Macau, China, 16 Jul – The Public Security Police (PSP) announced yesterday a string of measures to restrict the stay of transit travellers from mainland China in Macau.
According with the announcemnt, the new measures are meant to render ” more efficient” he control of mainland passport holders transiting through Macau to a third destination (other than Hong Kong and the mainlan) as well as to prevent cases of overstaying.
The new measures will, to take place from August 1, reduce the permitted maximum period of stay of transit travelers from the mainland China in Macau to a maximum of seven days from the current 14 days.
If a transit traveller from mainland failed to travel do a third destination during his seven-day in Macau but decides to enter Macau from the mainland once again his stay will be limited to just two days.
A third request under the same circunstances would be rejected, PSP said.
A police source said that many transit travellers from mainland China had previously be found to be involved in illegal business activities on the fringe of gaming industries.
PSP also said that from September 1 holders of two-way exit permits issued by the mainland authorities for visits to Hong Kong only will no longer be permitted to enter Macau from Hong kong.
The measures came in the wake of the recent restrictions of individua travel permits by the authorities in Gangdong for visits to Macau.
Under the restrictions individual travellers from Guangdong can visit Macau only once every two months.
According witht Macau Post newspaper the new restrictions have reportedly result in a decline in some Macau gaming companies stocks listed on the Hong Kong market and elsewhere.
Macau´s immmigration services are handled by the Public Security Police.
Macau received 9.99 million visitors in the first four months of 2008, which was a rise of 16.3 percent against the same period of 2007, the MacauStatistics and Census Bureau said.
The number of visitors from mainland China rose 24.4 percent to 5.87 million, the number from Southeast Asia rose 58.4 percent and visitors from Hong Kong fell 2.8 percent.(macaunews)
