News

Consumer Council conducted a surveyed on cash vouchers issued by supermarkets, department stores, and cake shops, to see if sufficient information are provided to consumers or any restricting terms are used. Details of the survey can be found in the latest issue no. 273 of Consumer Report. The Council reminds consumers to consider carefully before making purchase through prepayment due to the risks involved, and not to make the consumption amount too large and time period too long. The mentioned survey reveals that most cash vouchers sold by supermarkets, department stores, and cake shops restrict the time of use by consumers, and consumers are not allowed to exchange the vouchers back into cash. Further, some merchants do not consider the purchase dates of consumers as the start dates of vouchers, therefore, consumers should consider and check carefully whether the expiry dates of the vouchers are reasonable or not. About half of the surveyed merchants are found to have detailed restricting terms, such as limitation on the number of vouchers used and amount purchased, and the use of other promotions, etc., printed on their vouchers. The Council points out that unclear terms will lead consumers to a disadvantageous position if consumer dispute arises, therefore merchants are suggested to state clearly all terms and conditions on the vouchers to safeguard and respect the right to information of consumers. Even though most surveyed merchants reply that measures will be taken to safeguard consumers in case of closedown or transfer of ownership of shops, consumers are advised not to overbuy because of promotions, and to make purchase at shops with goodwill when paying with prepayment. The latest issue also covers the 2016 accuracy test of fuel metres at petrol station, a feature on ‘Certified Shop’ Beijing Tong Ren Tang (Macau) Company Limited (Shop Mercado Vermelho), and a detailed introduction of the revised Code of Practice for Intermediary Services in Real Estate Operations. 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 Government has issued a statement regarding a report from the Department of State in the United States, called “2016 Trafficking in Persons Report” and that attributed to Macao a “Tier 2” rating. The Government notes that this report contains serious misunderstandings with regard to the situation in Macao. Findings in the report are not based on fact and involve groundless speculation. The Government cannot and will not accept groundless comments alleging cases in Macao of human trafficking, labour exploitation, child sex tourism and unlawful activities by Government officials. The Government has attached significant importance to preventing and combatting any activities relating to human trafficking. The Government’s efforts against human trafficking include the setting up of a body called the Committee on Measures to Deter Human Trafficking, and the promulgation of a law called “Combatting the Crime of Trafficking in Persons”. The Committee has done a large amount of work – in line with international standards – to prevent and combat human trafficking; to protect the rights of victims; and to enhance communication between the Government and non-governmental agencies. The achievements of the Committee have won wide recognition over the years within the local community. For years the Government has continuously stepped up efforts to: further promote awareness on human trafficking among members of different social classes and among different ethnic groups; to strive to protect the rights of local workers and non-resident workers; to ensure integrity when public workers perform their duties; and to fight against any activities relating to human trafficking and labour exploitation. The positive effect of the Government’s efforts can be seen in either a steadily reducing number of those crimes or zero instances of such offences. The Government does not tolerate any act of trafficking or labour exploitation in Macao. The Government is determined to boost enforcement efforts; to keep enhancing legislation; to strengthen public awareness of such crimes; and to maintain the Government’s high level of integrity. The Government will work closely with authorities in neighbouring regions, in order to bolster the sharing of intelligence on human trafficking and to fight against such types of illegal activities.
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The Macao Orchestra (OM, from the Portuguese acronym) of the Cultural Affairs Bureau will present the concert “Love in Italy” this Saturday, 9 July, at 8pm, at St. Dominic’s Church featuring Austrian conductor Christian Arming and Dutch violinist Simone Lamsma to interpret Felix Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto. Admission is free. Free tickets will be distributed at the entrance of St. Dominic's Church one hour prior to the performance. All members of the public are welcome to attend. Christian Arming is one of Austria’s most sought after conductors and is currently the Music Director of the Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège, Belgium. He has conducted many of the top European orchestras including the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra, Vienna Symphony and so forth. Meanwhile, Simone Lamsma is regarded as one of the leading violinists in the world, hailed for her “brilliant... polished, expressive and intense” (Cleveland Plain Dealer) and “absolutely stunning” (Chicago Tribune) playing. On their first visit to Macao, these two musicians, in collaboration with the Macao Orchestra, will present Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E minor and the Symphony No. 4 “Italian” to present Italy in the eyes of the German composer and explore the world of classical music full of wonderful encounters. Admission to the Macao Orchestra’s Love in Italy concert is free. Tickets will be distributed at the venue one hour prior to the performance. Distribution is on a first-come, first-served basis and is limited to a maximum of two tickets per person. The entire performance will be live broadcast on an outdoor screen installed outside St. Dominic’s Church, thereby allowing even more viewers to enjoy this exquisite concert. For details and programme enquiries, please visit the OM website at www.icm.gov.mo/om.
