News

The statistical data of joint operations of combating illegal workers by PSP and DSAL during September 2012 is as follows: During the operations solely launched by our Force, we have inspected 533 locations, 12 of which were referred by DSAL, and a total of 20 illegal workers were caught. During the operations solely launched by DSAL, they have inspected a total of 29 locations, and 8 illegal workers were caught. Moreover, no joint operation was done within this month. The above locations of inspection consisted of construction sites, private flats, business and industrial venues, etc.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that the average daily wage of construction workers increased by 0.8% quarter-to-quarter to MOP556 in the third quarter of 2012, but that of local construction workers decreased by 0.4% to MOP671. Among the skilled & semi-skilled workers, average daily wages of welders (MOP669) and levellers (MOP666) increased by 13.3% and 10.0% respectively quarter-to-quarter; on the contrary, average daily wages of carpenters (MOP528) and painters (MOP531) decreased by 17.9% and 13.8% respectively, attributable to declining demand for these workers with the conclusion of tourism and gaming facilities. Moreover, the average daily wage of unskilled workers (MOP364) increased by 3.4% quarter-to-quarter. After discounting the effect of inflation, wage index of construction workers was 86.7 in real terms, down by 0.3% quarter-to-quarter. Meanwhile, wage index of local construction workers increased by 0.6% to 100.1 in real terms, on account of rising wage indices of electricians & electrical workers and bricklayers & plasterers. As regards construction materials, in the third quarter of 2012, the average price of spiral & round reinforcing steel bars (MOP5,570 per tonne) decreased by 6.5% quarter-to-quarter, while the prices of ordinary portland cement (MOP746 per tonne) and concrete (MOP437 per cubic metre) increased by 2.6% and 2.2% respectively. The price index of construction materials for residential buildings was 118.9, down by 1.5% quarter-to-quarter.
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To further enrich tourism products and source market profile, Macau Government Tourist Office will launch the "Wedding Incentive Scheme" as well as an enhanced version of "Student Excursion Incentive Scheme" on November 1.
In view of the growing popularity of overseas wedding as an ideal wedding style for the new generation, MGTO will launch the "Wedding Incentive Scheme" from November 1 to tap this market segment, with an aim to promote Macau's multi-faceted tourism image and to attract couples, wedding planners and companies to choose Macau as a destination for overseas wedding.
To apply for the scheme, the wedding should have a minimum of 50 non-local guests with 2 consecutive nights of stay in Macau's hotels. The scheme will provide support to wedding related activities in Macau, offering tourist information kits, welcome gifts and facilitate in liaison with other relevant Macau SAR Government entities. A maximum of MOP$300 will be granted per non-local guest for their activities in Macau based on actual consumption.
On the other hand, the "Student Excursion Incentive Scheme" launched last October has been enhanced. From November 1, the scheme, which requests the student group to have a minimum of 50 non-local students with 2 consecutive nights of stay in Macau, will facilitate in liaison with relevant Government entities or local university and institutes in addition to supporting their related activities in Macau, offering tourist information kits and welcome gifts. Furthermore, the maximum amount granted to each non-local student for their activities in Macau will be increased from MOP$200 to MOP$300 based on actual consumption.
MGTO is striving to enrich the tourism product portfolio of Macau to cater for the interest of different tourist markets. With various tourism incentive schemes, MGTO hopes to encourage more visitors, organizations and enterprises will choose Macau as destination for wedding tourism, student tours and business tourism which will facilitate the diversification of tourism development.
To be in line with the positioning of Macau as a World Center of Tourism and Leisure, MGTO will adjust policies and measures to give priority to develop a comprehensive tourism development plan and at the same time, devote efforts to explore different tourist segments and enrich source market profile to build Macau into a quality tourism destination.
