News

Consumer Council conducted its latest ‘Supermarket price survey’ in December on 1 December for the implementation of Section 2b), Article 10, Law 4/95/M of 12 June. Surveyed locations included 12 supermarkets in Taipa and Coloane area. The latest ‘Supermarket Price Survey’ is now available on Consumer Council’s website (www.consumer.gov.mo), and the ‘Supermarket Price Information Platform’ iPhone and Android apps. The survey is also available free of charge at the offices of Consumer Council, IACM’s Iao Hon and S. Domingos Markets, bookstores and libraries. With reference to the local seven parishes and the number of supermarkets in each parish, the Council has divided over 100 supermarkets into 8 areas for price collection. The Council collects prices from these supermarkets for the provision of a more comprehensive database for consumers to check price discrepancies and make price comparisons according to their desired locations. For inquiry, please call 8988 9315.
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1,152 ‘Adherents’ passed the annual assessment of Consumer Council and are awarded the 2017 ‘Certified Shop’ emblem; 12 of them are awarded ‘Class A Certified Shops’. The Council is considering the launch of ‘Online Certified Shops’ next year due to the rapid growth of online shopping of consumers. The annual ‘Certified Shops’ award ceremony is held by the Council, 12 ‘Class A Certified Shops’ were awarded, and over 1,000 ‘Adherents’ are entitled to the 2017 ‘Certified Shop’ emblem; the Council also awards certificates to consultants of ‘Consumer Arbitration Centre’. Twenty percent more shops are graded A to B Among those ‘Adherents’ that pass the annual assessment, 863 shops are graded A to B grades, which is 18 percent more than last year. The ‘key question’ system adopted last year, which include compulsory price labeling, and no disclaimer clause allowed, etc. reviews that it encourages shops to make improvement in all areas. Over 300 ‘Adherents’ failed in the first phase of the annual assessment, but half of them adopt measures to improve after suggestions and guidance were given by the Council. The Council will continue to improve its evaluation scheme and support ‘Certified Shops’ to guarantee that consumer rights are secured under the ‘Certified Shops’ mechanism. ‘Online Certified Shops’ mechanism to be launched next year Consumer Council states that online shopping is trending to become an important kind of consumption and it is concerned about the potential risks that consumers may face when shopping online. In order to boost consumers’ confidence in online shopping and to safeguard consumer rights in advance, an ‘Online Certified Shop’ mechanism that encourages existing online shops to join, as well as current ‘Certified Shops’ to expand their businesses online is being considered and expected to launch in 2017. The Council believes that the mechanism will enhance consumers’ confidence in both offline and online shops, and encourages more businesses for them. 56 consultants are awarded certificates 53 representatives from different organizations are also awarded certificates for their continuous support as consultants of the ‘Consumer Arbitration Centre’ during the award ceremony. Guests attending the annual ceremony include Arbitration Judge of Consumer Arbitration Centre, Kan Cheng Ha, member of the National People’s Congress and Executive President of China Chamber of Tourism, Wang Mingang, Vice President of China Chamber of Tourism, Hao Xukuan, Chief Executive of Hong Kong Consumer Council, Gilly Wong Fung-han, and members of the General Committee of Macao Consumer Council.
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The Macao Orchestra (OM, from the Portuguese acronym) of the Cultural Affairs Bureau will present the concert “Latin Capriccio” on Friday, 2 December, at 8pm, at St. Dominic’s Church. Conductor Roberto Gianola and OM’s Concertmaster Paolo Morena, as soloist, were specially invited to perform Luis Bacalov’s Violin Concerto, as well as two classic capriccios with Italian and Spanish flavours. The concert is open to the public and admission is free e. Robert Gianola, hailed as one of the youngest and most attractive conductors of his generation, was invited to cooperate with symphony orchestras from all over the world in the United States, Russia, Mexico, Austria, France, Turkey, Spain, Portugal, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Romania, Brazil, Venezuela, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, among others. In January 2009, Roberto Gianola then 34 years old, conducted a concert at the renowned Isaac Stern Auditorium / Ronald O. Perelman Auditorium of Carnegie Hall in New York, for the first time, resulting in an unprecedented success. OM Concertmaster Paolo Morena, as a soloist, has won prizes in numerous international violin competitions, including G.B. Viotti, Vittorio Veneto, G. Postacchini, “ Citta di Roma”, “ Citta di Termoli” as well as the Rotary Club award “I Giovanni e I’ arte”, and was praised him as “...the most interesting violinist of his generation...” In this concert, Conductor Roberto Gianol, Paolo Morena and OM jointly perform Luis Bacalov’s Violin Concerto, Tchaikovsky’s Capriccio Italien and Rimsky-Korsakov’s Capriccio Espagnol, leading the audience to the to experience various Mediterranean Sea atmospheres. Admission to the Macao Orchestra’s “Latin Cappicino” concert is free. Tickets will be distributed at St. Dominic’s Church one hour prior to the performance. Distribution is on a first-come, first-served basis and is limited to a maximum of two tickets per person. For details and programme queries, please visit OM’s website at www.icm.gov.mo/om.
