Macao SAR Government Portal
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More inspections to protect cultural heritage sites in Macao
The Government would step up its inspection efforts in relation to Macao’s cultural heritage sites, in order further to protect those buildings and prevent any recurrence of the sort of incident that led to a collapse of a section of ceiling at St Augustine’s Church. In view of recent rainy weather, with the possibility of more to come, the Government would conduct check-ups on: St Joseph’s Seminary and Church; St Anthony’s Church; the Chapel of Our Lady of Penha; and the OXwarehouse. These four heritage locations, together with St Augustine’s Church, are considered most at risk of damage related to adverse weather. The Cultural Affairs Bureau estimates that restoration of St Augustine’s Church will be completed in three months and will cost approximately one million patacas, said the Director of the Bureau, Mr Ung Vai Meng, on Tuesday (14 June) in a session with the press. The session included a visit to the Church. A partial collapse of a wooden ceiling, along with some roof tiles, occurred at St Augustine’s Church on 29 May. The Bureau said the incident was mainly due to recent rainstorms and turbulent weather conditions. It noted that the Church was inherently fragile as it was several hundred years old. A detailed report on the incident would be submitted to the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, said the Bureau. The Government would conduct at least twice-yearly inspections of the city’s cultural heritage sites. Those inspections would be made not only by the Bureau’s professional staff but also by specialist teams outside the public sector. The Bureau urged on-site managers of Macao’s heritage buildings to pay close attention to weather conditions and strengthen protection measures for each individual building in relation to the threat of adverse weather. St Augustine’s Church is part of the Historic Centre of Macao, a place that is on the World Heritage List of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The Church was built in 1591, and is one of the oldest in Macao.
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Government closely monitoring progress of nuclear facilities in Taishan
The Government has learnt from the Guangdong Provincial Government more information on the Province’s nuclear power plant facility in Taishan Prefecture. The Guangdong Government has stated the following: 1. Construction procedures and material for Taishan’s nuclear power plant had been thoroughly examined by the National Nuclear Safety Administration. The safety assessment was in line with the standards required in France and Finland. Since 2008, the site for the Taishan nuclear facilities had been checked annually by more than 400 professionals. During those inspections, about 5,220 issues had been raised. 2. The Taishan nuclear facilities had been closely monitored by the National Nuclear Safety Administration since construction on the project started in 2009. The Administration’s supervision included: stationing an inspection team at the construction site; conducting inspections of, respectively, the construction, the installation of equipment and its testing for safety purposes; dispatching inspectors to factories making parts for the nuclear power plant; and conducting safety quality checks on all imported components. 3. During construction of the nuclear facilities, the National Nuclear Safety Administration had conducted: a total of 18 inspections, some scheduled and some unscheduled; 58 specific check-ups; and more than 700 examinations performed on a per day basis. Some of the reports produced as a result of such actions had been uploaded to websites of environmental protection departments. Regarding the findings of those inspections and checks, the Taishan Prefectural Government had been directed to ensure it adheres to quality standards and to relevant requirements as stipulated by mainland law. 4. The National Nuclear Safety Administration had signed bilateral cooperation agreements and some international framework agreements. It had strengthened its links with France and Finland, in order to enhance the way the nuclear project in Taishan is supervised. At present, the first reactor of the nuclear power plant was in the preparation stage, prior to operations, and its second reactor was being installed. In response to the issue of nuclear safety – globally and locally – the Government has invited nuclear experts from the mainland to visit Macao in order to share more knowledge on such a matter, and to suggest any update – if it is required – to the city’s contingency plan for dealing with any nuclear incident that might occur. Macao’s security authorities are establishing a mechanism for regular communication with the Guangdong Government regarding nuclear safety. Such a mechanism would optimise the ability of the Government to release to members of the public – in a timely manner – any necessary information updates. The Government continues to have close communication with the mainland authorities in general and the Guangdong Government in particular, regarding any updates and news on progress regarding the construction of the nuclear facilities in Taishan. The Government would continue monitoring nuclear safety in neighbouring areas; enhancing the city’s response measures; and optimising methods for giving out information, in order to address any concerns of the public, and further to protect public health.
