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Hosted by the Macao SAR Government, coordinated by the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) and Environmental Protection Bureau (DSPA), the 2013 Macao International Environmental Co-operation Forum and Exhibition (2013MIECF) will be held at The Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel from 21st March to 23rd March 2013. The upcoming 2013MIECF has adopted the theme "Sustainable Cities – The Way Towards A Green Future", advocating "Thinking Green, Going Clean, Living Cool". The event will feature green solutions in Energy Efficiency, Renewable Energy, Green Building, Green Mobility, Waste and Water Management Solutions and Environmental Services. In 2012, the event received the strong support of 51 government departments from different countries and regions, regional and international associations, institutions and trade associations, with over 8,500 professional visitors from 53 countries and regions. 398 entities and enterprises exhibited on a floor area exceeding 16,900 sqm. Meanwhile, 702 business matching sessions were arranged and 35 projects were signed on-site during the 3-day event. As the annual green economic and trade platform for the environmental industry and to encourage more Macao SMEs to take part in the event, the Organizers will provide 60% financial subsidies to eligible Macao SMEs. It is hoped that by getting the active involvement of SMEs in various activities, the technology exchange and co-operation among local environmental industry, the Pan-Pearl River Delta Region and international markets will be enhanced through Macao, acting as a green business platform. This year's MIECF will also see a new section at the exhibition called "Green Bazaar", which will be held on the "Green Public Day", the last day of MIECF, when exhibition and retail sale of environmental products will take place. Qualified Macao companies are welcome to apply as exhibitors in the Green Bazaar, to showcase and sell environmentally friendly and water conservation products such as electrical appliances, office supplies, cleaning products, household articles or other consumer products made of recycled or natural materials. The Green Bazaar differs from the ordinary exhibition in that it is a tabletop display. The exhibition fee is only MOP1,000. The Organizers hope that this activity will enhance citizens' awareness in the purchasing of eco-friendly products and provide an avenue for local companies to showcase their eco-friendly products to the general public. Companies intending to apply for the SME exhibition subsidy or to showcase and sell their products at the "Green Bazaar" should meet the following criteria: At least 50% of the company shareholders are Macao residents or wholly-owned Macao enterprises, the relevant companies should be registered with the Macao Finance Services Bureau (DSF) for at least 2 years and have fulfilled tax obligations. Booths will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis and the Organizers reserve the right to select eligible exhibitors. All applicants for the Green Bazaar must provide a description on all products to be displayed and sold during the exhibition. They must also provide relevant details to prove that such products meet the environmental criteria set by the Organizers. Due to the limited number of booths, the Organizers will review all applications, shortlist them and allocate booths to the successful candidates. Relevant application forms are available as from today and until January 28 (the closing day) at IPIM's Macao Business Support Center (Alameda Dr. Carlos d'Assumpção, 263, China Civil Plaza Building, 19th Floor, Macao), during office hours. Registration and enquiry hotline: 8798 9605, website: www.macaomiecf.com.
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Details of building a new passenger passage between Macao and Zhuhai and alleviating floods in the old district will be discussed with the related Central government ministries, according to the Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On. Speaking to reporters as he led an official delegation to Beijing, Mr Chui said they would meet with representatives from the Ministry of Public Security, the State Oceanic Administration, the Ministry of Land and Resources, and the General Administration of Customs. The governments of Guangdong, Zhuhai and Macao have held several rounds of talks to discuss the building of a new passenger passage after it had been proposed and the importance of the new project to the substantial development of these places, was recognised by the Central Government. The governments were working closely to get approval from the Central Government and this was one of the aims of this visit, said the Chief Executive. He said that the new model for port management, enhancing the efficiency of customs clearance and remedying flooding on the Canal dos Patos, a river between Zhuhai and Macao, would be discussed. On this trip, the Chief Executive will also visit the State Oceanic Administration, the Ministry of Land and Resources for talks on how to reduce flooding in the old district of Macao. In response to media's question on the one-off temporary application for cars passing Macao and Guangdong province, Mr Chui said that this topic was not the key element in this visit, but he would exchange ideas with the related authorities. He also said that the Macao Government would have a thorough consideration, taking into account Macao's traffic condition, carrying capacity and environment evaluation. Mr Chui was accompanied by the Secretary for Transportation and Public Works, Mr Lao Si Io, and the Director-General of the Macao Customs Service, Mr Choi Lai Hang. During Mr Chiu's absence, the Secretary for Administration and Justice, Ms Florinda Chan, will be the acting Chief Executive.
