News

Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that the employment situation in Macao continued to be encouraging. The unemployment rate for March - May 2013 was 1.8%, down by 0.1 percentage point over the previous period (February-April); the underemployment rate held stable at 0.8%. Total labour force was 360,700 and the labour force participation rate stood at 72.0%. Total employment reached 354,400, up by 2,000 over the previous period. Analysed by industry, increase in employment was observed in Restaurants & Similar Activities and Wholesale Trade. Number of the unemployed totalled 6,400, a decrease of 600 from the previous period; fresh labour force entrants searching for their first job accounted for 3.0% of the total unemployed, down by 1.2 percentage points. In comparison with March-May 2012, the labour force participation rate rose by 0.1 percentage point; the unemployment rate dropped by 0.2 percentage points, while the underemployment rate stayed unchanged.
…

The Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, today (Wednesday 26 June) sent a congratulatory message to the Central Government on the successful return of the Shenzhou-10 manned spacecraft. On behalf of the Government of the Macao SAR, the Chief Executive expressed in the message the warmest congratulations on the successful completion of the Shenzhou-10 mission. The Chief Executive also conveyed his highest respect and sincere greetings to the three astronauts and all those who had contributed to the development of the country's aerospace industry. Mr Chui said the majority of Macao people had followed with great interest the flight of the spacecraft during the last two weeks, and were filled with joy and enthusiasm for the country's achievements in aerospace industry. He noted that a group of Macao students who had watched and listened the amazing lecture delivered from space, had been given impetus to explore knowledge and pursue aspiration of excellence. "The successful completion of the Shenzhou-10 manned spacecraft mission symbolises the manned space programme has entered a brand new phase in manned space engineering, bringing about new dreams and challenges in space exploration for the Chinese nation," Mr Chui pointed out. He added that the Macao SAR Government, together with Macao compatriots, would continue to support and contribute to the development of manned spacecraft programme of the motherland. The re-entry module of Shenzhou-10 landed safely on a sun-lit prairie in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region about 8:07 a.m today.
…

Consumer Council conducted its specific price survey on instant noodles on 25th June for the implementation of Section 2b), Article 10, Law 4/95/M of 12th June. Result of the mentioned survey has been uploaded to the Council's website (www.consumer.gov.mo) and is available in the Council's 'Supermarket Price Information Platform' iPhone and Android apps. For inquiry, please call the Council's hotline: 8988 9315.
…

The Macao Orchestra (OM), under the auspices of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, presents the concert Cantabile, on June 29th, Saturday, at 8pm, at the Macao Cultural Centre Grand Auditorium, starring Spanish pianist Iván Martín. Directed by Lü Jia, its Artistic Director and Principal Conductor, the programme includes Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op 11, the overture to Mozart's opera The Magic Flute and Dvořák's Symphony no. 7 in D minor, Op 70. Iván Martín is one of the most outstanding artists of his generation in today's Spanish musical panorama. He has won several competitions such as the Infanta Cristina Piano Competition, the Marisa Montiel International Piano Competition, the Juventudes Musicales Award, the Frechilla-Zuloaga Piano Competition, the Antoni Torrandell Piano Competition, the Pedro Espinosa Piano Competition, the Mozart International Piano Competition and the Arenas School Competition. He began his musical studies at the age of five and has already appeared in major concert halls in Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Albania, South Africa, South America, Mexico, the USA, among others, receiving positive reviews not only from music circles but also the public. Martin is recognised by his "sublime and elegant style and exquisite sensitivity". In this concert, the pianist joins OM to perform Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor. Chopin only wrote two piano concertos in his short life, featuring exquisite and soft melodies, rich in colour and emotion, yet technically demanding. Tickets for the concert Cantabile may be purchased through the Macao Ticketing Network, or the reservation hotline 2855 5555, at MOP 150, 120 and 80. For more information, please visit the Macao Orchestra website at www.icm.gov.mo/om.
…

The Air Services Agreement between the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) and the Lao People's Democratic Republic was officially signed today in Macao. Both parties have granted each other the fifth freedom traffic rights with no restrictions, hence creating liberal conditions for the operation of air services by the airlines of both places who will be interested to fly in the future. The signing ceremony was convened in the meeting room of the Cabinet of the Secretary for Transport and Public Works at 12:00 noon. The signatories were the Secretary for Transport and Public Works of the Macao SAR, Mr. Lau Si Io, and the Minister of Public Works and Transport of Lao People's Democratic Republic, Mr. Sommad Pholsena. Guests who were present in the ceremony were the Deputy Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Central People's Government in Macao SAR, Mr. Feng Tie, the Chief of the Cabinet of the Secretary for Transport and Public Works of the Macao SAR, Mr. Wong Chan Tong, the President of the Civil Aviation Authority of Macao SAR, Mr. Chan Weng Hong, the representatives from the Macau International Airport Co. Ltd. and Air Macau Co. Ltd., as well as the government officials and the airline representatives from Lao. In accordance with the Agreement, the two governments can designate more than one airline to operate the routes; the designated airlines can enjoy fifth freedom traffic rights with no restrictions to develop their passenger or cargo services between the two places. The two governments also held a courtesy meeting before the signing ceremony to exchange the updates about the economic development of Macao and Lao, especially the air transport markets. Both sides agreed that the Air Services Agreement has paved favourable conditions for the operation of air services between Macao and Lao in the future.
…

