News

Co-organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau and the Macau Artist Society, the opening ceremony of “Walk and See—Youth Artist Art Exhibition” and “As Memory Whispers—Exhibition by Cai Guo Jie” will be held on Saturday, 23 July, at 11am, at the Lakeside Gallery in the Anim’Arte NAM VAN. The public is welcome to attend and purchase artworks by local artists. The “Walk and See—Youth Artist Art Exhibition” will be held at the Lakeside Gallery - S1 room in Anim’ Arte NAM VAN. The exhibition features over 60 artworks including paintings, sculptures and installation arts by local artists Zhang Chi, Loi Yin Yi, Janette Tam, Bobo Choi, Julia Lam, Cai Guo Jie, Im Hok Lon, Sou Leng Fong, Coke Wong, Flower Lam, Fan Lee, Dor Lio, Haruka Lam, Allen Wong, Wing Pun, Chi Leng, Song Wei, Hana Tou, Leong Keng Ip, Sissi Ho, Kitman Leong, Lao I Wo, Eric Fok, Lai Sutweng, Lai Sio Kit, Bruno Kwan, Pat Lam, Mak Kuong Weng, Andre Lui, Jane Ieng, Tatyana Ieong, Maggie Ng and Tiffany Ng. The artists hope the public will understand more about their insights and persistence in art creation through the exhibitions held in Anim’ Arte NAM VAN. They also hope the public can support the development of local art by purchasing the artworks on-site. “As Memory Whispers—Exhibition by Cai Guo Jie” will be held at the Lakeside Gallery - S2 room in Anim’ Arte NAM VAN, featuring 14 paintings by artist Cai Guo Jie. Focusing on the topic of “recording” and “documenting”, the artist explores cultural modules, the compilation of articles and image loggings. Both exhibitions are open from 23 July to 20 September, at the Lakeside Gallery in Anim’ Arte NAM VAN located at Nam Van Lakeside Plaza, Avenida Panorâmica do Lago Nam Van, and are open daily from 11am to 10pm. Admission is free.
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Dr Brian Hall from the Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Macau (UM), will receive three Early Career Awards from the American Psychological Association (APA) in August. The awards recognise psychological scientists in the early stages of their careers who have attained outstanding achievements or made outstanding contributions to professional clinical psychology, trauma psychology, or international psychology, respectively. The three awards are the Theodore Blau Early Career Award for Outstanding Contribution to Professional Clinical Psychology, the 2016 Award for Outstanding Contribution to Trauma Psychology by an Early Career Psychologist, and the 2016 Early Career Psychologist Award for International Psychology. They are awarded by the Division 12, Division 56, and Division 52 of the APA, respectively. Dr Hall will receive these awards at the American Psychological Association Annual Convention this August in Denver, Colorado, the United States. Dr Hall has also been appointed a member of the editorial board of the European Journal of Psychotraumatology, which is the flagship journal of the European Society for Traumatic Stress Studies. This open access SSCI journal has an impact factor of 2.3. He also serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Anxiety Disorders (impact factor 2.38), and Psychological Trauma: Theory Research Practice and Policy (impact factor 1.57), in addition to routinely serving as an ad hoc reviewer for other leading journals in the fields of public health and psychiatry, including Lancet Psychiatry, Drug and Alcohol Dependence, American Journal of Epidemiology, and Social Science and Medicine. As a clinical psychologist, an epidemiologist, and an expert on global public health, Dr Hall is currently involved in a collaborative multidisciplinary research project aimed to improve the health of the populace in the Greater China region, with an emphasis on the population in Macao, and the migrant communities in the Pearl River Delta region. To learn more about Dr Hall’s research, please visit http://www.umac.mo/fss/psychology/staff_Brian.html.