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The International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) is the world's foremost conference organisation. It was founded in 1963 and has a membership of more than 1,000 governmental organisations, exhibition related companies and convention centres in more than 90 countries. Each year, ICCA prepares a report ranking the number of ICCA meetings held in each country region/city. This authoritative report is widely recognised in the industry and is also an important reference for professional organisers in the selection of ideal conference location. Macao currently has a total of seven ICCA members from governmental departments, hotels, professional conference organisers and conference service providers. There are stringent requirements for ICCA assessment: such conferences must be by organised regularly by an international association/organisation event (excluding corporate meetings), in rotation in three or more countries/regions with no less than 50 participants. . According to the latest "2015 ICCA Statistics Report", 28 international meetings held in Macao were recognised by ICCA, showing an increase of 5 events as compared to the total a 23 in 2014. As for ranking in Asia, Macao ranked 34th in 2013, 20th in 2014, and 21st in 2015. Regarding the ranking worldwide, Macao ranks 93rd in 2015, moving up by 8 and 63 places respectively compared with its ranking of 101st in 2014 and 156th in 2013.. The rise in ranking in two consecutive years has put Macau on par with cities like Auckland in New Zealand, Brisbane in Australia and Bordeaux in France and proves that Macao is a rising star in conferences and events world. Additionally, with the gradual completion of large convention and exhibition facilities, the Macao exhibition industry has developed rapidly, attracting more international conferences to Macao. The Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) officially became an ICCA member in August 2012 and has actively participated in all ICCA activities, and seized the opportunity for dialogue with meeting managers, professional meeting organisers and related international meeting institutions. IPIM has also rolled out a one-stop bidding and support service for meeting organisers that are interested in holding events in Macao. The ICCA online database, with over 17,000 international meeting data points, has also allowed IPIM to search for potential meetings and bid to hold them in Macao. This has attracted even more international meeting organisers to hold their activities in the city. According to data from Macao's Statistics and Census Service (DSEC), there were a total of 909 conferences held in Macao in 2015. Among which, 540 (59.4%) were corporate meetings, 173 (19.0%) were conferences or organisation/association meetings, 57 (6.3%) were major conference, and 78 (8.6%) were exhibitions.
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In order to share the fruits of economic development with general public, the Macau SAR government has announced the “Wealth Partaking Scheme 2016”, under which, local permanent residents are entitled to receiving 9,000 patacas and non-permanent residents 5,400 patacas. With the Administrative Regulation No.17/2016 gazetted, the scheme comes into effect on 14 June 2016, and its implementation will officially start in early July. Overview of Disbursement Arrangement: 1.Beneficiaries 1)Holders of valid or renewable Macau SAR Resident Identity Card on 31 December 2015 are entitled to receiving the cash premium. 2)Pursuant to Article 3 (2) of Law No.8/2002 regarding the circumstances of non-compulsory acquisition of resident identity card, persons below the age of 5 on 31 December 2015, will be granted the cash premium upon obtainment of the abovementioned identification document. 3)Holders of valid or renewable Macau SAR Resident Identity Card who are currently residing abroad will be granted the cash premium, provided that they can prove that they are unable to renew their Macau SAR Resident Identity Card due to the reason of bedridden, completely or partly paralyzed. For those who have submitted the documentary proof and were granted the cash premium in the previous year, the Social Welfare Bureau is authorized to exempt them from documents resubmission if it is concluded that no new evidence is needed for the approval of current Scheme after analyzing the existing documents. 4)Macau SAR residents, who are eligible for this scheme, have not received the cash by reason of death, the respective amount can be requested by the administrator of the deceased’s estate, which is required under Article 1917 of the Civil Code for the administration of the deceased estate unit its liquidation and distribution. 