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According to the statistics released today by the Monetary Authority of Macao, the proportion of international business in the local banking sector dropped slightly in the fourth quarter of 2016. At end-December 2016, the share of international assets in total banking assets fell to 84.1% from 84.2% at end-September 2016, while the share of international liabilities in total banking liabilities declined to 78.7% from 79.0%.Non-local currencies continued to be the dominant denomination in international banking transactions. At end-December 2016, the shares of the pataca in total international assets and total international liabilities were 0.8% and 1.7% respectively. Hong Kong Dollar, US Dollar, Renminbi and other foreign currencies accounted for 45.5%, 42.7%, 6.4% and 4.6% of total international assets as well as 53.4%, 35.8%, 5.2% and 3.7% of total international liabilities respectively.International Banking AssetsAt end-December 2016, total international assets increased mildly by 1.6% from a quarter ago and by 2.7% from a year earlier to MOP1,170.0 billion (USD146.5 billion). Within this total, external assets declined by 2.2% year-on-year to MOP822.7 billion while local assets in foreign currencies went up by 16.8% to MOP347.3 billion. As a major component of international assets, external non-bank loans fell by 2.7% to MOP361.7 billion.International Banking LiabilitiesTotal international liabilities rose by 1.2% from three months ago and by 1.4% year-on-year to MOP1,094.0 billion (USD137.0 billion). Of this total, external liabilities fell year-on-year by 16.5% to MOP509.8 billion whereas local liabilities in foreign currencies grew by 24.9% to MOP584.2 billion. Foreign currency deposits held by residents and the MSAR government in local banks continued to form a major component of international liabilities. This type of deposits grew by 17.9% to MOP497.5 billion at end-December 2016 from MOP422.1 billion at end-December 2015.Breakdown of External Banking Assets and Liabilities by RegionThe majority of external assets and liabilities were related to Asia and Europe. At end-December 2016, claims on Hong Kong and Mainland China occupied 38.6% and 26.0% of total external assets, while claims on the United Kingdom and Portugal took up 2.9% and 2.7% respectively. On external liabilities, Hong Kong and Mainland China accounted for 52.6% and 20.2% of the total respectively, while Portugal and France each took up 0.8%. Portuguese-speaking countries represented 2.7% and 1.1% of total external assets and liabilities respectively.The compilation of International Banking Statistics follows the methodology advocated by the Bank for International Settlements in order to facilitate Macao SAR’s participation in the “Locational International Banking Statistics” project of the international organisation.
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The 43rd National Congress of the Portuguese Association of Travel and Tourism Agencies (APAVT, from its Portuguese acronym) will be held in Macao from November 23 to 27 this year with the support of Macao Government Tourism Office.Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) and APAVT uphold a long history of close relations, with Macao having hosted four congresses of the association in the past, among which the last one was held in 2008. In conjunction with the work developed by Macao Tourism Promotion and Information Center in Portugal, this partnership has been crucial in ensuring success to make Macao an appealing destination among Portuguese tourism operators and visitors.The congress organizers estimate that around five hundred tourism professionals from the Portuguese market, mainly tourism operators and travel agents, will attend the event, and take this opportunity to have an update on the new tourism offers in Macao.MGTO Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes notes that “it is an honor to host once again this important congress, enabling Macao to enhance its role as a World Centre of Tourism and Leisure and a service platform between China and Portuguese-speaking countries. Senna Fernandes emphasizes the relevance of this strategic event, on contributing simultaneously to the diversification of Macao’s tourism industry, as well as to reinforce its promotional strategy and increase international visitor arrivals. She concludes that, “we are confident that in cooperation with APAVT we will organize an even more outstanding event compared to the previous editions held in town, and our city’s transformation will certainly surprise even those that have visited the destination before.”APAVT President Pedro Costa Ferreira states that “the announcement of this decision is a great joy to all of us, implying two fundamental meanings – the fact that the economical landscape and the momentum of demand in Portugal is now more positive and confident, enabling us to once again opt for holding the congress outside Portugal; in this context, the choice of Macao, an historical destination, undergoing continuing development, gathers all the conditions to lure the interest of our tourism operators and travel agents, and through them our national clients.”This press release is available at: http://industry.macaotourism.gov.mo/en/pressroom/
