Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Cheong U, congratulated today members of the Cross-departmental Working Team for their cooperation and results achieved, which have met the expected target to combat the problem of providing accommodation illegally. “Through the efforts of all and the cooperation of different government departments involved, the expected results have basically been achieved,” Cheong U said, while calling members of the Cross-departmental Working Team to “keep the team spirit” in future works in combating illegal accommodation. Cheong U met members of the Cross-departmental Working Team this morning after their first meeting since the law on "Prohibition of Providing Illegal Accommodation" took effect on August 13. To date, the Cross-departmental Working Team was able to access 176 premises for inspections, of which 55 premises suspected to provide accommodation illegally were sealed and the supply of water and electricity suspended. During the operations, 238 occupants of premises suspected to provide accommodation illegally were investigated, including 11 operators, 9 touts, 9 persons who manage the premises that provide accommodation illegally (management staff) and two occupants who failed to fulfill their duty of cooperation. Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO) already began sanction proceedings on involved operators, touts and managing staff. After almost one month since the new law took effect, representatives of different government departments of the Cross-departmental Working Team met this morning to evaluate the work done so far, as well as exchange ideas on ways to improve the operations and solve new problems and situations which have emerged. The Cross-departmental Working Team coordinator, MGTO director, João Manuel Costa Antunes, mentioned that the results of the operations have shown the effectiveness of the joint efforts of MGTO and the Public Security Police Force to access the suspected premises, as well as the support in related works from other departments that join the Team. Antunes pointed out that based on the good results achieved so far, along with the execution of the penalties in the law, conditions are in place for the success of the operations to combat illegal accommodation. According to the new law, operators and persons who manage the premises that provide accommodation illegally (management staff) incur a penalty of up to 800 000 patacas, touts can be fined up to 100 000 patacas and occupants who fail to cooperate are fined 3 000 patacas. Meanwhile, MGTO together with Legal Affairs Bureau are preparing a new campaign to raise the awareness on the problem of illegal accommodation. The new campaign targeting visitors seeks to alert them about the problem before their arrival in Macau, and will be launched before the “golden week” of October 1, of the National Day of People’s Republic of China.
