News

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. The mentioned data collected during 3 August to 9 August are used for comparing 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 comparison report is 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. For enquiry, please call 8988 9315.
…

The tickets for the 30th Macao International Music Festival (MIMF), organized by the Cultural Affairs Bureau, went on sale on 7 August. A large number of music fans waited at different ticket offices to purchase tickets. Sales reached a satisfactory result as 5,500 tickets were sold up to 5pm on the first day of ticket sales. The 30th MIMF will be held from 1 to 30 October, featuring 20 shows and a total of 27 performances. At 8:30am on the first day of ticket sales, the organiser sent staff to each ticket office to maintain order and to distribute, queuing vouchers to waiting purchasers from 9am onwards, thereby making ticket purchase more convenient for the public. Sales on the first day were in good order, and more than 300 queuing vouchers were issued at various ticket offices. In order to celebrate the Festival’s Pearl Jubilee with the public, the organizer promoted “‘Music’ with the Public Lucky Draw”, supported by the Macau Coca-Cola Beverage Co., Ltd. IC staff encouraged the public to participate, giving them the opportunity to enter the lucky draw by posting a “Like” on the MIMF’s page on Facebook or by taking photos with portable frames specially designed for this edition of the Festival. All participants were offered prizes such as Cola-Cola glasses, beverages and MIMF’s badges, thereby creating a more festive atmosphere. With an enthusiastic response on the first day of ticket sales, tickets for the Berlin Philharmonic String Quintet, Quintessence Night, Magic Bow and The Story of Pipa, among others, are already sold out. All tickets for the free admission concert Gloria were completely distributed, while sales for local shows and for the performances A Dream of Fragrancy and Bravo Macao! were also successful. In addition, the performances Turandot, Ray Chen – Violin Recital, From Russia, With Classics and the free performance Chaplin Once More! were highly sought after. Those interested are advised to purchase tickets as soon as possible. From now until 14 August, an early bird discount of 30% is available for ticket purchases for 4 or more different performances, for 10 or more tickets for the same performance, and for valid full-time Student Card or Teacher Card holders; Macao Senior Citizen Card or Disability Assessment Registration Card holders can enjoy 50% discount on ticket purchases (one discounted ticket per performance per card holder only). Holders of designated bank card and credit card can enjoy a 20% discount. For more details on the programme, please access the Festival’s website at www.icm.gov.mo/fimm. Ticketing hotline: 2855 5555. Ticketing website: www.macauticket.com.
…

Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) participates in the event known as “Beautiful China – Grasslands Silk Road Tour” and the Event for Tourism Exchange and Cooperation between Inner Mongolia, Hong Kong and Macao. During the event, MGTO signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Tourism Cooperation with the Tourism Bureau of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region today (9 August) to foster mutual exchange and cooperation in the tourism field. Jointly organized by the Department of Affairs on Tourism of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan of China National Tourism Administration (CNTA), Tourism Bureau of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Tourism Commission of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and MGTO, the “Beautiful China – Grasslands Silk Road Tour” and the Event for Tourism Exchange and Cooperation between Inner Mongolia, Hong Kong and Macao is held in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region from 8 to 12 August. The co-organizers include Asia Tourism Exchange Center, Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) and Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong. MGTO Deputy Director Cecilia Tse and Head of Communication and External Relations Department, Kathy Iong, participate in the event together with delegates of travel trade from Macao including President of Association of Macao Tourist Agents, Guan Dehui, and representatives of China Travel Service (Macao) Ltd. The “Beautiful China – Grasslands Silk Road Tour” and the Event for Tourism Exchange and Cooperation between Inner Mongolia, Hong Kong and Macao features the three destinations’ presentation, announcement ceremony of the incentive travel policy and promotion scheme for Hong Kong and Macao visitors to Inner Mongolia, signing ceremonies, travel mart, familiarization visits along the Grasslands Silk Road, summary discussions and so forth. The Hong Kong and Macao delegations were kindly received by senior officials including CNTA Vice Chairman, Li Shihong, and Vice Chairman of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Regional Government, Yun Guangzhong. On 9 August, Inner Mongolia, Hong Kong and Macao held a joint destination presentation followed by an array of signing ceremonies in Hohhot, during which Director of Tourism Bureau of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Wei Guonan, and MGTO Deputy Director Cecilia Tse signed the Memorandum of Understanding on Tourism Cooperation to enhance mutual cooperation and communication as well as to foster tourism developments of both destinations. CNTA Vice Chairman Li Shihong, and Vice Chairman of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Regional Government, Yun Guangzhong, Head of Department of Affairs on Tourism of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan of CNTA, Liu Kezhi, and Director of the Economic Affairs Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong SAR, Sun Xiangyi, witnessed the ceremony together with other guests. On the day, MGTO elaborated Macao’s tourism development and presented the latest tourism facilities and products while publicizing Macao’s positioning as a World Centre of Tourism and Leisure. Tourism Bureau of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and HKTB both presented the tourism situation and resources of their destinations as well. During her speech, Deputy Director Cecilia Tse remarked that with Macao being a major hub along the Maritime Silk Road, the SAR Government will actively support the “Belt and Road Initiative”. By joining hands with the Mainland authorities, participating in and promoting the work involved, the SAR Government will strive to raise the international influence of the “Silk Road” cultural tourism brands including “Maritime Silk Road” and “Grasslands Silk Road” and jointly promote regional tourism development. Through participation in the event, MGTO seeks to deepen tourism cooperation between Macao and Inner Mongolia, while creating opportunities for members of the travel industry from both destinations to connect and share their latest industry news and tourism products for stronger connections and collaboration. The delegation of MGTO and Macao’s travel trade will pay familiarization visits to a range of major tourism resources and facilities in various places including Hohhot, Xilamuren Grasslands, Baotou as well as Ordos around Inner Mongolia as part of the Grasslands Silk Road from 9 to 12 August.
…

The Macao Art Museum (MAM) under the Cultural Affairs Bureau, has been organizing the “Macao Arts Window” since 2012, which aims to encourage creativity and promote the development of contemporary art in Macao. The theme of this edition of the “Macao Arts Window” is the exhibition “Geometry of the universe: 3D and multimedia works by Akin Vong”, the vernissage will be held on Thursday, 11 August, at 6:30pm, on the third floor of the MAM. The “Macao Arts Window” aims to provide an open and diverse exhibition space and exchange platform and to encourage local artists to explore and express the concepts and forms of contemporary art. Akin Vong was born in Macao. As an illustrator, Akin works in traditional media, digital images and animation, as well as lighting design, and design of themed exhibitions for malls. Akin is one of the winners of First Prize in the Painting and Sculpture categories of the Phillippe Charriol Foundation Annual Art Competition and has won several scholarships, allowing him to carry out study visits to Europe and the United States. In 2011 he was one of the winners of the Hong Kong Ten Outstanding Designers Awards. The artist combines the basic geometric elements with time, rhythm, patterns, sizes, angles and hues, and creating unlimited images in these works. In the world of geometry he sees an infinite universe, which evolved from a point to a line, a plane and a cube. He thinks that the universe is infinite! Just in a single drop of seawater microscopic creatures abound. A man can be very small or very big, depending on the perspective. Everyone has his/her own value, once they found their balance point! The exhibition “Geometry of the universe: 3D and multimedia works by Akin Vong” is held until 25 September 2016 at the Macao Museum of Art, located in NAPE, Avenida Xian Xing Hai, and is open daily from 10am to 7pm (no admission after 6:30pm; closed on Mondays). Admission fee is MOP5 and admission is free on Sundays and public holidays.
…