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The Secretary for Economy and Finance, Mr Leong Vai Tac, said local small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) remain confident of Macao’s development prospects, as shown by the increase in bank borrowing by these companies.In the second half of 2016, loans to SMEs approved by local banks totalled 13.6 billion patacas, an increase of 36.8 percent compared to the first half of 2016. Analysed by purpose, loans for, respectively, “business development” and “development of new projects” rose by 72.2 percent and 87.5 percent, compared to the previous six-month period.The delinquency ratio – a ratio of delinquent loans’ outstanding balance to total SME loans outstanding – stood at 0.83 percent at the end of 2016. The delinquency ratio represented 0.07 percent of local banks’ aggregate lending, Mr Leong told reporters on Wednesday (15 February).The delinquency ratio of SME loans might have gone up as a result of the adjustment period in the city’s gaming industry, said Mr Leong. The Macao Monetary Authority would closely monitor the situation and any other market developments.The Secretary also commented on the Staff Report produced by the International Monetary Fund after completing the 2016 Article IV consultation discussions with the Macao SAR. Mr Leong said he was pleased to see that the report confirmed Macao’s ability to cope with economic challenges; projected growth for the city’s GDP; and expressed an optimistic view regarding efforts to diversify the city’s economy.In addition, Mr Leong disclosed that the Government on Wednesday had completed assessing a request for gaming table allocation for Legend Palace Hotel Macau. He said the property would be authorised to operate a total of 15 new-to-market live-dealer gaming tables and a total of 91 electronic gaming machines.Mr Leong noted that SJM Holdings Limited would allocate an additional 55 gaming tables – from other casinos – to complement the gaming offer in the mass-market floor and VIP lounges at Legend Palace Hotel Macau.The Government had taken into consideration the following criteria when assessing SJM Holdings Limited’s application for new-to-market gaming tables for Legend Palace Hotel Macau: the offering of non-gaming elements at the property; and its contribution to the development of Macao as a world centre of tourism and leisure.Regarding Jai Alai casino, Mr Leong said that the Government had not received any application for new-to-market gaming tables or any request to transfer gaming tables from other properties to that venue. The casino would operate under the same conditions that had been previously approved, he noted.Mr Leong stated that – when assessing applications for gaming tables – the Government would strictly follow the principle of allowing a compound annual growth rate in new-to-market tables of no more than 3 percent over a 10-year period, from 1 January 2013.
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The 2017 Macao International Environmental Co-operation Forum and Exhibition (2017MIECF) is hosted by the Government of the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China and co-organised by the provincial and regional governments in the Pan-Pearl River Delta (Pan-PRD) Region. The event additionally has the backing of the National Development and Reform Commission of the People’s Republic of China, and the country’s Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology as Special Supporting Organisations. MIECF is co-ordinated by the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) and the Macao Environmental Protection Bureau (DSPA). The 2017MIECF will be held in Macao from 30 March to 1 April 2017.This year’s MIECF marks the 10-year milestone of the event and is being held under the theme “Innovative Green Development for a Sustainable Future”. The event brings together renowned worldwide experts from the environmental sector, government officials, business people and professional organisations. They will participate in various official activities, exchange sessions and policy discussions, taking the opportunity to debate opportunities in the green business sector and to promote the development of the local environmental services industry.Since its inception in 2008, MIECF has become a leading event in the Pan-PRD Region and a reference for other countries and regions regarding international environmental issues. The activities during the 2017MIECF include a “Green Showcase”, a “Green Forum”, “Green Matching” and a “Green Public Day”. MIECF acts as a ‘green platform’ for environment-friendly business, as well as an information and technology exchange platform between the Pan-PRD Region and international markets, generating fresh business opportunities and promoting environmental awareness. In 2011 the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI) certified MIECF.MIECF – nine years of growthThe size of the exhibition area – known as the “Green Showcase” – has been significantly expanded over the years. It covered more than 16,900 square metres last year, compared to 6,900 square metres in 2008. During that period, the number of exhibitors has increased to more than 460 from 20 countries and regions (including the “9+2” provinces and regions from the Pan-PRD Region), compared in 2008 where there were 164 exhibitors from eight countries and regions. MIECF receives continuous support from the provincial and regional governments and relevant public departments in the Pan-PRD Region. Last year the event attracted more than 215 organisations. A total of 60 forums of sectoral professionals have been held across the past nine years of MIECF. More than 240 co-operation agreements have been signed, of which more than 90 percent have been implemented, involving a number of countries and regions: Mainland China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Macao, Mozambique, Portugal, Singapore and Taiwan;. All participating parties have indicated that MIECF has gradually become a key platform between the Pan-PRD Region and the environmental sector internationally.In order better to complement community progress in environmental protection, MIECF has continued enriching and optimising its content and initiatives, promoting exchanges and showcasing the latest eco-friendly products and technologies. In 2011, a number of local hotels were for the first time invited to participate in MIECF’s “Green Matching” activity. Since 2013, the aisles of the event were left uncarpeted and recyclable building