2.Modes of distribution 1)Bank transfer The following individuals will have the cash premium disbursed by means of bank transfer: - Persons receiving financial assistance or subsidy for senior citizens from the Social Welfare Bureau; - Teaching staff receiving direct subsidy or subsidy for professional development as well as students in tertiary education receiving student aid from the Student Benefits Fund of the Education and Youth Affairs Bureau; - Retired civil servants receiving retirement pension and other persons receiving aforesaid pension for the family of the deceased; -Persons registered before end of April 2016 for receiving tax reimbursement or other payments from Financial Services Bureau through bank transfer; -Civil servants have not yet registered for receiving tax reimbursement or other payments from Financial Services Bureau through bank transfer. 2)Crossed cheque mailing The rest qualified for being awarded the cash premium will receive the crossed cheque via mail by the Identification Services Bureau. Details are as follows: -Beneficiaries aged 18 or above will each receive a cheque made payable to the beneficiary; -Minor beneficiaries (under the age of 18) will each receive a cheque made payable to the beneficiary, his/her father, and his/her mother, which may be deposited either into the beneficiary’s account, his/her father’s account, or his/her mother’s account. The crossed cheque will be sent via mail so as to enable the beneficiaries to get the cheque in the simplest way. Since it is a crossed cheque, it can only be deposited into the payee’s account, in this way, even if one gets the cheque of others, in no way can the cheque be cashed. 3)Special circumstances The Social Welfare Bureau shall be responsible for the distribution of cash premium to the following persons: persons stated in above 1 (3), minors whose guardianship has not been established, incompetent persons and persons deprived of their liberty by rehabilitative measures or subjected to criminal punishment. 3.Schedule for Distribution * Annex Table 4.Address change for mailing purpose The address of holders of Macau Resident Identity Card in the database of the Identification Services Bureau is the one declared by the resident during his/her replacement for the Macau SAR Resident Identity Card. To ensure that the residents can receive their cheques in time, those who have moved their residence can change their address information in the following ways: -Prior to changing the address, the resident has to provide data for verification by entering his/her identity card number, his/her date of birth and his/her mother’s name (as the names of father and mother are not shown on the identity card), at the Identification Services Bureau website (www.dsi.gov.mo); or -Return directly the declaration for change of address to the Identification Services Bureau. 5. Enquiry of Status of Disburesment -One can check the status of disbursement on the Wealth Partaking Scheme’s official website (http://www.planocp.gov.mo ) by entering his / her ID card number, date of birth and mother’s name, details of the status will be shown after authentication. -The status of disbursement can also be checked at the Self-Services Kiosks of Identification Services Bureau located at 40 different points over Macau, details of the status will be shown after ID and fingerprint authentication. 6. ‎Inquiries and related formalities With an effort to cope with the implementation of the Scheme, any enquiries and assistance regarding procedures associated with the Scheme, residents can visit the Service Centre of Civil and Municipal Affairs Bureau located in Avenida da Praia Grande, China Plaza, 2/F either in person, by telephone or facsimile. The centre will be opened on Monday to Friday (except public holidays) from 9:00 to 18:00 straight. The service hotline and facsimile numbers are 2822 5000 and 2822 3000. The official website and the Financial Services Bureau WeChat official account also provide the most up-to-date information.
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The 26th annual meeting of the Association of Universities of Portuguese Language (AULP), hosted by the Universidade de Timor Lorosa'e (UNTL), was held from 29 June to 1 July. The theme of this year’s meeting is ‘academic mobility and globalisation within the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP) and Macao’. It is the first time that the AULP’s annual meeting has been held in East Timor. The Board of Administrators meeting, whose main purpose was to review the activity report of the AULP, was held on 29 June, chaired by Prof Rui Martins, president of the AULP and representative of UM rector. One of the key items on the agenda was the AULP’s activity plan for the next three years, which was initiated by UM and jointly developed by members of the Board of Administrators. The Board of Administrators meeting was followed by the opening ceremony of the 26th annual meeting of the AULP. The ceremony was attended by Francisco Guterres Lobo, former president of the National Parliament of East Timor; António Conceição, minister of education of East Timor; Francisco Martins, rector of UNTL; and Rui Martins, president of the AULP and representative of UM rector. UM was elected president of the AULP for a three-year term (2014-2017) at the association’s 24th annual meeting. Composed of more than 140 universities and other research and educational institutions in CPLP countries and Macao, the AULP is dedicated to promoting communication among its members as well as the development of education and the Portuguese language worldwide.
