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The Government today signed an agreement – with provinces and regions of the Pan-Pearl River Delta – to further collaboration regarding the regional development of green events for the MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) sector. The agreement was signed on the opening day of the 11th Pan-Pearl River Delta Regional Cooperation and Development Forum and Economic and Trade Fair (“PPRD Forum”). The agreement focuses on the assistance and support Macao is offering to other members of the PPRD Forum regarding MICE development. The Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, was this morning in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, to witness the signing ceremony of the agreement and to attend the opening ceremony of the PPRD Forum. In addition, Mr Chui also witnessed the signing of an agreement between Macao’s Nam Kwong (group) Company Limited and the local government of the Cangshan district in Fujian Province. The agreement focuses on the 'Internet+' strategy and the development of cultural and creative industries The current edition of the PPRD Forum was the latest of several meetings so far this year to discuss furthering cooperation among PPRD members, after the State Council issued in March the Guiding Opinions of the State Council on Deepening Pan-Pearl River Delta Regional Cooperation. After a keynote session held in the morning, three other sessions took place this afternoon. The afternoon sessions focused on, respectively: how better to explore cooperation opportunities between PPRD members via the China (Guangdong) Pilot Free Trade Zone and the China (Fujian) Pilot Free Trade Zone; how to create synergies via the establishment of a planned logistics hub in coastal areas covering Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao (known as "Dawan area"); and how to develop further other potential sectors through cooperation among PPRD members. Officials attending today’s agreement signing ceremony included: the member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Secretary of Guangdong CPC Provincial Committee, Mr Hu Chunhua; the Deputy Secretary of Guangdong CPC Provincial Committee and Governor of Guangdong Province, Mr Zhu Xiaodan; the Deputy Secretary of Fujian CPC Provincial Committee and Governor of Fujian, Mr Yu Weiguo; the Vice Chairman of the National Development and Reform Committee, Mr He Lifeng, and representatives of ministries and departments of the Central Government. The Chief Executive and some of the members of the Government delegation returned to Macao in the afternoon. Other members of the delegation tomorrow (26 August) will visit the Guangzhou Fair and three areas of the China (Guangdong) Pilot Free Trade Zone.
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Real estate ranks the top of the 832 complaint cases received by Consumer Council in the first half of 2016, the total number of cases on real estate received is 105, which is 3.5 times more than the number of the same period of 2015 and over 70 percent of these involve local citizens purchasing properties in mainland China. Consumers are suggested to check clearly the status of the property and the regulations in the Mainland. Consumer Council received a total number of 3,322 cases in the first half of 2016, of which 832 are complaints, 2,464 inquiries, and 26 suggestions, involving over 80 million patacas. The number of complaints and inquiries have decreased by 6.2 percent and 7.2 percent respectively, comparing to the same period of last year, and the number of the overall cases received have decreased by 6.6 percent. The top five categories of complaints received in H1 are: real estate (105 cases), telecommunication equipment and supplies (102 cases), telecommunication services (79 cases), public transportation (49 cases), and food & beverages (48 cases). All these categories account for 46 percent of the total number of cases received. 80 complaints on local citizens buying real estate in the Mainland The number of complaints on real estates received in first half of 2016 involves about 36 million patacas, and is 3.5 times the number of cases received in the same period of 2015. 77 out of the 105 complaints involve local citizens purchasing real estates in mainland China, the Council succeeded in transferring these cases to consumer organizations in the Mainland through protocols signed with them. Consumer Council releases consumer alert Consumers are reminded to purchase finished estates with required sufficient documents to lower the risk involved, it is also suggested to ask a local lawyer to review on the contract terms and oversee the transaction process. The Council will continue to send out reminders through different channels to alert consumers about purchasing real estates in the Mainland. Increase in cases on mobile data charges and taxi services The number of complaints on telecommunication services received in the first half year has decreased by 25 percent comparing with data of the same period of 2015, 48 cases of which are about telecommunication services charges, and about 20 percent of the complaints involve mobile data charge. Telecommunication service providers are urged to make their fees and charges more transparent to avoid consumer dispute. Taxi services recorded 16 complaints in H1, which is an obvious increase when compared with the 10 cases received in the same period of 2015. Out of the 16 complaints, 12 of which are filed by tourists about overcharging and bad service, etc. Tourists’ complaints down by 10 percent Tourists’ complaints amounted to 370 cases in H1, which is about 10 percent of the total. The number of complaints received are 172, and is down 13.5 percent, comparing to the same period of 2015. A more detailed analysis of the number of cases received in the first half of 2016 can be found in Consumer Report published by the Council.