materials have been used for setting-up of the venue in order to promote the concept of MIECF as a truly green exhibition. Since they were implemented, these measures have on average helped reduce the waste of MIECF by nearly 80 percent. That year the organisers also worked in collaboration with environmental sector organisations from Guangdong province in order to organise the “MICE Through-train Service”, facilitating the participation of Pan-PRD Region professionals in MIECF-related activities.Taking into account the State Council’s “Guidelines on Deepening the Pan-Pearl River Delta Regional Co-operation”, the 2016MIECF hosted a “Green Session – Solid Waste Management Policies and Technology in the Pan-PRD” and a “Pan-PRD Regional Environmental Technology Seminar”, along with related seminars. A themed exhibition area was also set up last year, covering the topics of waste management, green construction and green transportation. Additionally in 2016, guided tours of the event were introduced for representatives of the procurement divisions of government departments.2017MIECF strengthens role as ‘green platform’The 2017MIECF will be held under the theme “Innovative Green Development for a Sustainable Future”. This is in response to the global environmental campaign aimed at turning green innovation into the main driving force of social development, and in order to complement the key development guidelines of Mainland China’s 13^th Five-Year Plan. “Green Development” was not only mentioned in the “13^th Five-Year Plan for the Protection of the Ecological Environment” and in the “Guidelines on Deepening the Pan-Pearl River Delta Regional Co-operation” issued by the State Council last year, but is also a topic in the “Macao SAR’s Five-Year Development Plan (2016-2020)” that was promulgated by the SAR Government. In marking the 10^th anniversary of MIECF, 2017MIECF will further deliver on Macao’s role as a platform for co-operation and exchange between the Pan-PRD Region and international markets; with particular reference to the environmental sector in Mainland China, the European Union and Portuguese-speaking Countries, thus facilitating co-operation and development among international environmental protection enterprises.MIECF continues to enjoy the support of the National Development and Reform Commission of the People's Republic of China, and the country’s Ministry of Science and Technology and Ministry of Environmental Protection. This year, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has joined the line-up of Special Supporting Organisations for MIECF, evidence of the prominence of the event as a ‘green platform’ to promote environmental protection in the region.Mr Achim Steiner, a former Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme, will be the keynote speaker of the “Green Forum” at 2017MIECF, where a range of innovations and trends related to topics including coastal development, green buildings, industrial development and climate change will be discussed. This year’s “Green Showcase” will further efforts to promote the latest green building materials and other innovative environment-friendly products and solutions.Together with the “Online Business Matching Service Platform”, 2017MIECF will promote regional environmental business exchanges and collaboration, and enhance new green business opportunities. The “Green Public Day” will serve not only to open MIECF’s doors to the community, but also to host a series of parent-child activities. These will help the public learn more about the growing trend internationally for awareness of environmental protection issues, thus enhancing regional public knowledge of such topics and encouraging the public to take the initiative in putting environmental concepts into everyday practice. For further information about 2017MIECF, please visit the official website: http://www.macaomiecf.com/miecf2017/
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The exhibition “Shanghai Portuguese Refugees in Macao (1937-1964)”, organized by the Macao Archives under the auspices of Cultural Affairs Bureau, will be held in the Alfredo Pimenta Municipal Archives of the Municipality of Guimarães, in Portugal. The exhibition’s opening ceremony will be held on Friday, 3 March 2017, at 6pm (local time). On the same day, the documentary book “Refugiados de Xangai. Macau (1937-1964)” edited by Portuguese historian Professor Alfredo Gomes Dias will also be launched.Since the mid-nineteenth century, Macanese groups migrated to different parts of the world. and Hong Kong and Shanghai had been the major destination cities of these Macanese. Due to the Japanese invasion of 1937, World War II, the Chinese civil war and other factors, the Macanese were forced to leave Shanghai and seek shelter in Macao. Some of them later settled in Macao and others stayed in the enclave for some time before they continued their journey to other destinations like North America (United States and Canada), Brazil, Portugal, Angola and Mozambique. The Macao Archives hold a few thousand records related to this topic. This exhibition showcases a selection of over one hundred records that illustrate the historical background of the Macanese diaspora around the world, the social inclusion of the Macanese in Shanghai, the journey of the Portuguese refugees to Macao and the aid they received here, as well as documentation and materials, including personal items of one of the Shanghai Portuguese refugees, Clementina Fernandes.The exhibition “Shanghai Portuguese Refugees in Macao (1937-1964)” was held previously at the Macau Scientific and Cultural Centre in Lisbon. It will be open at Alfredo Pimenta Municipal Archives from 3 March to 1 September 2017. This exhibition is a manifestation of the friendly cooperation and resources sharing between cultural institutions in Portugal and Macao and an example of the growing Luso-Chinese cultural exchange.