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Communications Museum is dressed up with beautiful New Year decorations. New Year stamps from different countries are displayed on the Large Stamp Projector. New background images of the festive celebrations can be found on the Personal Picture Postcard and Greenscreen Studio. Each visitor will have two red packets to stamp beautiful chops located at different areas inside the Museum. All are welcomed to join the Lucky Packet．2013! In this joyful festive season, the Museum Shop has launched new souvenir products including the bookmark magnifier, photo frame and transparent pillar-box postcard. Enjoy shopping your favorite gifts for your loved ones! From now till 14th February 2013, don't forget to vote for My Favorite Stamps of Macau, 2012 on the Museum website (http://macao.communications.museum). Each participant will automatically enter the lucky draw. For details of activities, please refer to the Museum website or promotion leaflet. Communications Museum will be closed from February 10th to February 13th, 2013. Wishing you a Happy New Year!
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The Government of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) was informed by the Embassy of the Republic of Mauritius in Beijing that holders of the Macao SAR Passport are entitled to enter the Republic of Mauritius without a visa for a stay of 90 days. The above mutual visa exemption arrangement is accomplished after several negotiations between the Governments of the Macao SAR and the Republic of Mauritius. The Chief Executive of the Macao SAR has launched a Decision that, on the basis of reciprocity, nationals of the Republic of Mauritius can enter the Macao SAR without a visa for a maximum stay of 90 days. This arrangement will be effective from 1 February 2013. Up to date, there are 104 countries or territories that have granted the Macao SAR Passport holders visa-free/visa-on-arrival access to their region. Moreover, there are 9 countries that have granted Macao SAR Travel Permit holders visa-free access to their region.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that the average Composite CPI for the whole year of 2012 was 117.04 and the inflation rate for 2012 stood at 6.11%. Rising inflation was caused by dearer prices of fresh food and produce, as well as higher charges for eating out, driving up the annual inflation rate by 2.7 percentage points. Reduced charges for communication services and subsidized electricity charges tapered off part of the increment. In 2012, significant increase was observed in the price index of Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco (+30.30%); Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages (+8.52%); Household Goods & Furnishings (+6.86%); and Housing & Fuels (+6.76%); however, price index of Communication decreased by 4.18%. In addition, the average CPI-A (116.49) and CPI-B (117.61) for 2012 increased by 6.40% and 6.31% year-on-year. The Composite CPI (120.01) for December 2012 increased by 5.83% year-on-year. Price index of Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco (+21.62%); Housing & Fuels (+8.93%); and Household Goods & Furnishings (+7.86%) registered notable increase, attributable to dearer prices of Liquefied Petroleum Gas and higher charges for domestic services. On the contrary, price index of Education and Communication decreased by 3.06% and 1.22% respectively. The CPI-A (119.64) and CPI-B (120.51) for December 2012 increased by 6.37% and 5.93% respectively year-on-year. The Composite CPI increased by 0.85% month-to-month. Higher charges for package tours and new arrival of Winter clothing drove up the price index of Recreation & Culture; and Clothing & Footwear by 3.91% and 2.47%, while price index of Miscellaneous Goods & Services decreased by 0.15% on account of lower prices of gold jewellery. The CPI-A and the CPI-B increased by 0.84% and 0.80% respectively month-on-month. The Composite CPI for the fourth quarter of 2012 rose by 5.58% year-on-year. Price index of Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco; Household Goods & Furnishings; and Housing & Fuels posted noticeable increase, while index of Education and Communication decreased. The CPI-A and the CPI-B for the fourth quarter of 2012 increased by 6.04% and 5.72% respectively year-on-year. The 2008/2009-based Composite CPI reflects the impact of price changes on the general population. The CPI-A relates to about 50% of the households, which have an average monthly expenditure of MOP6,000 to MOP18,999. The CPI-B relates to about 30% of the households, which have an average monthly expenditure of MOP19,000 to MOP34,999.