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More than 80 percent of the approximately 10,800 opinions the Government had received from the public on the proposal for Macao’s first Five-Year Development Plan showed support for the programme, the Policy Research Office said. The Government received a total of 4,268 submissions – featuring 10,802 opinions – during the two-month long consultation period on the proposal for the Five-Year Development Plan. The consultation period ended on 30 June. The Policy Research Office said more than 5,700 opinions – or 53 percent of the total – were focused on livelihood issues. A total of 2,189 comments – accounting for 20.3 percent of the 10,802 opinions expressed – related to the future development of Macao. A total of 1,020 comments – or 9.4 percent of the opinions given – were on governance issues. A total of 982 opinions – or 9.1 percent of opinions given – related to strategic development. A further 859 opinions – or 8.0 percent – were deemed “uncategorised”. During the two-month consultation period, the Government held a total of 41 sessions – attended by more than 3,800 representatives from different sectors – in order to enable people to give their comments regarding the proposal. Those consulted included: Macao’s delegates to the 12th National People’s Congress and to the 12th Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference; members of the Chief Executive Election Committee; members of the Government’s consultative bodies; and representatives of 122 associations and other bodies. The Five-Year Development Plan outlines proposals for the city’s social and economic development for the period 2016 to 2020.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that the Composite CPI for June 2016 increased by 2.26% year-on-year to 108.29, a further slowdown of 0.38 percentage points from the 2.64% growth in May. The increment was attributable to higher rentals for parking spaces, rising charges for eating out and dearer prices of tobacco. Among the various sections of goods and services, price index of Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages and Housing & Fuels that accounted for the largest shares of household expenditure showed continuous decline in growth, rising by 2.57% and 0.61% respectively year-on-year. Meanwhile, price index of Clothing & Footwear, Communication and Recreation & Culture decreased by 3.91%, 0.56% and 0.43% respectively. On the other hand, price index of Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco, Education and Transport increased by 47.16%, 8.90% and 6.34% respectively. The CPI-A (108.39) and CPI-B (107.48) rose by 2.19% and 2.92% respectively year-on-year. The Composite CPI for June 2016 increased by 0.11% month-to-month. Higher prices of some cigarette brands and new arrival of summer clothing & footwear drove up the price index of Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco and Clothing & Footwear by 2.88% and 1.71% respectively. On the contrary, receding prices of vegetables and fruits offset the rise in prices of fresh fish and charges for eating out, bringing down the price index of Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages by 0.14% month-to-month. Meanwhile, price index of Housing & Fuels decreased by 0.14% due to the greater effect posed by the reduction in rentals for dwellings than the increase in property management fees. The CPI-A and CPI-B rose by 0.10% and 0.19% respectively month-to-month. For the 12 months ended June 2016, the average Composite CPI increased by 3.67% from the previous period, with marked increase in the price index of Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco (+38.09%) and Education (+7.96%). The average CPI-A and CPI-B went up by 3.77% and 3.22% respectively over the previous period. The average Composite CPI for the second quarter of 2016 (108.16) increased by 2.64% year-on-year; the average CPI-A and CPI-B went up by 2.56% and 3.31% respectively. The average Composite CPI for the first half year of 2016 increased by 3.15% year-on-year; the average CPI-A and CPI-B rose by 3.14% and 3.24% respectively. The Composite CPI reflects the impact of price changes on the general households in Macao. The CPI-A relates to about 50% of the households, which have an average monthly expenditure of MOP10,000 to MOP29,999. The CPI-B relates to about 30% of the households, which have an average monthly expenditure of MOP30,000 to MOP54,999.