Consumer Council conducted a survey on prices of driving lessons of 125cc motorbike and light vehicle. Responses show that all driving schools charge both driving lessons at the same price but in different ways, and consumers may not be able to get full refund if they choose to terminate their paid courses, consumers are suggested to inquire about charges and relevant terms of driving schools before applying for these lessons. Details of the survey can be found in issue no. 275 of Consumer Report. Same lesson fees but different charges for driving test application Among the 22 answered surveys, all driving schools charge the same price for lessons of both 125cc motorbike and light vehicle, fees include theory and practical lesson, as well as car rental fees during driving examination. However, practical skills lessons are paid either in lump sum or by installments, and there are differences in the service charge of driving test application. Withdrawn lesson may not get full refund In case a consumer fail to pass the body check or wish to terminate his lessons in midcourse, some driving schools respond that they would not impose any service charge on the consumer, some say they would charge about $100 to $600, and some say no refund or any unused lesson fees will be given to consumers who terminate lessons in midcourse. Different driving course also set out different regulations for consumers who wish to terminate driving lessons and ask for day off. Make comparison and inquire more Consumers are advised to check the details of the mentioned survey and make inquiry at driving schools before choosing any lesson that suit themselves. Meanwhile, any agreement should be listed on the invoice or other transactional documents to safeguard personal consumer rights. Driving schools suggested to include detailed regulations for lesson services Driving schools are suggested by the Council to set up clear and detailed regulations for its driving lessons, and let consumers know before consumption to safeguard the rights and responsibility of both parties. The mentioned survey on driving lesson fees is now available in issue no. 275 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.
…

The Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, today (Monday) directed all relevant Government departments to provide all necessary medical and practical assistance to the victims of this afternoon’s accident involving a tourist bus. Mr Chui gave the instruction this evening during a meeting with Government officials and representatives of the Kiang Wu Hospital. The Chief Executive visited the hospital to gain a better understanding on the condition of the injured. At approximately 2.42pm today, the Fire Services Bureau was notified that a tourist bus had crashed into a building in Rua da Entena, near Kiang Wu Hospital. The bus was carrying 44 tourists from several provinces in the mainland that had travelled from Shenzhen in Guangdong Province to Macao. Details of the accident were given during a press conference held this evening at Government Headquarters by the Office of the Government Spokesperson. Representatives of the Fire Services Bureau; the Public Security Police Force; the Health Bureau; the Kiang Wu Hospital; the Land, Public Works and Transport Bureau; the Macao Government Tourism Office; and the Social Welfare Bureau attended the press conference. A total of 32 mainland tourists – ranging in age from seven years to 78 – were injured in the accident. A total of 31 of the injured were treated at Kiang Wu Hospital, while one person was sent to the Conde S. Januário Hospital. Among those injured, three patients were said to be in critical situation. Two of the three were being treated in intensive care with non life-threatening head injuries and were conscious when admitted to hospital. The third, a 46-year-old woman with head injuries, remained in a coma after surgery. A further five patients were being kept under observation. The remainder of those that were treated in hospital had since been discharged. The police said the driver of the tourist bus was a local resident and had been kept for questioning following the accident. The police were carrying out further investigations into the cause of the accident: there was suspicion that dangerous driving was involved. One theory is that the driver may have failed to apply the handbrake properly before leaving the bus. The driver told police he left the bus because his vehicle had been hit by another vehicle; he got off to check the situation. The Government has initiated work to reinforce the building hit by the tourist bus. The Land, Public Works and Transport Bureau said one of the supporting pillars of the building was seriously damaged in the crash. Only once reinforcement measures were completed could the authorities remove the bus from the scene. The affected building has six storeys, accommodating a total of 21 residential units and six shops. More than 10 residents in the building were evacuated after the accident. The Centre for Victims of Disaster, located in Ilha Verde, has been made available to provide shelter for residents from the affected building. Police on duty at the crash site – along with community associations – were available to provide assistance to affected residents, including arranging admission to the Centre for Victims of Disaster. Officials from the Macao Government Tourism Office and the Tourism Crisis Management Office visited the crash site and the hospitals where the injured were treated, in order to provide assistance to tourists affected by the accident. The accident has been reported to the China National Tourism Administration and the Guangdong Tourism Bureau. The Government would make arrangements to assist relatives of those being treated in hospital to come to Macao.
…

