Secretary for Economy and Finance Tam Pak-yuen today (21st) announced that the entire report for the development of liberalization of gaming industry would be finalized as scheduled within the first half of the year.

Tam Pak-yuen pointed out that the second study report for gaming industry was basically finished. " The second paper focuses on the comparison of Macau's gaming industry with Australia, the United States and Europe, including licensing, tax, management, etc."

He elaborated that discussion would be made after the ad hoc committee for studying and constituting the future framework of the sector had studied the report.

The paper which consists of three phases is conducted by Arthur Andersen, a company which has been contracted by the SAR Government for studying the future development of gaming industry.

The primary phase focused on the development of gaming industry of the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, etc. The second phase concerned on the comparison of the gaming industry between Macau and the result conducted in the first phase. As for the third phase, suggestion about licensing and the management system for the gaming industry in Macau after the liberalization will be proposed.