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that a total of 318 MICE events were held in the second quarter of 2016, consisting of 292 meetings & conferences, 18 exhibitions and 8 incentive events. Total number of participants and attendees was 451,000. Number of meetings & conferences held in the second quarter decreased by 7 year-on-year; number of participants rose by 22.1% to 36,000 due to an increase in number of meetings & conferences having 200 participants or more. The average duration of the meetings & conferences was 1.4 days. Meanwhile, meetings & conferences of 4 hours or more decreased by 29 year-on-year to 184 while number of participants increased by 14.5% to 26,000. The average duration of these meetings & conferences was 1.9 days. There were 18 exhibitions held in the second quarter, up by 2 year-on-year. Among them, 17 exhibitions were organized by non-government organizations, and 5 exhibitions were held for the first time in Macao. The 18 exhibitions attracted a total of 392,000 attendees, up by 2.1% year-on-year. The average duration of the exhibitions was 3.4 days and total floor area used was 85,000 m2, up by 0.2 day and 27.4% respectively year-on-year. Furthermore, the 8 incentive events drew 23,000 participants; the average duration of the events was 2.0 days and total floor area used was 135,000 m2. In accordance with information collected from the organizers of 17 exhibitions in the second quarter, receipts of these exhibitions amounted to MOP 65.32 million, with rental of exhibition booths accounting for 84.2%. Expenditure of the exhibitions totalled MOP 66.16 million, which was mainly incurred on production, construction & decoration (27.8%) and publicity & public relations (22.9%). Information from the non-government organizers of 16 exhibitions indicated that receipts of these exhibitions amounted to MOP 63.90 million, of which 83.9% came from rental of exhibition booths and merely 9.5% (MOP 6.05 million) were from financial support from government or other organizations. Expenditure of the exhibitions totalled MOP 40.77 million, mainly incurred on production, construction & decoration (32.7%) and publicity & public relations (23.1%). The 17 exhibitions attracted 1,455 exhibitors, of which 33.7% came from Macao and 27.0% from Mainland China; professional visitors totalled 34,000, with those from Macao predominating (53.5%). Exhibitors and professional visitors attending exhibitions organized by non-government organizations constituted 67.8% and 90.0% of the respective total. Information from 440 interviewed exhibitors in the second quarter indicated that 95.8% of their receipts came from sales of products, while rental paid for exhibition booth accounted for 59.6% of their expenditure. Regarding comments about the MICE venue and services, over 80.0% of the interviewed exhibitors were satisfied with the professionalism, language skills, work efficiency & attitude of the venue staff, as well as the services and arrangements rendered by local companies, notably higher than the respective percentages in the first quarter of 2016. Moreover, 51.3% of the exhibitors were satisfied with the promotion of the exhibition, up by 15.5 percentage points quarter-to-quarter, while a relatively high proportion of the exhibitors (24.5%) considered that improvement was needed, down by 3.8 percentage points. As regards the venue, 77.5% of the exhibitors were satisfied with the ease of access, up by 16.3 percentage points, while 6.4% considered that improvement was needed, down by 5.2 percentage points. In the first half year of 2016, a total of 586 meetings & conferences were held, up by 10 year-on-year; total number of participants increased by 13.8% to 61,000. Meetings & conferences of 4 hours or more totalled 365, down by 44, and number of participants decreased by 4.7% to 40,000. Meanwhile, exhibitions totalled 22, down by 4 year-on-year, with number of attendees falling by 18.3% to 501,000; there were 21 exhibitions organized by non-government organizations and number of attendees (496,000) made up 98.8% of the total. Number of incentive events totalled 20, drawing 25,000 participants. In order to provide a comprehensive overview of the MICE industry in Macao, apart from the adoption of international standards, the MICE Statistics also incorporates meetings & conferences of less than 4 hours, as well as business incentive events which include those supported by the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM), starting from the second quarter of 2016 and the duration of events of less than 4 hours is counted as 0.5 day. Relevant statistics in the Statistics Database of the DSEC website have been updated accordingly.
