The Secretary for Economy and Finance, Mr Lei Wai Nong, today said the Labour Affairs Bureau had in 2021 been successful in helping some 3,200 unemployed people get freshly hired; while in the first five months this year, 3,277 local residents had been successful in finding a job.

Mr Lei spoke of the Government’s ongoing effort regarding employment of locals, in comments on the sidelines of the opening ceremony of the 4th edition of the Macao Integrated Tourism and Leisure Enterprises Vocational Skills Competition 2022.

Besides job-matching for local residents, the Government paid great attention to the reduction in the number of non-resident workers in the local market, said Mr Lei. The Government was committed to ensuring these job vacancies would create opportunities for local residents, he added.

Regarding the Government’s ongoing effort to attract more tourists and foster economic recovery, the Secretary told reporters that the second half of the year would be a golden period for the city’s tourism outlook. The Government would devote all-out effort to expanding the tourism market and extending their stay in Macao, if the COVID-19 situation became more stable, said Mr Lei.

When asked about gaming revenue, Mr Lei said the Government was closely monitoring and evaluating the need to amend its budget in the second half of the year. When the budget for 2022 had been formulated last year, it was expected gaming revenue would be about 130 billion patacas; but revenues from January to May were not as expected.

Mr Lei also talked about “satellite casinos” in Macao, saying any company’s decision on whether to cease such an operation would be merely a matter of commercial judgement, after taking into account either the epidemic-related situation or its own financial situation. Any such decision would not relate to the proposed amendment to Law no. 16/2001 (“Legal Framework for the Operations of Casino Games of Fortune”), said Mr Lei.

The Government had received a few applications from “satellite casinos” regarding adjustment of their operations, Mr Lei said. The Government would not intervene in their business decision, he stressed.