The government of Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) will establish a new bureau responsible for environmental promotion and protection, the Macao Daily Times reported Tuesday.

The Environmental Protection Bureau will start working on June 29, replacing the existing Environmental Protection Committee.

Like the committee, the bureau will give opinions toward strategy development, make proposals on environmental protection, and coordinate programs, measures and activities by the government.

In addition, the new bureau will be responsible for pollution control, planning and evaluation of all environmental infrastructures.

The bureau will have extended power to meet society's current and future development, and respond to social demands and step up efforts in regional and international cooperation of environmental conservation, the daily said.

(Xinhua News Agency May 20, 2009)