CSI Group will manage concessions and the commercial areas at the Taipa Maritime Terminal (TMPT) in Macau.

Under a contract signed with the Marine and Water Bureau (DSAMA), the concession starts from July 1 and is for three years.

The DSAMA says the company has a duty to provide services to citizens and tourists “as quickly as possible”.

Covered by the agreement are vending machines for food, beverages and other products, as well as travel-agency and hotel-reception counters, money-exchange offices and bakeries.
Restaurants and duty-free shops will be added gradually at a later stage.

DSAMA says there was a delay in opening shops and restaurants in the new ferry terminal. The bureau took responsibility for TMPT last July and a month later initiated public tenders for such services as cleaning, security and maintenance.

Meanwhile, the process regarding shops and restaurants “took a longer time” as the concession was being granted in an exclusivity regime, with one of the contenders withdrawing.

As tropical storm Merbok hit the region this week, travellers complained of being stranded at the terminal because of ferry services being suspended. In some cases they were stranded for more than 10 hours without access to any support services such as restaurants and convenience stores.

CSI Group has been active since 2003, mainly in real estate and import-export, adding retail in December.