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The Office of the Secretary for Security issued a statement on Wednesday (15 February) in response to media enquiries about Kim Jong Nam and his family. In response to these enquiries, the Office stated the following:Macao’s security authorities have been paying close attention to the development of the case. The security authorities continue making their utmost efforts – in a lawful manner – to protect the safety and legitimate rights of all Macao residents, visitors and people staying in Macao. The security authorities would neither comment nor disclose any information regarding individual cases.
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In the evening of 15 February 2017, the Public Security Police Force hosted a gala dinner for the media in the Plaza Restaurant. Our Force took the opportunity of this festive season of Spring, and gathered with our media friends under the jubilant atmosphere, reviewing the past and looking into the future. Commissioner Leong Man Cheong, Deputy Commissioner Vong Chi Fai, and department chiefs attended the gala dinner, and they welcomed guests including Victor Chan, the Director of Government Information Bureau, chiefs of the local news agencies, heads and representatives of the media organizations, and friends of the media, etc.Commissioner Leong Man Cheong delivered a speech before the dinner, expressing the New Year’s greetings. Last year, our Force proactively promoted our new police guiding principles of “proactive policing”, “community policing” and “public relations policing”, released the latest security information on crime prevention to the media by means of various channels, invited the media for site visits and participated in the filming of various kinds of talk shows with the television media. During our past co-operation, we have jointly faced opportunities and challenges, and our partnership has been raised to a new level of co-operation. Commissioner Leong Man Cheong availed of this opportunity to express his heartfelt gratitude to the media friends for their support and understanding at all times and at all circumstances, which helped foster our closer ties with the citizens.Moreover, in a bid to promote our construction of police culture, and to keep launching diversified cultural activities, this year our Force will conduct a new round of collection for the “Police Stories III”, and hold the “Police and Community Fun Day” on 5 March 2017 in the Tap Seac Square, with an aim of boosting interaction and cohesion between police and the community.In the new year, our Force is contributing more efforts to strive for further excellence and to uphold our spirit of “Integrity, High Efficiency, Competence and Professionalism”, to protect and serve Macao; we will also continue to listen to the views and suggestions of the media, and co-ordinate with their work with an approach of high efficiency and professionalism, so as to further enhance our communication and interaction with the media.
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The Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, will visit Fuzhou Prefecture in Fujian Province, from 22 to 23 February, and Guangzhou Prefecture in Guangdong Province, on 24 February, for discussions on Macao’s contributions to the development of the “Belt and Road” initiative.The Central Government has previously indicated its approval for the Macao SAR enhancing its role in developing the country’s Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road (collectively known as “Belt and Road” initiative), particularly in relation to boosting cooperation efforts with Guangdong and Fujian.Chui’s visit will include meetings respectively with leaders from the two places, to discuss how to advance joint efforts for the development of the “Belt and Road” initiative and to expedite complementary cooperation in several fields.Macao officials accompanying the Chief Executive to Fuzhou and Guangzhou will include: the Chief-of-Office of the Chief Executive’s Office, Ms O Lam; the Director of the Government Information Bureau, Mr Chan Chi Ping; the President of the Administrative Committee of the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute, Mr Cheong Chou Weng; the Director of the Policy Research Office, Mr Lao Pun Lap; the Director of the Macao Government Tourism Office, Ms Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes; the Chairperson of the Board of Directors of Macau Investment and Development Limited, Ms Lu Hong; and the Acting Director of the Protocol, Public Relations and External Affairs Office, Ms Lei Ut Mui.During Mr Chui’s absence, the Secretary for Administration and Justice, Ms Chan Hoi Fan, will be Acting Chief Executive.President Xi Jinping put forward the “Belt and Road” initiative during his Central Asia and Southeast Asia visits in, respectively, September and October 2013. The initiative has attracted attention worldwide.The “Belt and Road” initiative is conceived as a systemic project. All the countries and regions along its routes can benefit from it, thanks to it being integrated – via consultation – to their respective development strategies.
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The Institute for Tourism Studies (IFT) has always been committed to promoting the cultural industry in Macao. Apart from constantly providing a variety of cultural and creative courses, IFT has also pursued active cooperation with artists in recent years, organising exhibitions to provide a platform for local artists to demonstrate their artworks and in turn to integrate arts into the daily life of local residents. IFT Café at “Anim’Arte NAM VAN”, is one of the platforms to showcase local arts and provides citizens and tourists with a relaxing dining experience with cultural and art elements.
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Consumer Council conducted its latest ‘Supermarket price survey’ in February on 15 February for the implementation of Section 2b), Article 10, Law 4/95/M of 12 June. Surveyed locations included 14 supermarkets in Toi San, Ilha Verde and Fai Chi Kei areas in N. Sra. de Fátima Parish.
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