News

The 63rd edition of Macau’s annual sporting event, the Macau Grand Prix, will be held this year from November 17-20, 2016. The Macau Grand Prix Organizing Committee held a sponsorship signing ceremony today (July the 18th) at the Macau Tower Convention & Entertainment Centre where Dr. Alexis Tam Chon Weng, Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macau SAR Government and President of the Macau Grand Prix Organizing Committee, witnessed the signing of the title sponsorship agreement between the Sports Bureau of the Macao SAR and Suncity Group. During the event, Mr. Pun Weng Kun, President of Sports Bureau of the Macao SAR and Mr. Alvin Chau, Chief Executive Officer and Director of Suncity Group, marked the signing of the sponsorship agreement with the presentation of a giant cheque. This year’s event is officially named the Suncity Group 63rd Macau Grand Prix. Sports Bureau President Mr. Pun Weng Kun expressed his gratitude to the Suncity Group for for their promotion and support of the event, and towards the development of local sport. Since it began, each year the Macau Grand Prix is warmly welcomed by local and international competitors, as well as fans and visitors from all over the world. Over the years, the success of this international event has relied upon the vital support and cooperation by Macao SAR Government departments and professional associations. This year, the Macau Grand Prix will be run by a new Organizing Committee which will continuously coordinate the preparatory work of other departments, partners and individuals to ensure exciting and thrilling races for audiences. Mr. Alvin Chau, Chief Executive Officer and Director of Suncity Group, reiterated his organisation’s full support of the development of local sporting events and cultural creativity. He noted that Suncity Group was honored to take title sponsorship of Macau Grand Prix for the third consecutive year, and looked forward to the collaboration. The Macau Grand Prix continues to grow each year, with the 62nd running of the event posting record revenues of MOP53 million. More than 80,000 spectators filled the grandstands in 2015, in excess of 1,000 media representatives from 19 countries and territories covered the Grand Prix for over 200 news organisations, and the Grand Prix was telecast in 934 separate broadcasts for a combined total of 752 hours to countless millions around the world. Visitors to the official website increased 53% over the previous year, recording 15 million hits in just four days. Promotion for this year’s event continues to gather pace after a Macau Grand Prix roadshow at the Shanghai Chinese F1 Grand Prix in April and in Wuhan in May. The Grand Prix is again benefitting from the strong support of the Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO) and, since April this year, has already featured in numerous promotional events in Mainland China, Chinese Taipei, Korea, Australia, France and the USA. Further promotional events will be held in Shenyang, Zhaoqing, Shenzhen, Hong Kong and Nanjing between now and October. Once again, a number of educational visits to the Macau Grand Prix Building are being held, with students from several local schools visiting between March and July. Action on the Guia Circuit begins with two practice and qualifying days, with races held on the weekend of November 19 and 20. Tickets range from MOP50 (USD6.50) for practice days up to MOP900.00 (USD115.00) for a spectator seat at the Lisboa Stand for each of the race days. For the second consecutive year, Maserati Safety, Medical, Rescue and Official vehicles will be provided by Auto Italia Limited and Kong Fong Motors Company Limited. The Suncity Group 63rd Macau Grand Prix will be held from November 17-20, 2016. Further information can be found by visiting the official Macau Grand Prix website at http://www.macau.grandprix.gov.mo or by downloading the mobile applications. Organisers look forward to seeing both local residents and visitors celebrate the carnival atmosphere surrounding this prestigious local sporting brand through a wide variety of events.
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The 16th Macao City Fringe Festival, organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC), will be held in January next year. Call for proposals of programmes is now open. IC invites all local associations registered at the Identification Services Bureau and artistic practitioners to submit proposals of programmes until 26 August 2016. Macao City Fringe Festival has adopted the slogan “All around the city, our stages, our patrons, our artists” over the years and has become a distinctive event with innovative performances derived from the abstract concepts by artists from local and different parts of the world presented in streets and lanes of the city. This edition’s Macao City Fringe Festival will use this creative concept again and develop more channels and exchange platforms for local artists, producers and artistic practitioners to participate in the event. Call for proposals of programmes of this edition’s Macao City Fringe Festival is now open. The programmes can be local, overseas works or cross-regional collaborations produced in any art form. Artists are encouraged to transform their audacious ideas into concrete programme proposals. In addition, this edition’s Macao City Fringe Festival will have interactive sessions such as Programme Showcase, to allow foreign artists to have better understanding about the current art development in Macao, thereby enhancing the possibility of collaboration between local and overseas artists. Interested local associations registered at the Identification Services Bureau and artistic practitioners should submit application forms and relevant documents during office hours (including lunch hours) by 26 August 2016 to the Cultural Affairs Bureau Building located at Tap Siac Square, indicating the following on the envelope: “Attn: Division of Performing Arts, Cultural Affairs Bureau, Call for Proposals of Programmes for the 16th Macao City Fringe Festival”. The regulations and application form of proposals of programmes are available to download at the IC website (www.icm.gov.mo). For enquiries, please contact staff members of IC Ms. Chau through tel. no. (853) 8399 6601 or email MargaridaChau@icm.gov.mo; or Ms. Tong through tel. no. (853) 8399 6608 or email pitong@icm.gov.mo during office hours.
