The Secretary for Economy and Finance, Mr Leong Vai Tac, speaks to reporters.
The Government has requested Macau (Yat Yuen) Canidrome relocate from its current site, prior to 21 July 2018. The Company will have a two-year period to consider if it wants to keep running the dog racing operations. Speaking to reporters today, the Secretary for Economy and Finance, Mr Leong Vai Tac, said if the company were to continue running a dog racing business, it would need to find another location in which to do so. Any new location would need to comply with urban planning rules in general, and, in particular, would need to avoid creating any negative effect on local people’s livelihoods. The Government would also closely monitor the Canidrome’s existing dog racing business, taking into consideration matters such as how racing dogs were kept and how races were managed, said Mr Leong. The Secretary said the Macau (Yat Yuen) Canidrome would be responsible for reaching an agreement with its employees, should the company decide to close its dog racing business. If that were the case, the Government would provide the necessary services to help the current workforce at the Canidrome find new jobs. The Government’s announcement on the two-year timetable was made after taking several factors into consideration, including public opinion and what economic and social benefits the Canidrome had brought to Macao. The Government had also taken into consideration a report on the city’s dog racing industry that it had commissioned from the University of Macau, said Mr Leong. The extent to which the company had helped to diversify the city’s gaming industry; and had contributed to the transformation of Macao into a world centre of tourism and leisure, were also factors that had been weighed. The Government would study alternative uses for the current dog racing site, he said. The Director of the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau, Mr Paulo Martins Chan, represented the Government this morning in a meeting to inform representatives of the Macau (Yat Yuen) Canidrome about the Government’s decision. In view of concerns among some members of the community regarding the Canidrome’s operations, the Government had, in September 2015, commissioned an in-depth study on the local dog racing industry from the University of Macau. The report covered an analysis of the results of a random survey conducted via telephone; and a total of 1,031 interviews conducted in the street; among people living and working near the Canidrome. The current concession of Macau (Yat Yuen) Canidrome will expire at the end of the calendar year.