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The Government held a meeting with the Zhuhai Municipal Government to discuss matters relating to a scheme for eligible Macao-registered vehicles to enter Hengqin Island in Zhuhai Prefecture. The scheme is due to start on 20 December.
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In celebration of the 17th anniversary of Macao’s handover to China, the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) and other governmental and non-governmental organizations jointly hold the ‘Parade through Macao, Latin City’ on Sunday, 4 December. In order to entreat success to the event, IC organised a worship ceremony including a lion dance performance held today (1 December), at the Largo da Companhia de Jesus, in a cheerful and lively atmosphere, attracting many spectators. The worship ceremony was attended by the President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Ung Vai Meng; the Director of the Macau Government Tourist Office, Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes; the Vice President of the Sports Bureau, Lau Cho Un; the Deputy Commissioner of the Fire Services Bureau, Chao Ka Cheong; the Vice President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Chan Peng Fai; the President of the Macao Association for the Promotion of Exchange Between Asia-Pacific and Latin America, Gary Ngai Mei Cheong; the Director of the Programmes and Production Division of TDM, Ltd., Lok Kong; the General Manager of the Public Relations Division of Air Macau Co. Ltd, Zhao Hong; the President of the Macao General Union of Neighbourhood Associations, Leong Heng Kao; and the President of the Macao Sam Pa Mun Residents Mutual Aid Association, Lau Siu Lon, among others. In order to wish the Parade all success, the organizer invited the event coordinating staff, the supporting entities and representatives of the performing groups to attend the worship ceremony. This year the Parade is inspired in the Classic of Mountains and Seas (Shan Hai Jing). VIVA travels through extraordinary mountains and rivers, where he meets bizarre beasts that tell him amusing stories along the way. Local illustrator Un Chi Wai was invited to design several creative characters on the Parade route, where participants may find Shan Hai’s friends and appreciate the creative decorations. Nearly 1,200 performers from 60 local and foreign groups will present fabulous performances, entertaining and cheering residents and visitors. The Parade will end in Tap Siac Square, where participants will celebrate the handover through the power of ‘Peace, Love and Cultural Integration’. In order to promote the highlights of this year’s Parade, IC promotes the game “VIVA’s Adventures through Shan Hai – Win air tickets” in the social media, participants may have a chance to win one round-trip ticket to any destination of choice sponsored by Air Macau. Residents are welcome to participate. Meanwhile, the Parade will be broadcast on TDM, Teledifusão de Macau S.A., and TDM HD from 4pm to 7pm, while a Parade Special programme dedicated to the event’s highlights will be broadcast at 7pm on 17 December on Hong Kong TVB Jade Channel to allow audiences to review the best moments of the event. Before the Parade kicks off on 4 December, several mysterious creatures with painted faces will pop up along the route to colour the faces of the public. The Parade counts on the support of many associations. Special traffic arrangements like temporary road closure of the Parade route will be enforced on the day of the event, including first-aid posts and service stations arranged along the route. There will also be a giant balloon performance, and therefore unmanned aerial devices are not allowed in order to guarantee public safety. For more information, please visit IC’s Parade website at www.icm.gov.mo/macaoparade, the page of the Parade on Facebook www.facebook.com/macaoparade or the Parade WeChat account (search ‘ICmacao’ on the WeChat platform).