Details of the incentive schemes and application are available at MGTO's website http://industry.macautourism.gov.mo
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service indicated that the total number of licensed motor vehicles reached 213,992 at the end of September 2012, a year-on-year increase of 5%, of which motorcycles (114,170) and light private cars (85,420) accounted for 53% and 40% respectively. New registration of motor vehicles edged down by 1% year-on-year to 13,128 in the first three quarters of 2012, with motorcycles and light private cars each sharing 47% of the total. In the first nine months of 2012, number of traffic accidents rose by 6% year-on-year to 10,981 cases, resulting in 3,956 victims and 12 of them were killed. Cross-border vehicle traffic by land between Macao and Mainland China increased by 8% year-on-year to 3,293,805 vehicle trips in the first three quarters of 2012, of which vehicle traffic through the Border Gate accounted for 84%. Commercial flight movements at the Macao International Airport increased by 7% year-on-year to 28,246 in the first nine months of 2012, with Mainland China (37% of total); Taiwan, China (28%) and Thailand (13%) being the major routes. Helicopter flights between Macao and Hong Kong (11,110) and between Macao and Mainland China (2,514) each went down by 7% year-on-year. Passenger ferry between Macao and Hong Kong totalled 84,929 ferry trips in the first nine months of 2012, down by 7% year-on-year. Passenger ferry between Macao and Mainland China increased by 8% year-on-year to 20,023 ferry trips. In the first three quarters of 2012, seaborne container throughput totalled 87,615 TEU or 64,600 containers handled, up by 19% and 18% respectively year-on-year. Gross weight of seaborne containerized cargo increased by 19% year-on-year to 153,911 tonnes, with 4,731 tonnes of transshipment goods. Gross weight of containerized cargo by land decreased by 8% to 23,952 tonnes, including 8,486 tonnes of transit goods. In the first nine months of 2012, outward (11,948 tonnes) and inward air cargo (4,689 tonnes) fell by 34% and 36% respectively year-on-year. Transit air cargo decreased by 4% year-on-year to 3,512 tonnes. At the end of September 2012, number of mobile telephone users increased by 19% from a year earlier to 1,532,619, whereas fixed-line telephone users decreased by 2% to 163,449. As regards internet services, number of subscribers reached 224,663 and the cumulative duration of usage in the first nine months of 2012 totalled 493 million hours, up by 10% and 29% respectively year-on-year.
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The Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, will deliver his Policy Address for the Fiscal Year 2013 on 13 November (Tuesday) at 3 pm in the Legislative Assembly. This will be followed a press conference at the Government Headquarters at 5 pm where Mr Chui will answer questions from the press. The following day, from 3 pm to 6 pm, Mr Chui will attend the plenary meeting of the Legislative Assmbly to explain his policy blueprint to legislators and to answer their questions.
The Address will be broadcast live on the Portal Website of the Macao SAR (http://www.gov.mo), the website of the Office of the Chief Executive (http://www.gce.gov.mo), the website of the Government Information Bureau (http://www.gcs.gov.mo) and the website of the Legislative Assembly (http://www.al.gov.mo). Chinese and Portuguese versions of the Policy Address for download will be available on these websites. Teledifusão de Macau (TV and radio) will broadcast live the Policy Address, the press conference and the plenary session. The Chief Executive has met with representatives of different associations and groups to hear their views in preparation for Policy Address for the financial year 2013 (which starts on 01 January 2013).