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New philatelic products order
To facilitate the public and philatelists for ordering new philatelic products, please note the followings: 1)Issue Name: 120th Anniversary of the Birth of General Ye Ting Issue Date: 10/09/2016 Ordering Period: 01/07/2016–31/07/2016 Product Types Unit Price (MOP) Stamps Set (50 stamps in 1 sheet) 7.50 Souvenir Sheet 12.00 FDC with stamps set 12.50 FDC with Souvenir Sheet 17.00 Information Brochure with stamps set 14.00 Information Brochure with Souvenir Sheet18.50
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Foreign exchange reserves and nominal effective exchange rate index for the pataca – May 2016
The Monetary Authority of Macao announced today that the preliminary estimate of Macao SAR’s foreign exchange reserves amounted to MOP150.5 billion (USD18.80 billion) at the end of May 2016. The reserves decreased by 0.8% from the revised value of MOP151.7 billion (USD18.98 billion) for the previous month. Macao SAR’s foreign exchange reserves at end-May 2016 represented 12 times the currency in circulation or 105.9% of Pataca M2 at end-April 2016. The trade-weighted effective exchange rate index for the pataca rose 0.47 points month-to-month and 1.59 points year-on-year to 105.36 in May 2016, implying that overall speaking, the pataca appreciated against the currencies of Macao’s major trading partners.
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“Exhibition of the 70th Anniversary of Han Tianheng” Opens at the Macao Museum of Art on Friday
“Exhibition of the 70th Anniversary of Han Tianheng”, jointly organised by the Macao Museum of Art under the auspices of the Cultural Affairs Bureau and the Han Tianheng Art Museum in Shanghai, will be inaugurated on Friday, 17 June, at 6:30pm, at the Gallery of Chinese Paintings and Calligraphy on the 4th floor of the Macao Museum of Art. This exhibition features a total of 188 pieces/sets of Han Tianheng’s calligraphy, paintings, seal engravings and literati playthings for the audience to appreciate Han’s unique artistic creation style and achievements. Han Tianheng was born in Shanghai in 1940. His family came from Suzhou, in Jiangsu Province,. Han Tianheng is a prestigious master and scholar in contemporary painting and seal engraving, and has achieved remarkable success in the artistic field for his creativity and impact. Hailed for his innovative spirit and inspiring creation that inherits and transcends tradition, his accomplishments in seal engraving are especially prominent, his works being collected by museums and galleries in China and aboard, including the British Museum. Mentored by art masters such as Fang Jiekan, Fang Quji, Ma Gongyu, Lu Weizhao, Xie Zhiliu and Lu Yanshao, Han Tianheng holds a number of social positions. He is the current honorary Dean of the Academy of Chinese Seal Engraving Art, Vice president of the Xiling Society of Seal Arts and a consultant of the Shanghai Chinese Painting Academy, among others. He has frequently been associated with Macao’s art, culture and press circles since the 1980’s and has established a close friendship with many senior figures of the local art and cultural sector such as Chui Tak Kei, Lam Kan, U Kuan Wai and Lei Pang Chu, contributing significantly to artistic exchange between Shanghai and Macao. The exhibition features works from different periods, including copies and seal engravings of the inscriptions on pagodas in the early period as well as the large calligraphy work Selections of Large-Character Calligraphy and the zhuwen seal Dan Qing Wen Dao, Red legend, square-shaped seal, created recently. Literati playthings like inkstones, red stoneware utensils, water pots and arm rests made by the artist will also be showcased to illustrate his aesthetic interest from different perspectives. “Exhibition of the 70th Anniversary of Han Tianheng” will be held until 7 August at the Macao Museum of Art located at Avenida Xian Xing Hai, NAPE, Macao. Admission fee is MOP5.00, and admission is free on Sunday and public holidays (closed on Monday). For enquiries, please call through tel. no. 8791 9814 during office hours or visit www.MAM.gov.mo.