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The Institute for Tourism Studies(IFT) has integrated entrepreneurship course since 2015 in its entire bachelor degree programmes, namely Culinary Arts Management, Heritage Management, Hotel Management, Tourism Business Management, Tourism Event Management and Tourism Retail and Marketing Management. This fits the agenda set by the Macao SAR Government to stimulate the diversification of our local economy as well as stimulate innovation via entrepreneurship. The course leader Dr. Fernando Lourenço developed this course aiming to expand the career perspectives of the students and motivate them towards entrepreneurship via hands-on activities as well as inviting a wide range of entrepreneurs to share their experiences with the students during the course. IFT would like to thank the following guest speakers and companies: Le Bistro Marcellinho (Roberto Souza), Macau 14134 (Niza Luis), Dimitri Io, LinaLenço Dessert (Lídia Lourenço), Yummy Macau & Macau ECOnscious (Gilberto Camacho), Macau Wake Trace (Ricki Sio), Seapower (Patrick Ting), Macao International Etiquette Cultural Association(Jeanette Chan), Grow uP eSports, Virtualmente, OGVR (Fernando Pereira), The Industry and Commerce Association of Macau, PartY La Babee, White Picture Productions and Felice (Oliver Fa and Dice Leong), Fafafa Florist (Tracy Wong), Live and Love Macau (Katya Maia and Sally Victoria Benson) and 2Legit Barbershop and Ink (Luís Lourenço). The Institute for Tourism Studies, Macao (IFT) was established in 1995, and offers the most extensive range of tourism and hospitality-related bachelor degree programmes in Macao. Annually, approximately 20,000 participants attend its vocational and professional training courses. IFT collaborates with 101 universities and tourism organisations around the world, and has strong links with 500 leading tourism and hospitality corporations worldwide that provide internship opportunities to IFT students. IFT was the first institution to be accredited by the UNWTO.TedQual Certification System for tourism education, and now has 8 bachelor degree programmes with this certification. Currently, the Institute has the greatest number of bachelor degree programmes certified under that system of any tertiary education establishment worldwide. IFT has received the Medal of Merit in Tourism from the Macao SAR Government, and has twice won the Gold Award in ‘Education and Training’ from PATA.
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Christmas and New Year are peak holiday periods for Macao residents go for travelling in other countries or regions. For the purpose of deepening the knowledge of Macao citizens on consular protection and consular services, ensuring that Macao citizens will have a secure trip and return home safely, the Identification Services Bureau launches prize-winning online quizzes on consular protection and consular services. From now on until 31 December 2016, Macao residents aged 8 or above can take the quizzes by visiting the special website on fundamental rights and duties of residents, consular protection and consular services (www.dsi.gov.mo/frdcp). Participants who have answered all questions correctly will enter the lucky draw by providing their personal information. A total of 50 winners will be drawn to receive a fabulous gift. Citizens are very welcomed to participate in the quizzes. The name list of prize-winners will be announced on the above-mentioned special website on 11 January 2017. For enquiries, please contact the Identification Services Bureau at 28370777.
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The University of Macau (UM) will hold the Ceremony for the Conferment of Honorary Degrees and Higher Degrees 2016 on 3 December (Saturday) at 5:00pm in the University Hall. PhD degrees and master’s degrees will be presented at the ceremony. A Doctor of Social Sciences honoris causa degree will be conferred on the educator Dr Tse Chi Wai for his contributions to education and societal development. Dr Tse Chi Wai was born and completed his secondary education in Macao. He later received his bachelor of science degree in mathematics as well as master’s and PhD degrees in physics in the United States. During his 30-year presidency at Hong Kong Baptist University, Dr Tse actively promoted holistic education and was successful in raising its academic standards to the international level. Under his leadership, Hong Kong Baptist College was upgraded as the Hong Kong Baptist University. In 2001, invited by the then chief executive of the Macao SAR, Dr Tse became the chair of the University Council of UM, which position he held until 2014, with the major agenda of revamping UM’s governance, revising its charter, expediting its modernisation and internationalisation, and leading the new campus project. In addition to his contributions to higher education, Dr Tse has also served as the director of the Research Center for Sustainable Development Strategies of the Macao SAR, and is currently a member of the University Assembly of UM, chairman of the Executive Committee of the International Society of Chinese Medicine, and vice chair of the Trustees Committee of the University of Macau Development Foundation. His significant contributions to international higher education has earned him ten doctoral degrees honoris causa and three titles of honorary professorship conferred by reputable universities in Europe, the United States, Australia, mainland China, and Hong Kong. During the ceremony, more than 800 students of PhD degree programmes, master’s degree programmes, and postgraduate certificate/diploma programmes, from the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Faculty of Business Administration, Faculty of Education, Faculty of Law, Faculty of Science and Technology, Faculty of Social Sciences, and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, will receive their graduation certificates.