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Consumer Council released its latest specific price survey on instant drinks. Survey result showed that prices of the 10 surveyed products recorded various price differences. The highest price difference recorded was 48.65 percent. Consumer Council collected prices of 10 brands of instant drinks from 20 retail outlets on 29th October. Surveyed items included instant sports drink, malt beverage, chocolate, coffee and milk tea. Survey result showed that 'Cadbury Original Drinking Chocolate/500g', which was sold at $25.9 to $38.5, recorded the greatest price difference of 48.65 percent; prices of 'Nestle Milo Nutritious Malt Drink/400g' also differed for 43.24 percent, which was about 17 percent less than last time's record. The Council indicated that some of the surveyed products were sold at differenent prices in branches under the same supermarket chain. 6 out of the 10 surveyed items were found to have differences in selling price at two branches of San Miu Supermarket but differences were about $1.0 only. Consumers are advised to check with the survey data to make practical consumption. The specific price survey on instant drinks is now available on Consumer Council's website (www.consumer.gov.mo) and in the Council's 'Supermarket Price Information Platform' iPhone and Android apps. For inquiry, please call 8988 9315.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that total merchandise export for September 2012 amounted to MOP743 million, up by 40.2% year-on-year, attributable to a 65.7% surge in re-exports (MOP573 million), but domestic exports (MOP170 million) decreased by 7.7%. Total merchandise import amounted to MOP6.11 billion, up by 10.2% year-on-year. Merchandise trade deficit amounted to MOP5.36 billion for September 2012. In the third quarter of 2012, total value of merchandise export (MOP2.20 billion) and merchandise import (MOP17.94 billion) increased by 33.0% and 7.6% respectively year-on-year, resulting in a trade deficit of MOP15.74 billion. In the first nine months of 2012, total value of merchandise export increased by 21.6% year-on-year to MOP6.14 billion, of which value of re-exports (MOP4.40 billion) increased by 33.5%, but that of domestic exports (MOP1.75 billion) decreased by 0.7%; meanwhile, total value of merchandise import increased by 18.1% to MOP52.45 billion. Merchandise trade deficit for the first nine months of 2012 amounted to MOP46.31 billion. From January to September 2012, merchandise export to Hong Kong (MOP3.15 billion) and Mainland China (MOP984 million) increased by 45.1% and 21.1% respectively year-on-year, while export to the USA (MOP381 million) and the EU (MOP244 million) decreased by 10.4% and 17.1% respectively. Exports of Non-textiles (MOP5.33 billion) in the first nine months of 2012 expanded by 33.2% year-on-year, of which exports of Machines & apparatus, parts & accessories thereof (MOP1.10 billion) and Articles for casino (MOP271 million) surged by 163.6% and 40.6% respectively; yet, exports of Textiles & garments (MOP812 million) decreased by 22.7%. Domestic exports of Tobacco & wine (MOP404 million) rose by 26.3%, while exports of Knitted or crocheted garments (MOP257 million) declined by 26.3%. Re-exports of Machines & apparatus, parts & accessories thereof (MOP1.09 billion) increased by 166.4%. In the first nine months of 2012, merchandise import from Mainland China (MOP16.98 billion) and the EU (MOP12.30 billion) increased by 23.9% and 12.3% respectively year-on-year. Imports of Consumer goods rose by 19.1% to MOP32.16 billion, with imports of Gold jewellery (MOP5.64 billion), Watches (MOP3.93 billion) and Motor cars & motorcycles (MOP2.42 billion) increasing by 28.1%, 40.8% and 44.5% respectively. Moreover, imports of Capital goods (MOP9.45 billion) registered a year-on-year increase of 19.4%. External merchandise trade reached MOP58.60 billion in the first nine months of 2012, up by 18.5% compared with MOP49.46 billion a year earlier.
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Owing to the flooding in Thailand, Macao Post announced that mail delivery services (including Correspondence, Printed Matters, Small Packet, Parcel and EMS) from Macao to Thailand, particularly for the areas with postal codes bearing the prefixes below are subject to delay until further notice. Postal Code Prefixes
25, 26, 66 Thank you for your kind attention.
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Owing to the hurricane in Jamaica, Macao Post announced that mail delivery services (including Correspondence, Printed Matters, Small Packet, Parcel and EMS) from Macao to Jamaica are subject to delay until further notice. Thank you for your kind attention.
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Owing to the hurricane in East Coast of USA, Macao Post announced that mail delivery services (including Correspondence, Printed Matters, Small Packet, Parcel and EMS) from Macao to East Coast of USA are subject to delay until further notice. Thank you for your kind attention.
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