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Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that 21% of the interviewed restaurants & similar establishments reported a year-on-year increase in receipts in September 2016, up by 1 percentage point from August. Western Restaurants and Japanese & Korean Restaurants that experienced less satisfactory performance showed improvement, with 21% and 6% of the respective restaurants recording a year-on-year growth in receipts, up by 5 and 6 percentage points from August. On the other hand, 63% of the interviewed restaurants & similar establishments reported a year-on-year decline in receipts, up by 2 percentage points from the previous month, with 62% of those Local Style Cafes, Congee & Noodle Shops recording a decrease, up by 14 percentage points from the previous month. As regards retail trade, about 40% of the interviewed retailers reported a year-on-year growth in sales, up by 14 percentage points from August. Meanwhile, the proportion of retailers that recorded a year-on-year decrease in sales dropped by 13 percentage points to 57%. Analysed by industry, all of the interviewed Leather Goods Retailers, 60% of the Adults' Clothing Retailers, 56% of the Department Stores and Supermarkets, as well as 42% of the Watches, Clocks & Jewellery Retailers recorded a year-on-year increase in sales; however, all of the interviewed Motor Vehicle Retailers, 60% of the Cosmetics & Sanitary Articles Retailers and 58% of the Watches, Clocks & Jewellery Retailers registered a year-on-year decline. With respect to business prospects in October, restaurants & similar establishments expected to perform better, with 19% of the interviewed restaurants & similar establishments anticipating a year-on-year growth in receipts, up by 4 percentage points from the previous month; meanwhile, 42% of the interviewed restaurants & similar establishments expected a year-on-year decrease in receipts, down by 5 percentage points from the preceding month. Among the various types of restaurants, 33% of the Chinese Restaurants forecasted a year-on-year rise in receipts in October, while 69% of the Japanese & Korean Restaurants anticipated a year-on-year decrease. Retailers were more optimistic about their business prospects in October. The proportion of retailers that anticipated a year-on-year increase in sales rose by 6 percentage points from the previous month to 23%, with 80% of the interviewed Leather Goods Retailers expecting an increase. On the other hand, 52% of the interviewed retailers anticipated a year-on-year decrease in sales in October, down by 5 percentage points from the preceding month, with all of the Motor Vehicle Retailers and 63% of the Clocks, Watches & Jewellery Retailers forecasting a year-on-year decline. The sample of the Business Climate Survey on Restaurants & Similar Establishments and Retail Trade was selected based on the receipts of the establishments, comprising 167 restaurants & similar establishments (accounting for 53% of the industry’s receipts) and 135 retailers (accounting for 70% of the industry’s receipts). The Survey results reflect only the business performance and the expectations of the sample restaurants and retailers, where no extrapolation of results has been conducted.
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The Macao Orchestra (OM) under the auspices of the Cultural Affairs Bureau will present three ensemble concerts in a number of art spaces including the Tap Seac Gallery on 18 November, at 6pm the Mandarin’s House on 19 November at 4pm and the Macao Museum of Art on 20 November at 3pm. The performances aim to integrate arts with music, promote artistic ambience in the community and offer audio-visual art experiences to the public. Admission is free and seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Classical music is no longer restricted to the auditoria. OM organises performances in various art spaces, namely the concert “Music In Tap Seac Gallery” to be held at Tap Seac Gallery, the distinctive historic building in Tap Siac Square, featuring two string quartets by Antonín Dvořák; while the concert “World Heritage Imagery” will be held at the Mandarin’s House, bringing a number of Chinese music pieces to this Chinese mansion. OM will then present the concert “Music in the Macao Museum of Art” at the Macao Museum of Art on Sunday afternoon, offering art lovers an orchestral ensemble. Admission to the three aforementioned concerts is free. For details and enquiries about the programmes, please call OM through tel. no. 2853 0782 during office hours or visit OM’s website: www.icm.gov.mo/om.
