by Nigel Huxtable

Almost two months after its official opening, the inner-harbour Ponte 16 resort is still unable to offer guests a room for the night.
The development's hotel does not have an operating license from the Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO) and is unable to say when one may be granted.
The 423 room Sofitel Macau, managed by the hospitality giant Accor which has over 3,800 hotels world-wide, currently displays a notice in its main lobby stating the “hotel is not open to the public”.
The license has been delayed by the sign-off the MGTO requires from the Lands, Public Works and Transport Bureau (DSSOPT) on the structure of the resort, said Ponte 16's senior vice president of marketing and operations yesterday.
“Unfortunately we are still waiting for the approval from the DSSOPT,” Simon Leung told the Macau Daily Times.
“[We] are waiting for the DSSOPT to confirm some technical issues and then we will be able to open.”
With all of the necessary paperwork filled-in and the inspections complete, the reasons behind the license delay are unclear, said Mr Leung.
However the vice-president believes it is due to the recent shake-up at the department. In January the former transport and public works secretary Ao Man Long was sentenced to 27 years jail for accepting millions of dollars in bribes, laundering money and abusing his power to decide the winner of property contracts.
“The newcomers to that department (DSSOPT) don't easily make any comments on the construction, especially if it is related to the hotel and gambling (industry),” said Mr Leung.
“They have to spend more and more and more time than normal (thinking) about the submission requirements of the hotel or the casino building.”
Ponte 16 is 51 percent owned by Sociedade de Jogos de Macau, S.A. (SJM), 44 percent by the Hong Kong stock exchange listed Macau Success Limited with the remaining 5 percent held by the Japanese Maruhan Corporation.
The MGTO, which is the primary licenser of hotels in Macau and required to co-ordinate the sign-off of various departments, refused to answer questions about the approval.
The hotel doesn't appear in the accommodation section of its public website. SJM's Grand Lisboa hotel which was due to open in the first quarter of this year is also not listed.
February 1 saw Ponte 16 open its two level casino, operated by SJM, and receive “invited VIP guests” in the Sofitel. It has approval to operate its gaming halls, which was provided by the Gaming Inspection and Co-ordination Bureau, said Mr Leung. However it remains unclear if the resort had approval to accommodate the guests. Again the MGTO did not respond when asked.
The main purpose of the licensing procedure is to assess the fire safety and any occupational hazards associate with the hotel, said Robert Rippon, general manager of Sofitel Macau.
The licensing procedure is more complex in other cities, such as Shanghai, said Mr Rippon, who managed a Novotel hotel in the city before moving to Macau, however it is generally more “streamlined” he added.
The luxury hotel with some 350 staff remains in the dark about an opening date. The Accor group's website states the venue will be opening in April.
“We wish next month but nobody can answer me,” said Mr Leung, “we are still waiting for the call back.”