The Macau Metro Monitor, February 22nd, 2010
CNY PASSENGERS SLIGHTLY HIGHER YOY macaodaily.com
2.33MM passengers, slightly higher than the 2.27MM passengers last CNY, passed through the Macau border gates from the start of the Chinese New Year to Saturday, Feb 20th. Border crossing control improvements and an increased number of ports helped deal with a larger immigration crowd.
GAMING TAX RECEIPTS SOAR macaubusiness.com
According to the Financial Services Bureau, direct gaming tax receipts for January 2010 rose 45.9% to MOP4.3BN. The receipts accounted for 85.3% of total government revenue.
GAMING COMMISSION MAKEOVER POSITIVE macaubusiness.com
Macau’s Gaming Commission recently got a makeover with the appointment of new members to the posts of Secretary for Administration and Justice, Secretary for Transport and Public Works, the head and also a representative from the Chief Executive's Office, The Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture and the commissioner of Legal Affairs with the former Gaming Commission, Jorge Oliveira, are out are out of the new bureau.
The new commission will “do more besides grant licenses” and become less gaming-oriented in order “to solve conflicts that have emerged with the boom of the gaming industry”. The new commission will be more transparent around issues like land granting procedures to casino operators.