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Organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC), the “Roaming Vision + Digital: Exhibition of Ink Paintings by Leung Kui Ting” is now being held at the IACM Temporary Exhibitions Gallery. Hong Kong artist Leung Kui Ting has introduced novel design elements to the ink painting tradition and these paintings are worth to be appreciated. The organiser has, with the approach of the summer holidays, extended the exhibition period to Sunday, 14 August, to enable more young people to appreciate these contemporary art works in unique styles. Hong Kong is unique and diverse in terms of its cultural background. With the Chinese cultural tradition at its backbone, it is also receptive to international trends, and these various constituents are able to harmoniously coexist. Leung Kui Ting absorbs worldly elements available to him, and he forges a style that is uniquely Hong Kong. Leung studied painting under renowned artist Lui Shou-kwan and learnt design from Wucius Wong in his early years. He founded the Hong Kong Chingying Institute of Visual Arts in 1980 and worked as a part-time lecturer at the Hong Kong Polytechnic Institute for over ten years. This exhibition presents Leung’s 28 ink works, allowing visitors to appreciate his unusual painting style and techniques and allowing them to get to know a new approach to ink painting. Based on the transformation and exploration of Chinese traditional painting, his landscape ink paintings come from his heart and are abstracted from concrete appearance rather than being mere reflections of reality. Leung invented a digital landscape painting technique which superimposes digital lines and dots on the outlines of mountains and rocks drawn in a traditional way, which makes his contemporary art ink works truly unique. The exhibition is open daily from 9am to 9pm, including on public holidays. Docent services in Cantonese are available from 3pm to 4pm on Saturdays and Sundays during the exhibition period. Groups and schools are advised to make reservations. For enquiries and reservations, please call IC through tel. no. 8988 4100, during office hours.
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Consumer Report issue no. 274 includes a report conducted by Consumer Council on the hygienic condition and quality of condoms, and a detailed report on the analysis of product labels of routers. Consumers may get the magazine for free and various locations, or browse the contents on the Council’s website and WeChat official account. Consumer Council examined 18 types of condoms from the market to test their leakage, breakage, and hygiene, etc.; all samples tested pass the China’s national standards for technique and hygiene. Even though the dimensions of the tested products comply with the requirement of the testing standard, there is generally no labeling about the product dimension on all product packages, and most of the condoms claim to be ‘thin’ or ‘extra thin’ but the thickness is not listed on the package as well. Consumers may check the detailed report in the latest issue of Consumer Report. For safety and health reasons, Consumer Council reminds consumers to pay attention to the expiry dates of condoms, and not to purchase condoms of unknown sources and poor packaging. Consumers now generally use wireless router at home, and it may require some professional knowledge when buying one, the Council therefore collects 17 different dual-band routers and compares the information on their product labels, including wireless technique format, speed, functions, and prices, etc.. Details of the comparison and suggestions on how to choose a router that fits consumer’s personal needs can be found in Consumer Report. The Council and Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau (IACM) work together to test on the quality of bottled water. The annual test result shows that all 30 examples of distilled water, spring water, and mineral water pass the test. Details of the report and other suggestions on purchasing bottled water can be found in Consumer Report. Consumer Report is now available free of charge at the Council (Av. Horta e Costa, N.º 24-A, Edf. Cheung Heng, R/C), and the service counter of the Council at Macao SAR Government Service Centre (Rua Nova da Areia Preta, Nº52), Public Information Centre at Vicky Plaza, libraries and bookstores. Consumers may also access the magazine online on the Council’s official website (http://www.consumer.gov.mo) and WeChat official account. For enquiry, please call 8988-9315.
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The Monetary Authority of Macao announced today that the preliminary estimate of Macao SAR’s foreign exchange reserves amounted to MOP151.3 billion (USD18.94 billion) at the end of June 2016. The reserves increased by 0.6% from the revised value of MOP150.4 billion (USD18.79 billion) for the previous month. Macao SAR’s foreign exchange reserves at end-June 2016 represented 12 times the currency in circulation or 106.5% of Pataca M2 at end-May 2016. The trade-weighted effective exchange rate index for the pataca rose 0.15 points month-to-month and 1.52 points year-on-year to 105.51 in June 2016, implying that overall speaking, the pataca appreciated against the currencies of Macao’s major trading partners.