In response to the serious tour bus accident that occurred this afternoon, the Macao SAR Government activated its tourism crisis response mechanism and an emergency meeting was held at 8 p.m at the Tourism Crisis Management Office (GGCT) in order to discuss the follow-up work and assist the affected tourists. The Offices of the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, the Secretary for Land, Public Works and Transport and the Secretary for Security, the Unitary Police Service, Public Security Police Force, Macao Government Tourism Office, Health Bureau, Fire Service Bureau, Macau International Airport Co. Ltd., Administration of Airports Ltd., Association of Macao Tourist Agents, Travel Industry Council of Macau were all represented among a total of 18 entities who joined the meeting to discuss several topics such as the treatment of the injured tourists, the support by the tourism industry to the travel agency involved in the accident and visit permits of the injured tourists. The Tourism Crisis Management Office will continue to coordinate with the relevant entities and follow-up. If necessary, affected tourists and their families can contact the 24-hour Tourism Hotline: (853) 2833 3000.
…

The Government has nearly completed a first phase of restructuring regarding public departments. It involved the integration of Macao Post with the Bureau of Telecommunications Regulation; and the integration of the Security Forces Coordination Office with the Unitary Police Service. The Secretary for Administration and Justice, Ms Chan Hoi Fan, on Friday (5 August) told reporters that the Government was confident the restructuring could be completed as scheduled. The Government had increased the amount of effort it applied to rationalising administrative structures and streamlining public services, Ms Chan said. In addition, the Government would review the licensing process for the catering and hotel sectors, in a bid further to enhance one-stop cross-departmental services. It was expected that such revisions would be completed before year-end, she added. Ms Chan said that the Government would review – in the course of this year and next year – a total of 45 licensing procedures involving cross-departmental cooperation. The Government would also study the possibility of establishing an online system that would allow individual applicants for licences to gain a better understanding of licensing procedures and requirements; and would allow them to check the progress of their respective applications. Ms Chan also stated the Government would strictly control the growth in the number of civil servants. The Government did not expect to expand its administrative workforce: recruitment would focus instead on replacement of people that had resigned or retired.
…

The deadline for applications for the 2016 Subsidy Programme for Fashion Design on Sample Making, launched by the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) in June will end on Friday, 26 August, 5pm. All interested parties are welcome to take this chance to apply for the Programme. IC launched the Subsidy Programme for Fashion Design on Sample Making in 2013, as part of the Subsidy Programme for Macao’s Cultural and Creative Industries Series. This programme seeks to encourage local fashion design and creativity, promote fashion designers to draw up feasible and optimised business plans, encourage the industry to be involved in commercial activities or participate in local and international fashion marketing activities, enhance the popularity and market competitiveness of the local industry and carry forward the sustainable development of the local fashion design industry. The maximum quota of the Subsidy Programme is eight beneficiaries. Eligible applicants will be granted subsidies up to a maximum of MOP160,000 each. The Programme’s application rules and forms can be downloaded from IC’s website (www.icm.gov.mo/cn/CCI-Subsidy) and from the Macao Cultural and Creative Industries Website (www.macaucci.com). For enquiries, please contact Ms. Lam, staff member of IC, through tel. no. (853) 2892 4040 during office hours.
…

To mark the commencement of the 15-day data collection of the 2016 Population By-census, a kick-off ceremony was held for field enumerators on 7 August at Escola Keang Peng. The ceremony was hosted by the Director of the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) Ieong Meng Chao, Deputy Director Cheng I Wan and Acting Deputy Director Mak Hang Chan. Ieong Meng Chao indicated that the population by-census is one of the largest household surveys in Macao and he called upon the DSEC staff to work together and do their utmost for the 2016 Population By-census. Ieong stressed that all DSEC staff must strictly comply with the regulations of statistical confidentiality and keep all personal information collected in strict confidence. He urged the enumerators to always be safety-minded and conscious of their work surroundings. DSEC stated that enumerators of the 2016 Population By-census will visit the selected housing units to collect information; meanwhile, e-questionnaire is also available for households to complete by themselves. Households in receipt of the notification letter of the 2016 Population By-census may complete the e-questionnaire via the DSEC website www.dsec.gov.mo or the DSEC mobile application by following the instructions on the letter no later than 13 August. DSEC appealed to members of the public to support the 2016 Population By-census and provide accurate information. For assistance in completing the e-questionnaire or to schedule an interview with the enumerator, please contact DSEC by calling the 2016 Population By-census Hotline at 8809 8809.
…