Secretary for Transport and Public Works Raimundo do Rosario apologised on Thursday for the failure of the Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau (SMG) to tell residents “in a good-enough way”about its much criticised decision not to hoist the No.8 typhoon signal earlier this week.
Rosario said the bureau should have done better in the way it released information about Typhoon Nida.
Between 12 a.m. and 6 a.m. on Tuesday, the bureau released updates several times stating that it would consider hoisting the No.8 signal shortly. However, the No.3 signal was maintained until Tuesdayevening after which all storm warning signals were removed. Many residents expressed outrage at the bureau’s decision.
Rosario admitted that the way the bureau released information to the public was “not good enough”.
“I have to say sorry to residents in Macau concerning the typhoon a few days ago. We didn’t do two things well enough…Sorry about it. The first thing was that we had said the No.8 signal might be hoisted but eventually the signal wasn’t hoisted. I think the bureau [Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau] should have explained [why the No.8 signal hadn’t been hoisted]”, Rosario said.
“The second thing was about the way we communicate [with members of the public]…I want to take the opportunity to say sorry on behalf of my colleagues for the two things”, said Rosario, adding,“Please give us a chance to do better next time.”
Rosario also said it’s the bureau director who decides on the hoisting of the city’s various typhoon signals, adding that it’s not him (in his capacity as policy secretary) who delegates this decision-making power to the director of the bureau.
“He [the bureau director] has the power to make some kinds of decisions, while some other decisions are authorised by the policy secretary [for transport and public works]. He has his own power to hoist a typhoon signal instead of me authorising him to do so”, Rosario said.(Macau News / The Macau Post Daily)
