The Macau Metro Monitor, January 20, 2011
DECEMBER PASSENGER DATA Changhi Airport Group
The number of passengers arriving into Singapore's Changhi airport rose 6.0% to 4,063,874 in December. Even though it is a new monthly record, it is a sequential slowdown from November's 7.7% YoY growth in number of passengers.
RESORTS WORLD SET TO BUY SINGAPORE TECH BUILDING Business Times
Singapore Technologies is said to be close to selling its office block in the Tanjong Pagar area for nearly $150 million to Resorts World at Sentosa Pte Ltd--nearly $1,500 per square foot on the current net lettable area (NLA) of 98,906 sq ft. Tanjong Pagar is slated to be transformed into a new bustling waterfront district after the container terminals in the vicinity eventually move out.
MORE VISITORS, MORE MONEY, MORE WISHING Intelligence Macau
Tourism chief Joao Manuel Costa Antunes, Director of the Macau Government Tourist Office, says his conservative forecast for Macau visitation is 10% growth. IM believes the 10% target is not conservative but more realistic.
For visitation to reach double-digit growth rates, IM says Lot 5&6 needs to get back on track and a short timeline is needed for Wynn, SJM and MGM Cotai projects. They think it's wishful thinking.
CHINESE BANKS LENT OUT RMB 1 TRILLION 21st Century Herald
According to sources, Chinese banks lent out more than RMB 1 trillion by Jan. 19. The report comes even as Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said yesterday that his government will work to avoid "abnormal" loan growth during the current quarter. Chinese banks tend to front-load their lending during the year to earn more interest income, so January and Q1 are usually the peak lending periods. In January 2010, lending stood at RMB 1.39 trillion, by far the highest total of any month during the year. In addition, China Development Bank had stopped lending for the rest of the month, having reached its quota.