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Consumer Council conducted its fourth ‘Supermarket price survey’ in July on 20 July 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. The latest ‘Supermarket Price Survey’ is now available on Consumer Council’s website (www.consumer.gov.mo), ‘Supermarket Price Information Platform’ iPhone and Android apps, and on the Council’s WeChat account page. 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 around 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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The Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, today said the findings of a report – produced by the Commission Against Corruption (CCAC) – should not have a negative impact on the property rights of owners of apartments in the King Light Garden and One Central buildings. This was in consideration of the fact that they had completed the registration procedures for their respective flats. This perspective was arrived at following advice from the Commissioner Against Corruption and the Prosecutor-General, he said. The King Light Garden and One Central private housing developments were built on sites acquired through a land swap deal involving in return the site of the former Iec Long Firecracker Factory. That land swap was considered null and void by the CCAC in its latest report. The Government agreed with the findings of the CCAC report; and would handle the case in accordance with the law, and with the goal of safeguarding the public interest, Mr Chui told reporters this morning before leaving Macao for a three-day visit to Beijing. The CCAC stated – in a report released earlier this month – that a land swap agreement signed on 10 January 2001 between a firm called Baía de Nossa Senhora da Esperança Development Company and the Government, was null and void. The company agreed to pass the site of the former Iec Long Firecracker Factory to the Government in exchange for the plots of land where King Light Garden and One Central were built: the latter two parcels of land where under public control prior to the land swap. The Chief Executive said he had instructed the Secretary for Transport and Public Works to follow up the case; and requested CCAC to investigate if there were any suggestion of fraud or corruption regarding the land swap. The CCAC already had initiated an investigation into the matter and would notify the Public Prosecutions Office if evidence of any wrongdoing were found. Mr Chui also commented on the level of public investment in construction projects in Macao during the ongoing adjustment period for the city’s gaming industry. He said several public projects were now being launched as anticipated in the Macao SAR Budget for 2016, and as approved by the Legislative Assembly. Mr Chui added that the construction of more infrastructure and public facilities could, in the long run, help enhance Macao’s regional competiveness.
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The Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, today embarked on a three-day visit to Beijing, to invite Beijing authorities to be part of the next edition of the Macao International Trade and Investment Fair. Speaking to reporters this morning before his departure for Beijing, Mr Chui said he would meet with the Secretary of the Communist Party of China Beijing Municipal Committee, Mr Guo Jinlong, for detailed discussions on further opportunities for Beijing-Macao cooperation. He said the next round of Beijing-Macao cooperation would cover: administration and justice; economy and finance; and social and cultural affairs. In the future, the main areas related to Beijing-Macao cooperation would be reviewed on a yearly basis. Further topics for cooperation would include sports, traditional Chinese medicine, environmental protection, culture, tourism, and youth affairs. Beijing-Macao cooperation would help further drive Macao’s sustainable development and promote the diversification of the city’s economy, Mr Chui said. It would also help the city in taking advantage of the growing number of opportunities in terms of regional cooperation, and in expanding ties with three economic zones on the mainland, respectively in the Pearl River Delta region, the Yangtze River Delta region, and the Bohai region. The Government already has established a long-term cooperation relationship with Guangdong Province, in the Pearl River Delta region. More recently, Macao established a partnership with Jiangsu Province in the Yangtze River Delta region. By deepening cooperation with Beijing, Macao would be able to strengthen its ties with the Bohai Economic Rim, covering Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei Province. The other highlight of the Chief Executive’s visit to Beijing will be a meeting with officials from the National Development and Reform Commission, and from the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, to discuss Macao’s first Five-Year Development Plan. The proposal for this Five-Year Development Plan incorporates advice from the National Development and Reform Commission and from Tsinghua University in Beijing. Mr Chui said the Government had received nearly 4,200 submissions – featuring about 10,800 opinions – during the two-month long consultation period on the proposal for the Five-Year Development Plan. The consultation period ran until 30 June inclusive. Most of the opinions collected focused on livelihood issues and on the future of Macao’s development. The Government was currently preparing the final version of the Five-Year Development Plan, Mr Chui said. The plan will outline proposals for the city’s social and economic development for the period 2016 to 2020.
