboa to introduce the SJM Theodore Racing Team for the Macau Grand Prix from tomorrow until Sunday.“I can’t tell you because we haven’t had our board meeting yet and it’s usually after the fourth quarter that we can tell

November 16, 2016 | BY admin

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Coastal waters bill consultation starts today

The government will launch a public consultation today about a bill regulating Macau’s coastal waters – the Marine Areas Management Framework Law, which will end on December 14.The government expects to submit the bill to the Legislative Assembly (AL) late next year for debate and vote, according to the Legal Affairs Bureau (DSAJ).In December last year, the central government granted Macau jurisdiction over 85 square kilometres of its coastal waters to help push its economic

November 15, 2016 | BY admin

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Tourism chief says film-fest in ‘difficult period’ after director quits

The situation of the 1st International Film Festival & Awards (IFFAM), which is taking place from December 8 to 13, is in a “difficult period” following the abrupt resignation of the festival’s director Marco Müller, said Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO) Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes yesterday.Senna Fernandes, who is also the president of the IFFAM Organising Committee, made the comments while addressing a press conference about the festival at Macau Tower.

November 15, 2016 | BY admin

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Local nabbed for abusing his wife

A 28-year-old local man was arrested on Sunday for abusing his wife for years, a spokesperson for the Judiciary Police (PJ) said in a special briefing yesterday.According to the spokesperson, neither the suspect, surnamed Lo, nor his 31-year-old wife have a steady job. They relied on Lo’s pensioner father to give them money.The spokesperson said the victim met Lo and they started dating in the mainland in 2008. After becoming pregnant, the victim married Lo in 2010. The victim applied for

November 15, 2016 | BY admin

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Macau to host badminton tournament

acau announced yesterday that the 2016 Macau Open Badminton tournament, which is officially sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) and sponsored by the Sports Bureau, will be held at the Tap Seac Multisport Pavilion from November 29 to December 4. The tournament is also part of the BWF Grand Prix Gold Series with total prize money of one million patacas.The local federation made the announcement in a press conference at Hotel Royal.The event, which has been a feature of

November 15, 2016 | BY admin

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Jobless man nabbed for burglary on Penha Hill

A jobless local Portuguese resident was caught on Friday for allegedly breaking into a house on Penha Hill and damaging property inside, a spokesperson for the Judiciary Police (PJ) announced during a regular briefing yesterday.According to the spokesperson, the male suspect, surnamed Gonçalves, is a 38-year-old unemployed local resident holding Portuguese nationality, who told police that he was homeless.The spokesperson said the owner of the

November 15, 2016 | BY admin

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