More inspectors to tackle illegal inns

The Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO) is recruiting more staff to enforce the law than bans illegal accommodation. The office promised in a statement that the fight against illegal inns would not slow down.
The MGTO also vowed to strengthen promotion in mainland China, through advertisement in TV channels, particularly in the Guangdong province, in order to warn Chinese visitors to stay in licensed accommodation properties when they come to Macau.
Since August 2010, when the law came into effect, and until yesterday, the office has sealed a total of 187 premises suspected of providing accommodation illegally and inspected a total of 1143 apartments.
According to a statement, inspections involved investigations of a total of 908 occupants of premises suspected of providing accommodation illegally, including 43 over-stayers and 30 illegal immigrants, whose cases are being followed up by police authorities.
The MGTO has issued a total of 187 sanctions. In addition, 34 operators who provided accommodation illegally were fined MOP 200,000 each, in accordance with the new law.
Up to yesterday only two operators have voluntarily paid the fine within the statutory period, while there are still 32 pending cases being handled by the Finance Services.
At the same time, 32 occupants who failed to fulfil their duty of cooperation with the authorities were fined MOP 3,000 each. Only 15 have already paid the fine.