Following the soft launch of its Beta-version website last year, Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO) now officially unveils its brand-new website in 15 languages in accord with its aim of diversifying the tourism markets and expanding the international markets for Macau. With the booming popularity of the Internet and Smartphone products today, visitors commonly search online for travel information prior to vacation for more perfect trip planning. In view of this, MGTO specially renovated its original website. With a brand new web design, the office offers the latest Macau travel information to visitors around the world and runs the website in 15 languages to cater for diverse needs of travelers from a variety of countries and regions. The new website is expected to captivate more visitors of different nationalities. The webpage can be viewed in 15 languages ranging from Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Portuguese, English, Japanese, Korean, Thai, Malaysian, Indonesian, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Russian to Arabic. The website presents travel information in 9 categories namely Plan your trip, Sightseeing, Shows & Entertainment, Shopping, Dining Out, Events & Festivities, Business Tourism, Useful Info and Interactive Corner. Besides general sightseeing info, the website comes with different new items and provides more elaborate categorization as well as comprehensive travel tips for visitors. New subcategories such as Shows, Cultural & Creative Industries Zones, Family Fun, etc. are added into the category of Shows & Entertainment; in addition, the Shopping category inspires ideas of shopping in Macau by zone and category, whereas Macanese Cuisine and Recipes are introduced in the Dining Out category. Visitors can experience Macau in wide-ranging perspectives through the website. The innovative website is equipped with not only practical travel tips but also multi-media and interactive elements, e.g. Trip Planner and 3D Tours. These functions enable visitors to have a glimpse of Macau's scenery in advance and leisurely plan their itinerary. During their trip planning, visitors can listen to the audio introduction or view the panorama of different sightseeing spots online; they can also click the map right on the website. For visitors who enjoy a stroll around the city, 9 suggested routes are available in Walking Tours for their reference. MGTO seeks to promote Macau to visitors around the world through the wide use of information and technology nowadays. The office also launched the App named "Experience Macau" in iPhone and Android versions earlier ago, a Smartphone application which offers visitors a swift and convenient access to the latest Macau travel tips. Welcome to www.macautourism.gov.mo for a fun travel experience in Macau!
…

The Cultural Affairs Bureau (CAB) organises, once again, the 'Parade through Macao, Latin City', in celebration of Macao's Handover to China. Interested groups can apply until June 28th. The 'Parade through Macao, Latin City' is a cultural event that unfolds as a procession through the streets of the Historic Centre of Macao. It is held annually, on the 20th of December, to mark the anniversary of Macao's Handover to China, offering residents and tourists a celebratory activity full of local and international cultural characteristics, whilst establishing the image of Macao as a cultural city.
The 'Parade through Macao, Latin City' was first held in 2011, gradually becoming one of the main events among Macao's festivals. In order to encourage an increasing number of local groups to display their creative talent, promote the development and diversity of Macao's cultural industries and create opportunities for Macao's performers to observe and conduct mutual exchange activities with various international groups, the CAB is now calling local groups to apply for this event.
Any local group registered with the Identification Services Bureau of the Macao Special Administrative Region may submit an application form, programme proposals and related information to the Edif. do Instituto Cultural, located in Tap Seac Square, from today until the 28th of June (Monday through Friday, except public holidays, from 9.30am to 5.30pm). The application form and regulations can be consulted and downloaded on the Cultural Affairs Bureau website, at www.icm.gov.mo. For more details or enquiries, please call (853) 8399 6608 or 8399 6651 during office hours.
…

Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that visitor arrivals increased by 9.1% year-on-year to 2,342,523 in May 2013; same-day visitors accounted for 51.7% of the total, at 1,211,591. In May 2013, visitors from Mainland China increased by 17.3% year-on-year to 1,491,231, mainly coming from Guangdong Province (643,267) and Fujian Province (67,609); Mainland visitors travelling under the Individual Visit Scheme (IVS) totalled 598,790. Moreover, visitors from the Republic of Korea (33,113) increased by 5.8% year-on-year, while those from Hong Kong (540,056), Taiwan, China (61,988) and the Philippines (29,231) decreased by 0.1%, 21.4% and 0.7%. Long-haul visitors from the UK (4,788) and France (3,933) increased by 14.9% and 11.3% year-on-year, whereas those from the US (14,146), Australia (8,063) and Canada (6,552) decreased by 11.6%, 2.8% and 15.3% respectively. The average length of stay of visitors held stable from a year earlier, at 1.0 day in May 2013. Overnight and same-day visitors had an average stay of 1.9 days and 0.2 day respectively. In the first five months of 2013, visitor arrivals increased by 3.0% year-on-year to 11,817,305, with same-day visitors accounting for 51.8% of the total. Visitors from Mainland China increased by 8.0% year-on-year to 7,441,687, while those from Hong Kong (2,803,049) and Taiwan, China (382,183) decreased by 3.9% and 7.8% respectively. Moreover, long-haul visitors from the US (72,768), Australia (46,833) and Canada (31,115) all registered year-on-year declines.
…

Please be informed that according to the notification from Universal Postal Union, with effect from 1st September 2013, the international reply coupons issued on 1 st September 2009 will be withdrawn from sales (Model as below). In addition, with effect from 1st January 2014, exchange services will not be accepted. Thank you for your attention.
…

Please be informed that according to the notification from Universal Postal Union, the new model of International Reply Coupon will be available for sales with effect from 1st July 2013 (Model as below). Thank you for your kind attention.
…