Casino operators have received at least 18 proposals from the Macau government under the referral mechanism established in 2023 to assist local groups with seeking funding, maritime authorities have said.
The update is according to a recent government reply to lawmaker Leong Sun Iok. Wong Soi Man, the director of the Maritime and Water Affairs Bureau, said that 10 of the 18 proposals were related to art and culture.
In July last year, the authorities unveiled a new system under which local groups seeking funding for their cultural and sporting projects are referred to the city’s six gaming operators for evaluation and consideration.
The legislator wrote to the bureau about whether the initiative could potentially benefit the industries of fisheries and ship making.
“The bureau has previously held multiple meetings to introduce local fishing associations to the operators of integrated resorts to promote cooperation between the two parties,” the reply stated.
Since the second half of 2023, all of the six casino operators have been tasked with breathing new life into the city’s relatively rundown districts in need of facelifts.
Macau’s fishing sector is now dependent on a funding scheme designed to provide the industry with an economic boost during the annual moratorium on fishing activity that traditionally lasts more than three months.
During that period, local fishermen are allowed to seek financial support from the bureau to organise family-friendly voyages.