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Following the military coup in Turkey, the Tourism Crisis Management Office (GGCT) received 1 request for information and 1 request for assistance. The request for assistance is from a Macao resident who is currently safe and awaiting for the return flight to Hong Kong in the restricted area of the Istanbul airport. She reported that she was provided food by the airline. The GGCT is in permanent contact with the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the PRC in the Macao SAR and the Embassy of China in Turkey, to provide relevant information and possible assistance to the resident. If necessary, Macao residents can call: 24-hour Tourism Hotline (853) 2833 3000; The Chinese Embassy and consulates or the Global Emergency Call Center for Consular Protection and Services of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 24-hour hotline: +86 10 12308 for assistance.
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The Tourism Crisis Management Office (GGCT) is paying close attention to the military coup in Turkey. Given the recent security situation in Turkey, the Chinese Embassy and Consulates in Turkey issued a security alert to Chinese citizens. Following is the translated version of the full text: “According to news by the Turkish media, from the night of the 15th to the dawn of the 16th of July, a military coup occurred in Turkey. At the moment, the security situation is serious and complicated. The Chinese Embassy and Consulates in Turkey urges Chinese citizens already in that country and overseas Chinese to remain in their residences and stay calm. In case of emergency, they can contact the following numbers for assistance: Embassy of China in Turkey for Consular Protection and Assistance: +90-5388215530 Consulate-General of China in Istanbul for Consular Protection and Assistance: + 90-5313389459 Consulate-General of China in Izmir for Consular Protection and Assistance: +90-5358802656 Global Emergency Call Center for Consular Protection and Services of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China: +86-10-12308 or +86-10-59913991.” The Tourism Crisis Management Office (GGCT) alerts Macao residents to follow closely the situation, reconsider unnecessary travels and cautiously consider their travel plans. From information gathered through the Macao travel industry, currently there is no indication that Macao tour groups have been affected. Until the present moment, GGCT has not received any request for information or assistance. If necessary, Macao residents can call: 24-hour Tourism Hotline (853) 2833 3000; The Chinese Embassy and consulates or the Global Emergency Call Center for Consular Protection and Services of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 24-hour hotline: +86 10 12308 for assistance.
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Consumer Council conducted its first ‘Supermarket price survey’ in July on 15 July for the implementation of Section 2b), Article 10, Law 4/95/M of 12 June. Surveyed locations included supermarkets in São Lázaro and São Lourenço Parishes. 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. Consumers may also access the resources through WAP channels on their mobile phones. 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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Consumer Council received a total of 3,322 cases in the first 6 months of 2016. 832 cases were complaints, 2,464 were enquiries, and 26 cases were suggestions. The total number of complaint cases received in the first half year has decreased by about 6 percent, compared with the same time last year. The total number of cases of the top 5 categories of complaints amounted to 383, which is about 46 percent of the total. The top 5 categories were real estate (105 cases), telecommunication equipment and supplies (102 cases), telecommunication services (79 cases), public transportation (49 cases), and food and beverages (48 cases). A detailed analysis of the number of cases received in the first half year of 2016 will be published later by the Council in its monthly magazine Consumer Report.
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Given the recent security situation in Nice, France, the Consulate-General of China in Marseille issued a security alert to Chinese citizens. Following is the translated version of the full text: “On the night of the 14th of July, an attack took place at the Promenade des Anglais in Nice, France. The Consulate-General of China in Marseille reminds Chinese citizens in that country to follow the security indications given by the French police authorities, avoid leaving their residences, take precautions to safeguard their personal safety and to maintain contact with their families. In case of emergency, please contact the Consulate-General for Consular Protection and Assistance - 24 hour hotline (0033) 0671905835 or alternative number: (0033) 0629862037.” The Tourism Crisis Management Office (GGCT) will continue to monitor closely the latest developments and alerts Macao residents who intend to travel to France to follow closely the situation, critically assess the security risks and cautiously consider their travel plans. Macao residents already in France should strengthen their security precautions to ensure their personal safety. From information gathered through the Macao travel industry, currently there is no indication that Macao tour groups have been affected. Until the present moment, GGCT has received 1 request for information and no request for assistance. If necessary, Macao residents can call: 24-hour Tourism Hotline (853) 2833 3000; The Chinese Embassy and consulates or the Global Emergency Call Center for Consular Protection and Services of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 24-hour hotline: +86 10 12308 for assistance.
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