Lawmaker Ng Kuok Cheong yesterday handed a written interpellation inquiring into the social responsibility of gaming industries in the present stage.

Firstly, he asked the government to set up concrete measures to regulate franchise gaming corporations to account for the social responsibility in order to ease society’s anxiety.

In the interpellation, he asked if the government could regulate franchise gaming corporations to firstly cut back non-residential staff prior to local staff when the company was facing any business adjustments.

It would help the stable and sustainable development of Macau’s society, he said.

“Are there were any plans on reducing the number of imported skilled staff in the gaming corporations?” he questioned.

Secondly, he asked the government if there were any measures to regulate the number of non-local workers in those casino hotels which operated in the form of partnership with franchise gaming corporations.

As those casino hotels were usually taking up non-residential workers more so than locals, he added.

Thirdly, he asked the government to stop disposing land ar a cheap price as well as overabundantly importing workers.

Meanwhile, Mr Ng asked the government whether they could ensure the investment of gaming corporations paying the reasonable cost for their land and labour.

He finally asked the government whether they had made any scrupulous review on the willingness and ability of shouldering social responsibilities, when exempting the public tender of the land.

He said that the public were concerned that the reckless gaming and entertainment investment was merely for earning the difference of the land appreciation.
According to Ng who quoted the Labour Affairs Bureau statistics, the number of non-residential staff compared with residential staff in various casinos in December 2007 were as follows.

Rio Macau
Non-residential staff: 283
Local staff: 118

Golden Dragon Hotel
Non-residential staff: 357
Local staff: 104

Casa Real Hotel
Non-residential staff: 290
Local staff: 115

New Century Hotel
Non-residential staff: 559
Local staff: 236

Hotel Taipa Square
Non-residential staff: 152
Local staff: 81