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The Macao Museum of Art (MAM), under the Cultural Affairs Bureau, is launching a series of contemporary sculpture exhibitions titled “A Sculpture” this year, aiming to promote the art development of contemporary sculpture in Macao. This exhibition will present the sculpture “Connection with Water” by artist Yang Xiaohua. The vernissage will be held next Tuesday, 5 July, at 6:30pm, in front of the MAM. All are welcome. Born in Guangzhou in 1959, Yang Xiaohua taught at the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts upon graduating from a Bachelor’s programme at the Department of Sculpture in 1992. He studied at the International Art Centre in Paris in 2000, and received the Overseas Studies Scholarship offered by the Ministry of Education to study in Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia in August 2005, where he earned a Master’s degree in Russian Arts in 2007. A sequel to the artist’s “Water Series”, the sculpture “Connection with Water” is composed by three water droplets of different sizes and water ripples. The three droplets in the upper part of the structure represent Macao, Zhuhai and Hong Kong, while its ripple-shaped foundation alludes to the fact that the Pearl River connects Macao, Zhuhai and Hong Kong. The work is superbly finished with stainless steel, with its surface polished, implying the burgeoning prosperity of the three places following the completion of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge. The sculpture exhibition “Connection with Water - Yang Xiaohua” will be held from 6 July 2016 to 8 January 2017, in front of the MAM. The Macao Museum of Art is located in NAPE, Avenida Xian Xing Hai, and is opened from 10am to 7pm (no admittance after 6:30pm; closed on Mondays). Admission fee is MOP5.00 and is free on Sundays and public holidays.
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On 3 November 2015, the Immigration Department of the Public Security Police Force (PSP) opened a service point at Zone K, 1st Floor, Centro de Serviços at Areia Preta, providing 11 service items*. The service point is located at the densely populated northern district, satisfying the needs of people residing on the Macao Peninsula. The convenient location and the one-stop service model of the Macao SAR government save the service users running among several government departments, hence tremendously shortening the time spent on transportation and waiting. It also embodies the ‘people-oriented’ vision of the Macao SAR government. This service point has been operating at the Centro de Serviços for over half a year. The number of people received there has been increasing month by month. 809 people were received in December 2015 whereas 1,272 were received in May 2016; an increase of 57% was recorded. As of May 2016, the 11 service items had been used by 7,537 people. 3,885 domestic helpers and specialized non-resident workers applying for renewal (or reposition) and collecting Non-resident Worker’s Identification Card took up a large percentage of the service users. Next are the PRC One-way Exit Permit holders collecting Residence Certificate. There were 2,966 of them. To cope with the continuous increase in the usage of the service point at the Centro de Serviços, to enhance the reception capacity and to prepare for additional service items in the future, the number of counters of the Immigration Department has been increased from 3 to 5. PSP has been proactively considering facilitation measures with other government departments. For example, people applying for residence in Macao can apply directly to the counters of the Identification Bureau set up at the Centro de Serviços for an identity card after they collect the Receipt of Residence Authorization Renewal or Residence Certificate at our counters there. Until now, 2,007 people have used this service. The Trade and Investment Promotion Institute also starts to provide the service of collection of Notification of Temporary Residence Authorization Renewal at the Centro de Serviços from 30 June 2016. This means that the over 7,000 applicants of residence authorization renewal per year can make applications for a Receipt of Residence Authorization Renewal at our counters immediately after they collect the above notification. In this way, they can enjoy the convenience brought about by the one-stop service model. In addition, starting from 4 July 2016, non-resident workers whose application for Non-resident Worker’s Authorization to Stay is approved may choose, at the time when they are making the application, to collect their Non-resident Worker’s Identification Card at either the Immigration Department Office Building at Pac On, Taipa or our service point at the Centro de Serviços. This supersedes the past restriction of collecting the document at only the same location where the application is submitted. It is expected that over 180,000 non-resident workers will benefit from these measures. Citizens can make appointments for service items 1 and 2 through the online appointment system of the Centro de Serviços (https://www.iacm.gov.mo/booking/webBookingAction.do). In order to maintain our service quality and good waiting order at the service point, limited number of tags is reserved for online appointment and distributed on the spot for the above two services. Those who have made an appointment should arrive at our service point with the tag and all the necessary documents before the appointed time and wait for their turn. The other service items are not included in the online appointment system for the time being. No daily service quota is set for