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Consumer Council conducted its latest ‘Supermarket price survey’ in November on 15 November 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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Celebrations surrounding the 50th Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix are spreading across Macao and around the world thanks to a number of special initiatives to commemorate the race’s Golden Jubilee. A commemorative stamp issue by Macao Post featuring five former champions will take the landmark anniversary far and wide, while at home residents can use a special edition Macau Pass. A range of merchandise designed and produced by local brand Worker Playground celebrates the 50th Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix and is already providing popular across the city. The postage stamps, which feature some of the Grand Prix’s many notable heroes, will be released for sale on Friday, November 18th, just one day before the Golden Jubilee edition of the Far East Classic. President of the Sports Bureau of the Macao SAR Government and Coordinator of the Macau Grand Prix Organizing Committee Mr. Pun Weng Kun, Director of Macao Post Ms. Lau Vai Meng, Chairman of the Automobile General Association of Macao-China Mr. Lo Keng Chio, and President of the Automobile General Association of Macao-China and Coordinator of the Sporting Subcommittee of the Macau Grand Prix Organizing Committee Mr. Chong Coc Veng, were joined at a press conference to announce the stamps, Macao Pass and Worker Playground collection by eight-time Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix winner Michael Rutter and Mick Grant, who conquered the Guia Circuit in 1977 and 1984. Rutter, who competes in the Suncity Group Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix – 50th edition this weekend, will appear on a special souvenir sheet, riding his Ducati 998 to victory in 2003. The set of five stamps also feature: inaugural winner Hiroshi Hasegawa on his winning Yamaha in 1967; Grant on his Kawasaki 750 in 1977; Ron Haslam, who won six times from six starts at Macao, on his winning Roc Elf Honda 4 in 1987; and 1988 winner and former 500cc World Champion Kevin Schwantz of the USA on his Suzuki 500 RGR. The commemorative Macau Pass package includes two designs: one featuring 2015 winner Peter Hickman on his charge to victory, and a second design from last year’s Motorcycle Grand Prix showing 2013 winner Ian Hutchinson, Michael Rutter and John McGuinness at the famous Lisboa Bend. The two-card package retails for MOP110 and is available from Macau Pass vendors from Thursday, November 17. Worker Playground is marking the Golden Jubilee of the iconic road race with its superb merchandise collection which includes a top-of-the-range leather motorcycle jacket, a hoodie, leather key chain and gloves and a range of T-shirts emblazoned with vintage images of the Grand Prix. Residents and visitors can purchase the range at stands located around the Guia Circuit from November 17-20.
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The Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, today said the Government is to press ahead with policies that help strengthen and maintain Macao’s innovative development and that foster its economic vitality. Mr Chui said the Government was confident the economy would enter positive territory in the coming year, judging from data compiled by the International Monetary Fund and the Monetary Authority of Macao. Mr Chui made the remarks at the Legislative Assembly this afternoon when he delivered the Policy Address for the Fiscal Year 2017, entitled “Development Plan in Progress for Building a Perfect Home”. In facing the potential challenges brought about by the ongoing adjustment period of the city’s gaming industry and by adjustments in international markets, the Government has launched the city’s first ever Five-Year Development Plan. This is in order to complement the country’s development efforts; and to forge ahead in developing Macao’s strategic roles as a world centre of tourism and leisure and a commercial and trade cooperation service platform between China and Portuguese-speaking countries (collectively known as “Centre and Platform” policies). The Policy Address proposed dedicating further effort to: promoting the mutual development of gaming and non-gaming offerings in the city’s tourism market, in a bid to enhance further Macao’s competiveness internationally as a leisure destination; and to support greater cooperation between gaming operators and local small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), including restaurants of unique character and companies in the cultural and creative industries. To support the advancement of the Centre Policy, the Government would introduce further initiatives that create a role for local SMEs when it comes to enhancing tourism facilities, said Mr Chui. Regarding tourism, the Government would place greater emphasis on promoting development of budget hotels; theme parks with distinctive features; and integrated shopping malls. Mr Chui said the Government expected to complete the formulation of the Macao Tourism Industry Development Master Plan within the next year. The Government has been paying great attention to the cultivation of nascent industries, in order to sustain further the economic diversification of Macao, he said. In the year ahead, the Government would devote more effort to: support local MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) enterprises when they bid internationally, in order to help them attract a greater number of influential international conventions and exhibitions to Macao; and encourage further participation by original brands – and generators of cultural and creative products – at international exhibitions and trade fairs. Measures for expediting economic diversification would include: increasing resources for investment in the