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The Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, this afternoon arrived in Guangzhou, in order to attend tomorrow (25 August) the opening ceremony of the 11th Pan-Pearl River Delta Regional Cooperation and Development Forum and Economic and Trade Fair (“PPRD Forum”). Mr Chui is tomorrow morning scheduled to attend a keynote event at the PPRD Forum. The Chief Executive will also witness the signing of an agreement on collaboration regarding the regional development of green events for the MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) sector. The agreement focuses on the assistance and support Macao is offering to other members of the PPRD Forum. Tomorrow afternoon, there will be three other PPRD Forum sessions focused on regional cooperation matters. Officials accompanying Mr Chui to Guangzhou include: the Secretary for Economy and Finance, Mr Leong Vai Tac; 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 Director of the Protocol, Public Relations and External Affairs Office, Mr Fung Sio Weng; and the President of the Administrative Committee of the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute, Mr Cheong Chou Weng. The Chief Executive and some members of the delegation will return to Macao tomorrow afternoon. The PPRD Forum was proposed in 2003 as a platform for regional cooperation between the nine provinces and two special administrative regions (SARs) – also known as the “9+2” – that are located in the Greater Pearl River Delta Region. They are: Fujian; Jiangxi; Hunan; Guangdong; Guangxi; Hainan; Sichuan; Guizhou; Yunnan; the Hong Kong SAR; and the Macao SAR.
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In order to provide diversified and advanced training opportunities for industry professionals and enhance management capabilities of the local service industry, Institute for Tourism Studies (IFT) and Lausanne Hospitality Consulting, which is jointly run by Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL) and Swiss Hotel Association Company, co-orgainsed an Executive Development Programme on Strategic Resilience on 24 and 23 August. The programme attracted 18 professionals of hotels and mega resorts. Two representatives from tourism authorities of Myanmar and Bangladesh, nominated by UNWTO, attended the programme, namely Mr. Nyan Myat Min, Assistant Director, Directorate of Hotels and Tourism, Ministry of Hotels and Tourism, Myanmar, and Mr. A K M Rafiqul Islam, Executive Officer, Bangladesh Tourism Board, Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism of Bangladesh. IFT is an affiliate member of UNWTO since 1997, and have established a long-term cooperation relationship with UNWTO. In 2012 an agreement between IFT and UNWTO was signed, with the objective to enhance the cooperation and knowledge exchange. Through the programme, participants learned how to identify and overcome the challenges of the world today by developing their strategic leadership skills. Besides, they were equipped to anticipate strategy decay and plan for resilience by business process reengineering and innovation. Programme topics include: • Key aspects of reinventing the business model • Elements of a successful business model • Difference between growth and value creation • Tips for successfully implementing strategic resilience in small-and-medium- sized enterprises IFT had the honour of inviting Prof. André Mack as the facilitator of this programme. Prof. Mack is the Director at Lausanne Hospitality Consulting and a faculty member for EHL Executive Education, lecturing on project management and consulting. He has extensive experiences in the in-flight catering industry and management consulting. He is specialised in the areas of strategic marketing, customer service and business process reengineering. As the tourism and hospitality industry is growing swiftly in Macao, the demand for knowledgeable professionals is increasing and thus hotel management needs to upgrade themselves to cope with the changing market trends. IFT is always striving to enhance its teaching and research so as to contribute to the tourism industry and the society. By organising seminars and workshops, IFT constantly shares with the industry the most updated information and research findings about the future development of Macao’s tourism industry and ways to enhance it. Established in 1995, the Institute for Tourism Studies, Macao (IFT) offers the most extensive selection of tourism and hospitality related bachelor degree programmes in Macao, and about twenty thousand participants attend its vocational and professional training courses annually. IFT collaborates with 97 universities and tourism organisations around the world, and builds strong links with 500 leading tourism and hospitality corporations to offer internship opportunities to its students. Being the first institution accredited by the UNWTO.TedQual Certification System for tourism education, IFT has now 7 bachelor degree programmes with the Certification. Currently, the Institute has the most number of bachelor degree programmes certified under the System of any tertiary education establishment worldwide. IFT has received the Medal of Merit in Tourism from the Macao SAR Government, and won twice the Gold Award in ‘Education and Training’ from the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA).
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The Tourism Crisis Management Office (GGCT) is paying close attention to the earthquake that occurred today in the province of Perugia, Italy, and maintaining close contact with the Macao travel industry for further developments. From information gathered through the Macao travel industry, until the present moment, there is no indication that any Macao tour groups or Macao resident has been affected. Until the present moment, GGCT has not received any request for information or assistance. If necessary, Macao residents can call the 24-hour Tourism Hotline (853) 2833 3000.