these items. The service users will have to get a tag at the Centro de Serviços during office hours and wait for their turn. For more details and information about immigration affairs, please feel free to visit our website at http://www.fsm.gov.mo/psp/cht/main.html or call the Immigration Department at 2872 5488. * The 11 service items provided by our service point at the Centro de Serviços are as follows: Application and Collection 1. Renewal (or reposition) of Non-resident Worker’s Identification Card for domestic helpers and specialized non-resident workers 2. Receipt of Residence Authorization Renewal for persons granted Residence Authorization by the Trade and Investment Promotion Institute 3. Certificate of personal entry and exit movement record (the certificate can be collected at this service point if the application is made through self-service kiosk) 4. Certificate of China resident's employment status in Macao 5. Certificate of limit of stay granted in Authorization to Stay 6. Certificate of record of Special Authorization to Stay for foreign students 7. Statement to prove the applicant is in application procedure 8. Certificate to prove the document is copied from the applicant's dossier 9. Other certificates issued based on information in dossier 10. Reissue of password slip of Non-resident Worker’s Identification Card Collection 11. Residence Certificate for PRC Permit for Travelling to and from Hong Kong and Macao holders granted Residence Authorization
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The Monetary Authority of Macao (AMCM) will be launching the Year of the Rooster commemorative coins in 2017. To facilitate the public and to ensure the orderly conduct of the subscription process, AMCM will accept online registration for subscription of coins from eligible subscribers, who are holders of either permanent or non-permanent valid Macao resident identity card and are aged 18 or above, via the webpage of the Monetary Authority of Macao (www.amcm.gov.mo) from 9:00am on 4 July until 6:00pm on 15 July 2016. Simultaneously, a service counter will be set up at the lobby of AMCM within the mentioned time period to provide online registration service for those elderly citizens who require assistance. Each subscriber can only conduct a single subscription; and each subscriber can subscribe for a maximum of one piece of gold proof coin, one piece of 5 oz silver proof coin and one piece of 1 oz silver proof coin. In the event of oversubscription, the allotment for each type of commemorative coins will be determined by computer balloting. The ballot results will be communicated via SMS messages on 22 July 2016. From that day onwards, subscribers can also browse the ballot results on the webpage of the Monetary Authority of Macao (www.amcm.gov.mo). Successful subscribers or their representative should bring along the photocopy of the valid Macao resident identity card of the successful subscribers and make the corresponding payment at Banco Nacional Ultramarino, S.A. within the period from 25 July to 5 August 2016. It is expected that the Year of the Rooster commemorative coins will be available for pick-up between the fourth quarter of 2016 and the first quarter of 2017. For further details relating to the coins’ selling price and online registration and subscription procedures, please refer to our webpage (www.amcm.gov.mo) or telephone 28565072.
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Casino employees are a vital element in the development of the city’s gaming industry: the Government consequently strives to protect them from the risk of becoming problem gamblers. The Director of the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau, Mr Paulo Martins Chan, said the Government always pays close attention to the possibility of negative influences affecting the community as a result of exposure to gaming. The Government will continuously enhance legislation in order to promote a healthy and sustainable development of the industry. Mr Chan made his comments during a meeting on Thursday (30 June) with representatives of 11 local associations representing casino employee interests. The meeting was to hear casino workers’ opinions – regarding possible revisions by the Government – to a law that regulates who can enter, work and gamble in the city’s casinos. The statute is Law No. 10/2012 - “Regulating the Conditions of Entering, Working and Gaming at Casinos”. In order to protect gaming employees from problem gambling, the Government is considering amending the law in order to bar casino workers from taking part in any gaming related activity inside casinos during non-work hours. At the meeting, the representatives of the associations indicated a general agreement with the idea, saying it would help minimise the risk of those workers becoming problem gamblers and would – in the long run – help maintain a healthy development of the gaming industry. The Government will meet with representatives of the gaming operators and with representatives of groups promoting responsible gaming, in order to hear their opinions on the suggested revision of the law. Members of the public are welcome to contribute their opinions regarding the potential revision of Law No. 10/2012 - “Regulating the Conditions of Entering, Working and Gaming at Casinos”. Opinion can be sent to the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau via either: surface mail, to Avenida da Praia Grande, nos. 762-804, Edif. China Plaza, 21st floor; by telephone on +853 8397 3286; by fax on +853 2871 2331; or by email, to message@service.dicj.gov.mo.
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