Guangdong-Macau Traditional Chinese Medicine Technology Industrial Park in Hengqin; helping enterprises operating in the Park and other related enterprises in Macao to promote their products in Portuguese-speaking countries; consideration of development of specialised financial services; and facilitating the establishment of a renminbi settlement platform for trade between China and Portuguese-speaking countries. Regarding the development of SMEs, the Government would formulate the action plan to facilitate development of local SMEs; promote collaboration between large-scale conventions and exhibitions and festivals and SMEs; facilitate development of online and e-commerce; consider setting up an “Online Certified Shops” system; and actively promote collaboration between the Macao Young Entrepreneur Incubation Centre and local SMEs; and expand the coverage of the Young Entrepreneurs Aid Scheme. Regarding the securing of local employment, the Chief Executive said the Government would amend the Labour Relations Law – as a top priority – in order to address issues relating to paid paternity leave and overlapping of resting days and mandatory public holidays. The Government suggested an increase in the proportion of locals holding middle and senior management positions in gaming enterprises to 85 percent of all such employees, and the continuation of the provision of paid training – for local employees – by gaming operators and large-scale enterprises. Mr Chui said Macao would take a more active role in contributing to the development of the Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road (collectively known as the “Belt and Road” initiative), and would seize the development opportunities arising from the Central Government’s measures in support of Macao. Regarding regional cooperation, the Government would: implement goals set in the Framework Agreement on Cooperation Between Guangdong and Macao; deepen cooperation with the Pan Pearl River Delta region; and promote further partnership with Jiangsu, Beijing and Tianjin. The Government would additionally strive to extend a scheme to facilitate pleasure craft journeys in the waters linking Guangdong and Macao, so that it includes waters around Nansha, Hengqin and Qianhai – the three areas of the China (Guangdong) Pilot Free Trade Zone (FTZ), stated Mr Chui. Regarding public administration, the Government would: implement the second stage of restructuring in public departments; commence the planning and drafting of the bill to establish a municipal organisation that is not an organ of political power; press ahead with restructuring consultation bodies; ensure the Sixth Legislative Assembly election is smoothly held; and enhance departmental cooperation and capacity for action via implementation of measures included in Macao’s Five-Year Development Plan. A full copy of the Policy Address for the Fiscal Year 2017 and leaflets in Chinese and Portuguese are available for download on the Government Portal website of the Macao SAR (http://www.gov.mo); the website of the Chief Executive’s Office (http://www.gce.gov.mo); the website of the Legislative Assembly (http://www.al.gov.mo); and the website of the Government Information Bureau (http://www.gcs.gov.mo).
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The Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, today said the Government is to implement a series of livelihood-related policies and measures – including optimising Macao’s social security system and social welfare measures – in order to continue its efforts in advancing the quality of life for Macao people. Mr Chui disclosed the initiatives in the Policy Address for the Fiscal Year 2017– entitled “Development Plan in Progress for Building a Perfect Home”, delivered at the Legislative Assembly this afternoon. This year’s Policy Address covered four chapters: “Implementation of livelihood-related policies and measures”; “Consolidation of the foundation for economic development”; “Building a happy and perfect home”; and “Enhancement of public services’ efficiency”. Enhancing the respective livelihoods of Macao people is a top priority of the Government, said Mr Chui. The Government is to continue to push forward measures in the short-, medium-, and long-term that help consolidate the three-layer social security system, namely: for the social security fund; social assistance; and social welfare. In support of its policy aims, the Government is maintaining the values of public subsidies on a number of relief measures: the minimum subsistence index value would be kept at 4,050 patacas; the Government-disbursed pension for the elderly to 3,450 patacas per month; and the old age person’s allowance to 8,000 patacas per year. Relief measures such as the special living allowance; special subsidy to disadvantaged families; the short-term food assistance programme; the disability gratuity; and the health voucher programme, would be continued in the coming year. For eligible students, the Government would maintain allowances for meals and textbooks. The Continuing Education Programme, which offers study allowances for Macao residents enrolled in a tertiary education programme or training programme, will continue supporting the development of local talent. Tuition fee subsidies for Macao students receiving tuition in Guangdong Province would be continued, and would be expanded to cover two more prefectures: Shenzhen and Dongguan. The Government would continue to subsidise low-income full-time employees with up to 5,000 patacas per month, while providing assistance such as the Positive Life Programme and the Community Employment Assistance Scheme. For people with physical or mental challenges, the Government would provide a yearly subsidy of up to 8,000 patacas for people with ordinary conditions and up to 16,000 patacas for those suffering from certain special illnesses. To encourage further employment opportunities for people with life challenges, for every person