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Gambling
DP: In what way have the receipts of gambling in Macao been used for the social welfare of the population?
AC:
Gambling has been a very important activity in Macao since 1962 and has made an important contribution to the development of its economy. However, it is not a decisive factor. The government is seeking to reduce its social impact by promoting other areas of economic activity. The number of jobs is the most important social aspect of this activity, besides the volume of receipts for the State and the number of visitors it attracts.
Illegal Immigration
DP:
What solutions do you envisage for the problems in housing and employment caused by the thousands of Chinese coming to Macao?
AC: We have tried to persuade the Chinese authorities to drastically reduce the emigration of Chinese to Macao, with some success. But the illegal entry of Chinese is still high despite frontier control. The government is considering measures to promote social housing in order to improve general housing conditions in the territory.
Labour laws
DP:
From what I understand, workers outside the civil service do not have any benefits from labour legislation (leave, labour contracts). When do you think new labour legislation will be introduced?
AC: The labour conditions and the economic system of Macao are very different from in the West. We had to adapt our ideas on labour policies in order to avoid disturbing the economic system and indirectly the workers themselves. The Chinese people are still attracted by the better working conditions of Macao. It is impossible to enforce labour laws in places where the strength and characteristics of tradition exceed other values. The labour conditions in Macao should not be compared with a Western country, but with the territories around the area.
DP:
Hong Kong has a labour statute which, I understand, is not being enforced. What will happen in Macao?
AC: The Far Eastern cultural systems, the beliefs, the traditions, the expectations, the habits and the concept of life are different from Europe. Values are different. There is a greater family solidarity and simplicity. The economic systems, their efficiency and output depend on these circumstances. Western countries criticise the competitiveness in Far Eastern countries. But why should the Far East adopt the Western way of life and not the other way around, as a South Asian leader recently put it? There is a cultural factor that Europeans tend to forget.
/Relations