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Consumer Council released its latest specific price survey on biscuits. Survey result showed that prices of biscuits were stable and the highest price difference recorded for the same product sold at different retail spots was 33.33 percent. Consumer Council collected 8 brands of biscuits from 20 local retail outlets on 15th January. A general price difference of 10 to 20 percent was recorded for the same brand of biscuit sold at various outlets. 'Garden Cream Wafers/200g', which was sold at $7.2 to $9.6, recorded the highest price difference of 33.33 percent. In comparison with November's data, prices of most surveyed brands remained stable and 2 surveyed brands recorded no change in price. Apart from certain brands which were sold at special prices, other brands recorded around 2 to 10 percent of price increases or decreases. The specific price survey on biscuits 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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Institute for Tourism Studies (IFT) launched mobile application software (App) with various languages such as Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, English and Portuguese. It is applicable for both iphone and Android mobile system. IFT App contains a rich content which is synchronised with IFT website. By using the apps, users are able to browse institute information such as news list, event list, short courses information and enrollment status, sharing their favorite courses with friends. Furthermore, through the Apps, users can also get the latest news of IFT's training units - Pousada de Mong-Há and Educational Restaurant, table reservation for restaurant can also be done there. For the ease of degree programme students, students can log into the apps with their personal account and password for checking time schedule, attendance, grades etc. Push notification service is also available with the Apps which is optional for users to turn it on or off. The app can be downloaded at Google Play Store or Apple iTunes Store for free by searching the key words Institute for Tourism Studies. With the popularization of electronics like smart phones and tablet PC, IFT hopes that through launching this Apps, the public can easily acquire institute latest news with their portable electronic devices. Moreover, IFT has launched their official YouTube, Facebook page, sina blog-Weibo in these few years and it is hoped that institute information can be shared with the public in a more effective and helpful way.
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The 2013 Macao International Environmental Co-operation Exhibition and Forum (2013 MIECF) will take place from 21 to 23 March at the Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel. The theme of this year's MIECF is "Sustainable Cities – The Way Towards a Green Future". The Macao SAR Government aims to continuously promote the concept of Thinking Green, Going Clean and Living Cool through this major annual green event by organising a series of green activities, including forums and seminars, an exhibition, business matching, Green Public Day and technical visits.
Green Forum and Green Exhibition are two key elements in MIECF, this year, there will be a series of forums and seminars, for which environmental protection experts, scholars and professionals will share their insights on a variety of environmental issues, as well as promoting exchanges between the participating representatives from different governments, commercial organisations and social groups. At the same time, thematic workshops will be held to further enhance the effectiveness of the event. A great deal of effort has been put into attracting environmental enterprises and institutions in the environmental field, from local and abroad, to participate as exhibitors, in a bid to increase international participation in the event. The Green Exhibition will focus on energy efficiency, renewable energy, green building, green transport, waste and water management solutions and environmental services, to promote technological exchange and co-operation between environmental protection industry operators in Macao, the Pan-Pearl River Delta Region and the international market, thereby creating business opportunities for exhibitors from all over the world.
Furthermore, 2013 MIECF will continue to provide a series of activities, including: 1. Green Business Matching, to assist enterprises from around the world to promote their products and services; 2. Hosted Buyer Programme, under which, buyers recommended by the exhibitors will be invited to take part in the event through different channels, with the objective of identifying potential buyers and projects developers, and arrange business meetings with the other exhibitors; 3. Professional promotion seminars, to provide opportunities for the exhibitors to showcase their environmentally friendly products and solutions, as a means to create business opportunities; 4. Green Gala Dinner and exchange activities to serve as a networking platform for people from different sectors; 5. Green Public Day, which will take place at the last day of the event, and include a "Green Bazaar", to sale of environmental friendly and water and energy saving products, as a means to raise public awareness and encourage participation in this green international event.