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The Government has signed with the mainland a new memorandum on the reduction of taxation on aircraft and ship leasing business; and on tackling tax evasion on dividends, interest, royalties and capital gains. The Third Protocol to the Arrangement between the Mainland and the Macao SAR on the Avoidance of Double Taxation and Prevention of Evasion of Income Tax was signed in Beijing on Tuesday (19 July). The Secretary for Economy and Finance, Mr Leong Vai Tac, and the Deputy Administrator of the State Administration of Taxation, Mr Wang Qinfeng, signed in Beijing the document on behalf, respectively, of the Macao Government and the Central Government. The memorandum includes: a reduction in the withholding tax on lease rentals in aircraft and ship leasing businesses (which are treated as royalties) from 7 percent to 5 percent; and enhancements to measures for tackling tax evasion on dividends, interest, royalties and capital gains. Such initiatives were to encourage and motivate investment, promote economic diversification and to enhance further Macao’s role in the country’s development of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road (collectively known as the “Belt and Road” initiative). Mr Leong indicated that the new protocol on tax would better guarantee the fairness of the taxation system as applied to residents of the Macao and of the mainland, as well as creating a better business environment and enhancing transparency on taxation in order to tackle tax evasion. The Arrangement was first signed in 2003, with subsequent revisions in 2009 and 2011.
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Zhang Kexin, an undergraduate student from the University of Macau’s (UM) Department of Portuguese, recently won the sole award in the first-year category of the prestigious Tomás Pereira Prize, which is awarded annually to the best Chinese university students of Portuguese language studies, based on the results of written and oral examinations. The Tomás Pereira Prize comes in four categories, namely first-year category, second-year category, third-year category, and fourth-year category, with only one awardee for each category. The competition was initiated by the Embassy of Portugal in Beijing in 2015 in collaboration with the University of Aveiro, the University of Lisbon, the University of Coimbra, and the University of Porto. This year’s competition attracted 97 participants, twice the number of last year, from 20 institutions in 13 cities and provinces, namely Harbin, Dalian, Tianjin, Beijing, Xian, Jilin, Zhejiang, Hebei, Jiangxi, Shanghai, Sichuan, Guangzhou, and Macao. The prize is named after Tomás Pereira, a Portuguese Jesuit who worked as a personal tutor, advisor, and translator to the Kangxi Emperor. Pereira is considered the most important person of the 17th century in China-Portugal relations and a pioneer in Sino-Europe cultural exchange.
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The “Nam Van Lake Craft Market” at the Anim’Arte NAM VAN will hold five family and creative handicrafts workshops on 6, 7, 13 and 14 August 2016. The public is welcome to register from today via the Activity Registration System on the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) website. Fee for each handicrafts workshop is MOP50, and the registration is processed by drawing lots. Successful entrants should pay the fee at specified IC libraries in a designated period of time upon receiving the admission notification. A rich variety of workshops including themes like “Storytelling workshop for children—Undersea adventures”, “Wooden postcards”, “Music boxes with preserved flowers”, “Let’s decorate handmade reusable bags with embroidery” and “Mini bonsai”, are conducted by the Craft Market booth owners and cultural and creative practitioners. The public is welcome to participate and experience the fun of art. Jointly organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau, the Sports Bureau, the Macao Government Tourism Office and the Institute for Tourism Studies, under the governance of the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, the Anim’Arte NAM VAN, which is open daily since June, combines elements such as dining, pedal boats, cultural and creative products and performances, in order to transform the Nam Van Lakeside in a distinctive leisure plaza. The project aims to provide residents and tourists diverse experiences and tourism services, thereby enhancing Macao’s cultural tourism products offering. The “Nam Van Lake Craft Market” will be held every Saturday and Sunday, from 11am to 10pm. Registration for the above-mentioned workshops is now open until 5pm on 30 July. Interested parties can register online via the Activity Registration System on IC’s website (www.icm.gov.mo/eform/event). On-site registration will also be available, subject to availability. For more information about the workshops and the Craft Market at “Anim’Arte NAM VAN”, please visit IC’s 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/TapSeac.Artfair). For enquiries, please contact Ms. Wong or Mr. Ho, staff members of IC, through tel. no. (853) 2892 4040 during office hours.
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