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The Monetary Authority of Macao (AMCM) releases today the preliminary balance of payments (BOP) statistics of Macao SAR for the reference year 2015. The BOP, which comprises the current account, the capital account and the financial account, is a statistical statement that summarises external transactions of an economy with the rest of the world. In 2015, the overall BOP surplus of Macao SAR was preliminarily estimated at MOP18.6 billion. Of which, the current account surplus stood at MOP103.2 billion and financial non-reserve assets amounted to MOP15.2 billion. Exports of goods increased by 9.6% year-on-year while imports of goods (f.o.b.) decreased mildly by 1.3%. As a result, the merchandise trade deficit reduced from MOP93.7 billion in 2014 to MOP91.0 billion in 2015. On the other hand, service exports decreased by 24.9%, mainly attributable to falling gaming receipts while service imports also fell marginally by 0.9%. Therefore, the services account surplus dropped markedly from MOP330.4 billion in 2014 to MOP240.7 billion in 2015. The primary income account, which reflects cross-border flows of factor income, recorded a net outflow of MOP29.8 billion in 2015, down from the net outflow of MOP63.1 billion in 2014. The significant decrease stemmed mainly from the reduction in income earned by foreign direct investors in Macao. The secondary income account, which comprises mainly inflows and outflows of personal transfers as well as donations received/made by local social service organisations with respect to the rest of the world, recorded a net outflow of MOP16.8 billion, marking a decrease of MOP4.4 billion from 2014. As the large invisible trade surplus offset the deficit in merchandise trade as well as net outflows of primary and secondary income, the current account surplus reached MOP103.2 billion, down by MOP49.2 billion from MOP152.4 billion in 2014. Net financial non-reserve assets registered a net outflow of MOP15.2 billion in 2015, compared to a net outflow of MOP101.0 billion in 2014. Of which, a net inflow of direct investment amounting to MOP3.5 billion was recorded, lower than the net inflow of MOP7.6 billion in 2014. Due to the significant increase in external securities investment held by Macao residents (including individuals, Macao SAR Fiscal Reserve and financial institutions), portfolio investment saw a notably higher net outflow in 2015 at MOP97.4 billion, up from MOP45.2 billion in 2014. Meanwhile, during the reference year, local banks’ external liabilities registered considerable increases, which in turn caused other investment to record a net inflow of MOP76.1 billion in 2015, contrary to a net outflow of MOP65.9 billion in 2014. On the other hand, financial derivatives continued to register a net inflow in 2015, amounting to MOP2.7 billion, as against a net inflow of MOP2.6 billion in 2014. Reserve assets in the financial account record the net change in Macao’s foreign exchange reserves held by the AMCM. Reserve assets, after price, exchange rate and other adjustments, rose by MOP18.6 billion as compared to an increase of MOP0.6 billion in 2014, reflecting that the overall BOP continued to stay in surplus. Macao’s BOP statistics are compiled in accordance with the International Monetary Fund’s Balance of Payments and International Investment Position Manual (Sixth Edition). The current release incorporates preliminary estimates of key statistics, and a detailed report with revised data will be published in December 2016.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that value of retail sales for the second quarter of 2016 amounted to MOP 13.17 billion, down by 8.7% year-on-year and by 11.1% compared with the revised figure of MOP 14.81 billion in the first quarter of 2016. Retail sales of Watches, Clocks & Jewellery accounted for 19.4% of the total retail sales, followed by sales of Goods in Department Stores (14.8%), Adults' Clothing (12.5%), Leather Goods (10.8%) and Goods in Supermarkets (7.7%). Notable decline was observed in the retail sales of Motor Vehicles (-51.6%) and Motorcycles, Parts & Accessories (-36.0%) due to the impact of economic slowdown and the increasing cost of car ownership; meanwhile, retails sales of Communication Equipment (-29.0%), Watches, Clocks & Jewellery (-15.1%), Goods in Department Stores (-10.6%), Goods in Supermarkets (-7.2%) and Household Appliances (-7.2%) also decreased. On the contrary, sales of Adults' Clothing (+19.8%) and Goods in Pharmacies (+3.4%) recorded year-on-year increase. Value of retail sales for the first half year of 2016 totalled MOP 27.98 billion, down by 9.8% year-on-year. After removing the effect of price changes, volume of retail sales for the second quarter of 2016 dropped by 12.8% quarter-to-quarter. Sales volume of Communication Equipment (-24.5%), Watches, Clocks & Jewellery (-23.3%), Adults' Clothing (-15.7%), Motor Vehicles (-13.6%), Goods in Department Stores (-13.5%), Leather Goods (-12.2%), Footwear (-12.2%) and Goods in Supermarkets (-10.8%) registered quarter-to-quarter decrease. Volume of retail sales decreased by 7.7% year-on-year in the second quarter. Sales volume of Motor Vehicles (-55.1%), Motorcycles, Parts & Accessories (-39.7%), Communication Equipment (-17.5%), Goods in Supermarkets (-16.1%) and Watches, Clocks & Jewellery (-14.5%) recorded notable decrease, while that of Adults' Clothing (+23.4%) and Leather Goods (+10.8%) showed increase. Volume of retail sales for the first half year of 2016 dropped by 7.9% year-on-year. In respect of retailers’ comments, 47.1% of the retailers anticipate that the sales volume in the third quarter of 2016 will remain stable compared with the same quarter of 2015, 46.3% foresee a decrease, while 6.6% expect an increase. Meanwhile, 72.0% anticipate stable retail prices in the third quarter of 2016 compared to the same quarter of 2015, 19.5% expect a decrease, while 8.5% predict an increase. Moreover, 50.4% of the retailers anticipate the business will worsen in the third quarter of 2016 compared with the second quarter, 40.3% expect the business to remain stable, while 9.3% expect an improvement.
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One of the visitors from the mainland that was injured in a crash involving a tourist bus on August 8 was released from hospital today. Three other patients were discharged from hospital yesterday (22 August). A total of seven mainland tourists hurt in the incident remained under medical care in Kiang Wu Hospital as of today. Of those hospitalised, a female patient – who had previously had head surgery – underwent tracheotomy surgery yesterday. The procedure followed discussion between medical staff and her family members. She was being kept on a ventilator, and generally remained in a stable condition. The other patients still in hospital were each in a stable condition. Of the 44 mainland tourists involved in the crash, a total of 29 had left Macao. Eight non-hospitalised tourists were in Macao as of today. The eight were present either to accompany family members injured in the accident, or for discussions with their respective travel agent regarding insurance matters. In addition, staff from the Land, Public Works and Transport Bureau were trying to contact all the occupants of a building damaged in the bus crash. They did so with the aim of conducting a thorough check on the interior of each unit in the building. The check involves engineers responsible for drafting the primary repair plan for the building. The Bureau held a meeting on Monday evening with occupants of the affected building, in order to update them regarding the condition of the property. The Government has taken measures to reinforce the structure of the building and has been monitoring its safety. Measurements taken showed that the building structure was in a generally stable condition.
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Gold medallists from the Chinese national team that competed at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games will visit Macao for four days from 29 August to 1 September. The delegation will arrive in Macao on Monday afternoon (29 August), following an invitation from the Government. In the evening, the Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, will meet with the athletes, prior to a welcoming banquet hosted by the Government. During their stay, the athletes will take part in different events to share their stories of success and the joy of winning gold medals at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Activities will include tours to Macao’s heritage sites part of the Historic Centre of Macao, which is included on the UNESCO’s World Heritage List. On Tuesday morning (30 August), the athletes will share their experience of the Olympics with young locals. In the evening, the guests will attend a variety show at the Macao East Asia Games Dome. On Wednesday (31 August), the guests will visit a local community and then take part in another experience sharing session – this time with young Macao athletes and local students – at Tap Seac Multisport Pavilion. A total of 1,200 free tickets will be available for the variety show on 30 August and the exchange session with young people on 31 August. For more details, please refer to the website of the Sports Bureau. The exact number of athletes that will visit Macao is yet to be confirmed by the General Administration of Sport of China, said the Government Spokesperson, Mr Chan Chi Ping, during a press conference today. The Government expressed the hope that members of the Macao public would get the chance to see their favourite athletes during the visit. The delegation would include athletes from among the following events: diving; weightlifting; table tennis; race walking; badminton; taekwondo; archery; swimming; volleyball; and track cycling. The delegation will be led by the Minister of the General Administration of Sport of China, Mr Liu Peng; and the Vice Minister, Mr Gao Zhidan. The delegation will leave Macao on the morning of 1 September, bound for Beijing. China’s national team won a total of 70 medals at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games: 26 gold medals, 18 silver medals and 26 bronze medals. Collectively, the team set a total of five new world records and 12 new Olympic records in various disciplines.
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