Sine its inception in 2008, five editions of the MIECF was held. According to statistical data of the past five events, in the first year there were 2,000 visitors, with the number increasing to 8,000 in 2012. During the same period, professional visitors increased from 2,000 in the first MIECF, to 6,000 last year. From 164 exhibitors from eight countries and regions in 2008, these numbers were increased to 398 exhibitors from 28 countries and regions, in last year´s MIECF. At the 2012 MIECF, there were 130 local exhibitors, accounting for nearly one-third of the total. The area of the venue was also largely expanded, from the original 6,900 square metres to 16,000 square metres. Last year´s MIECF attracted 6,400 trade visitors from 53 countries and regions. Over 1,200 people participated in the forums and seminars, 702 business matching sessions were held, which contributed to the on the spot signing of 35 co-operation agreements. These figures clearly show that since its inception, MIECF has developed steadily and has received recognition from the industry. As a matter of fact, MIECF has gradually become an important platform for the Pan-Pearl River Delta and the international environmental protection industry to promote a green economy and technology.
Looking ahead, Macao SAR Government will continue to organise this annual event, to further strengthen co-operation and exchange in the field of environmental protection, strengthen the investment role of the MIECF platform, enhance the Hosted Buyer Programme at home and abroad, as well as the professional level of the exchange activities, to jointly build sustainable and low carbon cities.
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Macao and Zhuhai will hold more regular meetings to enhance communication and to widen the scope of co-operation between the two neighbours in the new year. This was disclosed today when the Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, met with the Secretary of CPC Zhuhai Municipal Committee, Mr Li Jia, at the Government Headquarters to exchange views on ways to further bolster co-operation in the new year. During the meeting, Mr Li reviewed the latest developments in Zhuhai and highlighted the progress of the opening up of Hengqin Island by the two governments. He said he believed that Macao and Zhuhai will have closer contact in terms of traffic connections, tourism co-operation, flow of people and goods with the implementation of the Guangdong-Macao Co-operation Framework Agreement. He hoped that the two governments could continuously enhance co-operation on the introduction of investment, air transportation and tourism, he said. Mr Li pointed out that the new developing area of Hengqin Island is an innovative model, of which Hengqin's cultural industry will be developed with the completion of the new Macau University campus in the Island. He said he was optimistic towards the prospects for co-operation of the two places. The two leaders confirmed that they would organise more meetings on a regular base to further follow up on the proposed co-operative projects.
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In celebration of the 60th anniversary of the motorsport event since 1954, the Macau Grand Prix Committee (CGPM) has announced a two weekend Diamond Jubiliee Grand Prix Carnival, with the first race weekend set for November 9-10, and the second to be hosted from November 14-17, 2013. Six races are scheduled to take place on November 9-10, including the MAC/HKG Interport Race and the Macau Touring Car Cup, popular with drivers across Macau, Hong Kong and Asia. The three blue riband headline races: the Formula 3 Macau Grand Prix - the FIA Formula 3 Intercontinental Cup, the 47th Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix and the double header season finale of the FIA World Touring Car Championship will be held November 14-17 as part of a seven-race weekend. The provisional programme for the 60th Macau Grand Prix will be announced at a later date. The programme will also include the best of the region's motorsport for a diverse and unique celebration and an unforgettable Diamond Jubilee Grand Prix Carnival for drivers, riders, media and fans alike. Over the past 59 years, the support and understanding of the public has been one of the major contributing factors to the international success of the Macau Grand Prix. The Macau Grand Prix Committee is again working with other departments to minimize traffic pressure and to reduce the impact on the public. The Macau Grand Prix Committee would like to express its thanks to the community for the continuing support and understanding .
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