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Photograph Postcard Exhibition at the Archives of Macao presented various sceneries of Macao and Lusophone African and Asian Regions
The exhibition “Memories of Moments - Macao and Lusophone African and Asian Regions in Photograph Postcards”, organised by the Archives of Macao under the auspices of Cultural Affairs Bureau, was inaugurated on 8 June, presenting more than 260 photograph postcards that feature the sceneries and images of Macao and the Lusophone African and Asian Regions. The exhibition is open until 4 December 2016. The opening ceremony was officiated by the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Alexis Tam Chon Weng; the Deputy Director of the Department of Education and Culture of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao S.A.R., Zhao Chuandong; the Consul-General of Portugal in Macao and Hong Kong, Vítor Sereno; the President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Ung Vai Meng and the Director of Macao Post, Lau Wai Meng. A photograph postcard is a dual source of information, where an image on the front, which demonstrates the photographer's vision of the society, is complemented with a personal message on the back. Messages on postcards are written accounts of experiences and happenings in different parts of the world and thus enhance the value of postcards as documents. The 20th century marked the beginning of international circulation of postcards and popularization of photography in world history. The exhibition features a selection of over 260 photograph postcards from the image collection of the Archives of Macao to present a big picture of the history and art, urban-architecture, ethnography, economic development, natural environment and other aspects of life in Macao and Angola, Cape Verde, the former Portuguese India, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, São Tomé and Principe and East Timor since the first decades of the 20th century. Lectures related to the exhibition are also scheduled during the exhibition period, the first lecture entitled “Photograph Postcard - Corroboration of the History: Macao and Lusophone African and Asian Regions after the Popularization of Photography”, will be delivered by senior researcher Luís Sá Cunha to provide a look at the people, culture and history of Macao and Lusophone African and Asian regions through photograph postcards of different periods. The lecture will be conducted in Portuguese with Cantonese simultaneous interpretation at the Auditorium of the Cultural Affairs Bureau on Tap Siac Square at 6:30pm on 15 June. Admission is free. The exhibition at the Archives of Macao is open with free entry from 10am to 6pm daily, except from Mondays and public holidays. For enquiries, please visit official website: www.archives.gov.mo or call 28592919 during office hours.
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Consumer Council conducts price survey on selling prices of fresh pork and vegetables from Zhuhai, HK, and Macao
For the implementation of Section 2b), Article 10, Law 4/95/M of 12 June, Consumer Council collects prices of fresh pork and vegetables from wet markets and supermarkets for consumers’ reference. Collected data are used for comparing with the selling prices of the same products from Zhuhai and Hong Kong. The relevant data has been uploaded to the Council’s website for consumers’ reference. The specific price surveys on fresh pork and vegetables are now available on the Council’s website (www.consumer.gov.mo), iPhone & Android ‘Supermarket Price Information Platform’ app, and the Council’s WeChat Account page. The relevant surveys include selling prices of local fresh pork and vegetables, and comparison on the respective selling prices rom Zhuhai, HK, and Macao. For enquiry, please call 8988 9315.
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Nobel laureate Professor Sir James Mirrlees supervises UM PhD dissertation
Zhuo Shuaihe, a PhD student from the Department of Economics, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Macau (UM), recently completed his dissertation under the supervision of Professor Sir James Mirrlees, a co-recipient of the 1996 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences and a recipient of an honorary doctorate from UM. ‘I feel very lucky to be a PhD student at UM. It is very exciting to study here,’ says Zhuo. The dissertation, titled ‘Labor Reallocation, Migration and Productivity Growth in China’, explores the Chinese labor market theoretically and empirically and proposes labour market models that can be served as practical tools for policy implications. ‘Prof Mirrlees has put lots of effort into my dissertation since the very beginning. He cleared doubts about the theme of my PhD project and shed light on how to do an in-depth analysis,’ said Zhuo after his oral defense. ‘Prof Mirrlees’ profound knowledge in mathematics has inspired me a lot and I enjoyed the whole research process. He was always resourceful and helpful whenever I had problems in deriving complicated models. He has read my text many times and even polished it word by word. His comments were very critical and constructive. What impressed me the most is his creative thinking skills in the field of economics. I am very thankful for all he has done for my dissertation.’ ‘I feel very lucky to be a PhD student at UM. It is very exciting to study here, and my experiences can be summed up as follows: First, the PhD studentship and research grant at UM are generous enough to support me through the whole programme. Second, UM’s faculty members offer excellent coursework. I have benefited a lot from the teaching of my teachers, including my co-supervisor Dr Kwan Fung. Third, the facilities on the campus are excellent and the campus life is quite enjoyable. Lastly, the students at UM are very nice. I have made lots of friends and we always learn together,’ Zhuo added.