with disabilities that is hired by an employer, the Government will offer tax relief to that employer amounting to up to 5,000 patacas on profit tax. The Government would continue the Wealth Partaking Scheme, which offers 9,000 patacas annually to each permanent resident and 5,400 patacas for each non-permanent resident. The Government would inject 10,000 patacas of seed capital into the Central Provident Fund savings account of every eligible resident. In 2017 the Government would inject an additional 7,000 patacas from the fiscal surplus into those eligible accounts, Mr Chui added. Relief measures would cost the Government 12.352 billion patacas, Mr Chui stated. For employed residents, the first 30 percent of annual income from employment will continue to be tax free, up to a ceiling of 144,000 patacas. There would be also a 60-percent rebate in the fiscal year 2017 on the personal income tax paid by each taxpaying Macao resident. That will be capped at 12,000 patacas, with the money returned in 2018, Mr Chui said. For residents that are first-time homebuyers, the Government would waive real estate stamp duty for the first 3 million patacas of a home’s value. For business owners, the Government would introduce a number of tax-waiver measures, in order to support growth of local small- and medium-sized enterprises. Looking to the year ahead, the Government would step up efforts to: build a comprehensive system for talent cultivation; introduce more family-friendly measures; and formulate measures with the aim of building a healthy society, said Mr Chui. The Government would provide more than 7,000 subsidised places for childcare services for two-year-olds; and would establish the first integrated elderly care facility in the Islands District. Regarding talent cultivation, the Government would develop a training programme for Portuguese-speaking professionals and commence research on the demand for talented professionals in the financial industry and the construction industry. The Chief Executive also gave details of his vision regarding six aspects of Government work in the coming year that relate to building Macao as a “happy and perfect home” for all residents. They are: 1) an urban development strategy, with the aim of working toward formulation of an overall urban development plan by 2019; 2) a secure housing supply, including optimisation of the procedures regarding application for, and allocation of, public housing; the construction of 12,600 public housing units as part of short- to medium-term planning; and continuation of the existing planning regarding a public housing project in Avenida Wai Long, in Taipa; 3) optimising the transportation system, including commencing operation of four public car parks providing more than 3,600 parking spaces; and gradually commencing the operation of one hundred special taxis; 4) constructing a smart city, including commencing a study of the development strategy and overall planning for making government data publicly accessible; and launching a visitor statistics databank; 5) urban management; completing construction of the new civil protection centre and commencing its 24-hours-per-day operation; and completing construction of the new wholesale market in Macao; and 6) conservation of the natural environment, including enforcing the new exhaust emission standard for vehicles currently on the road; and the commencement of efforts to draft laws and regulations related to waste reduction. The Full Policy Address for the Fiscal Year 2017 and pamphlets in Chinese and Portuguese summarising it will be available at the following locations: the Government Head Office Auxiliary Bureau; the Government Information Bureau; the Government Printing Bureau; the Public Information Centre; the headquarters of the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau; the Macao Central Library; and at the offices of Macao Post. The materials are also available for download on the respective websites of these public bodies.

Video:The Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, delivers 2017 Policy Address at the Legislative Assembly

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Organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) and co-organised by the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau (IACM), the Tap Siac Craft Market will be held from 17 to 20 November (Thursday to Sunday) at the Tap Siac Square. The public is welcome to participate, enjoy the local and foreign creative works and buy their favourite cultural and creative products. The Tap Siac Craft Market will be held from 5pm to 10pm on Thursday and Friday and from 3pm to 10pm on Saturday and Sunday, featuring a total of 240 booths from Mainland China, Macao, Hong Kong and Taiwan, as well as Malaysia, Singapore and Korea. The Craft Market features various distinctive and creative products, including accessories, fashion design, clothing, drawings, paintings, home furnishings, creative potted plants, natural handmade products, eco-friendly products, as well as creative food and beverages. Furthermore, more than 20 workshops, conducted by creation professionals from different regions, will be held for the public to experience the fun of creativity. The Craft Market features a “Craft Market Concert” presenting local and foreign original music. All are welcome to join . Inaugurated in 2008, the Tap Siac Craft Market is Macao’s first large-scale integrated platform for the display and sale of cultural and creative products, also featuring original music performances. Every year the event attracts participants from Macao and other regions, and it has been highly appreciated by both residents and tourists since its inception. For more information about the Craft Market, please visit the Cultural Affairs Bureau website (www.icm.gov.mo), the Macao Cultural and Creative Industries Website (www.macaucci.com) or the “Tap Siac Craft Market” page on Facebook (www.facebook.com/MacaoCraftMarket).