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The “Parade through Macao, Latin City” in celebration of the 17th anniversary of Macao’s Handover to China, will be held on 4 December. In order to allow residents and tourists to experience the Parade’s joyful atmosphere before the event, the Cultural Affairs Bureau will host a Parade premiere, themed “travellers”, in different districts of the city on 1 and 2 December. Several local and foreign performing groups will showcase special performances and costumes, allowing the audience to have a foretaste of the Parade’s allure and share joyful moments with the participating groups. This year, the organizer offers a mutual exchange and learning platform to photography aficionados on this occasion. The Photography Contest “Parade through Macao, Latin City” invites residents to participate and capture the event’s highlights. The Parade’s premiere is conducted in the form of a promotion tour, in which VIVA travels from the northern part to the southern part of the city. Before the end of the “tour”, at each station, the time and venue of the next “station” will be announced. Participating groups in the premiere include: Louis Dance Association, the Macao Oriental Sound Chinese Orchestra, the Tambourin Dance of Liannan Yao Autonomous County of Guangdong Province, the Dragon-fish Dance of Sha Chong Cun, the Folk Orchestra of Macao, the Comparsa de Badajoz from Spain, the Macau Youth Street Dance Association, The Dancer Studio Macao and the West Line Dance Association. The performances will be held from 10am to 6pm, respectively, at Border Gate Square, Rotunda de Carlos da Maia, the Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal, Senado Square, Anim’Arte NAM VAN and the Taipa Houses–Museum, bringing the arts into the communities with stage performances and roving performances. Under the theme “Parade through Macau, Latin City”, in celebration of the 17th anniversary of Macao’s handover to China, the Photography Contest, organized by the Cultural Affairs Bureau and co-organized by the Photographic Society of Macao, accepts works that feature scenes from the Parade, such as performances, artists and activities. The Contest includes two categories, Junior (residents aged between 13 and 24) and General (residents aged 25 and above). For details about the Contest, please visit the Parade’s website. The stage of the Handover Celebration at Tap Siac Square is designed based on the distinctive deities and beasts in the Classic of Mountains and Seas (Shan Hai Jing). More creative characters “Shan Hai Friends” are also installed in several districts along the Parade route. Residents are welcome to take photographs and experience the festive atmosphere of the Parade. In addition, excerpts of the event are broadcast on local and Hong Kong TV channels. TDM, Teledifusão de Macau S.A., will broadcast the entire event live and will install outdoor screens at several locations - Senado Square, Rotunda de Carlos da Maia, Areia Preta Garden and Rua de D. Belchior Carneiro. The popular Hong Kong TVB programme ‘Scoop’ will feature a foretaste of the event on 2 and 15 December, as well as a Parade Special Programme dedicated to the event’s highlights, to be broadcast on 17 December. To enhance the festive atmosphere and public participation, IC will distribute Parade-themed souvenirs to spread the joy across the city. The audience can get souvenirs from 2:30pm on 4 December, from the Cultural Affairs Bureau service stations, respectively at Rua de D. Belchior Carneiro, St. Lazarus’ Square, next to the Art Exhibition Pavilion for The Youth at Tap Siac Square and outside the Macao Central Library at Tap Siac Square. For more information on the Parade’s activities, please visit the event’s website or page on Facebook at, respectively, www.icm.gov.mo/macaoparade and www.facebook.com/macaoparade.
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The Government will explore with Shenzhen, further cooperation opportunities in the field of financial services, with reference in particular to Shenzhen’s great experience in developing innovative forms of finance.
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