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Macao rides on Shanghai International Film Festival to promote IFFAM
Riding on the 19th Shanghai International Film Festival, the Organizing Committee of the International Film Festival & Awards‧Macao hosted a cocktail reception in Shanghai to promote the event to film industry professionals and media from different places across the globe, taking the opportunity to attract more international exhibitors and introduce world-class exchange opportunities to IFFAM. The 1st International Film Festival & Awards‧Macao (IFFAM) will be held from 8 to 13 December 2016. To publicize this significant film-industry gathering beyond Macao, the Organizing Committee hosted an IFFAM cocktail reception at The Ritz-Carlton Shanghai, Pudong this afternoon (13 June) and invited nearly 200 participants on behalf of film companies and media agencies at home and abroad. During the reception, Festival Director Marco Müller stated that Macao holds a potential to become a new hub for exchanges in the film industry. Other guests include Head of Destination Marketing Department of MGTO, Betty Fok, Acting Head of Tourism Product and Events Department of MGTO, Jennifer Si Tou, Secretary General of the IFFAM Organizing Committee, Alice Augusto, Head of Festival Management Lorna Tee, Festival Ambassdor Choi Dong-hoon, International Advisors of IFFAM, Huang Jianxin and Oh Jung-wan, Honorary Advisor of IFFAM, Eric Tsang, Consultant of IFFAM, Shan Dongbing, as well as acclaimed film director Ning Hao among others. Recognized by International Federation of Film Producers Associations as an international film festival under category A, the Shanghai International Film Festival was founded in 1993 with the aim to foster Chinese film industry development and interchanges among members of Chinese and overseas film industry. The IFFAM Organizing Committee has started promoting the event earlier including participation at the Macao Pavilion of the 20th Hong Kong International Film & TV Market (FILMART) with members of the local film and television industry in March and hosting a media reception for the event, marking its presence at the 69th Cannes Film Festival in May with a booth set up in “Marché du Film” and inviting different international film festival coordinators and film distributors for meetings. Later this year, the IFFAM Organizing Committee is going to participate in the Busan International Film Festival not only to learn from others’ experience and gain more publicity but also to prosper the cultural industry and promote cultural tourism, for beneficial results that will fuel the sustainable development of Macao’s tourism industry in the long run.
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UM student wins championship as team leader in group category at national interpreting contest
Yang Shanshan, a PhD student of linguistics from the Department of English, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, University of Macau (UM), recently won the championship as leader of a team from Hong Kong and Macao in the group category of consecutive interpreting at the national final of the Fifth All China Interpreting Contest. She also received an Excellence Award and was voted the ‘Favourite Interpreter’. Another student from the department, namely Zhang Xiaoping, who is a master’s student of translation studies, won a second prize in the simultaneous interpreting invitational tournament of the competition. Their instructor Dr Victoria Lei received a Distinguished Teacher Award. Organised by the Translators Association of China, the All China Interpreting Contest is considered the most prestigious, influential, and industry-known interpreting competition in China. This year, a total of 1,814 contestants from 439 universities in China participated in the competition. The qualifying rounds started in December last year to select outstanding interpreters in eight regions of China. The national final was held at the Capital University of Economics and Business in Beijing. In the face of strong opponents from leading universities who have made it to the national final in Beijing through preliminaries, provincial contests, and regional contests, Zhang Xiaoping demonstrated an excellent command of both English and Chinese, outstanding skills in simultaneous interpreting, and a strong mind in the competition and won a second prize in the simultaneous interpreting invitational tournament. In the group category of consecutive interpreting, Yang Shanshan received the highest score in the ‘sodoku’ interpreting round. With solid interpreting and leadership skills and adaptability, she won the championship together with the two other contestants in her team, one from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and the other from the Macao Polytechnic Institute. Anita Chao Kit I, a master’s student of translation studies from the Department of English, joined the UM team as an observer. The UM students’ trip to Beijing was sponsored by the Macao Foundation.
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