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For the implementation of Section 2b), Article 10, Law 4/95/M of 12 June, Consumer Council on 15 November collects prices of fresh pork from wet markets and supermarkets for consumers’ reference. The mentioned data collected during 9 November to 15 November are used for comparing the average selling price of the same products from Zhuhai and Hong Kong. The relevant data has been uploaded to the Council’s website for consumers’ reference. fThe specific price surveys on fresh pork and vegetables are now available on the Council’s website (www.consumer.gov.mo), iPhone & Android ‘Supermarket Price Information Platform’ app, and the Council’s WeChat Account page. The relevant surveys include the average selling prices of local fresh pork and vegetables, and comparison on the respective the average selling prices rom Zhuhai, HK, and Macao. For enquiry, please call 8988 9315.
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Organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC), the “The World in Colour and Ink – Collection of Feelings to Huangshan and Jingdezhen work exhibition” will be inaugurated next Tuesday, 22 November, at 6pm, at the Mount Fortress Corridor, featuring artworks by 11 Macao artists who travelled to Huangshan in Anhui Province and Jingdezhen in Jiangxi Province to develop live works. Admission is free and all are welcome. Through creativity, the artists express their most genuine emotions and convey what they have seen and heard. Their works depict the spectacular landscapes of Huangshan and the unique appearance of Jingdezhen. Macao artists travelled to Huangshan and Jingdezhen to participate in drawing, painting and calligraphy exchange activities. This exhibition features a total of 33 pieces (sets) of Chinese painting, western painting and Chinese calligraphy, featuring three pieces of artworks from each artist. In addition, the artists’ experimental paintings on porcelain created during the trip to Huangshan and Jingdezhen, are also showcased in this exhibition for the first time. This exhibition is an extension of the Collective Exhibition of Macao Artists, which promotes local artists participation in an exchange programme of exhibitions in different provinces of Mainland China, aiming to facilitate artistic exchange between the art circles of Macao and other regions as well as to broaden Macao artists’ horizons. “The World in Colour and Ink – Collection of Feelings to Huangshan and Jingdezhen work exhibition” will be held from 23 to 30 November 2016, at the Mount Fortress Corridor, located at Caminho dos Artilheiros, Beco dos Artilheiros, Macau, and is open daily from 7am to 7pm. Admission is free. For enquiries about the exhibition, please call IC through tel. no. 8988 4000 during office hours.
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The applications for the “2016 Support Programme for the Production of Feature Films”, organized by the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC), are now open until 30 December 2016. Local filmmakers and producers are welcome to apply. Successful applicants will each receive a financial support of up to 1.5 million patacas to produce a feature film. The “2016 Support Programme for the Production of Feature Films” aims to continuously promote the development of the Macao film industry, cultivate local filmmaking talents, enhance the professional production capacity of the local film industry, and encourage filmmakers to get involved in feature film productions, thus spawning more local cinematic works with full creativity. Applicants must hold a valid Macao Resident Identity Card and must be aged 18 or above, and must have directed or produced at least one 80-minute feature film or two short films (fiction) with over 20 minutes each, which must have been screened in public. The adjudication will include two phases. In the Initial Review, after verification and acceptance of all submitted documentation, the adjudicating panel will select a maximum of ten projects to enter the next phase, based on five criteria including contents and creativity of the script, applicant and film crew’s implementing capacity, feasibility of film production project, degree of perfection of whole project planning and overall budget rationale. In the Second Review, the adjudicating panel will review and analyse the application documents based on three criteria including applicant and film crew’s implementing capacity, the completeness of the script and the feasibility of promotion and marketing plan of the film, followed by a final interview with the applicants and their production team members, as well as the review of applicants’ presentation before the final eligible applicants are selected. A maximum of four beneficiaries will be selected and each beneficiaries will receive a financial support up to 70% of the total estimated costs of the approved project (up to a maximum of MOP 1,500,000), to be used for the production, promotion and marketing of the feature film. The Programme’s information, regulations and application forms can be downloaded at the Cultural Affairs Bureau website (www.icm.gov.mo/cn/CCI-Subsidy) and at the Macao Cultural and Creative Industries Website (www.macaucci.com). Applicants should submit all required documents to the Division for Planning and Developing Cultural and Creative Industries of the Cultural Affairs Bureau located at No. 567, Av. da Praia Grande, Edif. BNU, 12th floor A-D, Macao, in the designated period of time. For enquiries, please contact Mr. Leong or Mr. Chong, staff members of IC, through tel. no. (853) 2892 4040, during office hours.
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