News

The Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, Mr Wu Bangguo, arrived in Macao today for a three-day visit at the invitation of the Chief Execuitve, Mr Chui Sai On. He was greeted on the tarmac at Macau International Airport by the Chief Executive. Mr Wu, who is on his first official visit to Macao, said he wanted to see for himself the SAR's flourishing economy, harmonious communities and unique culture. "The Chief Executive and the Government of the Macao Special Administrative Region have earnestly implemented the policy of 'One country, two systems' and steadfastly upheld the Basic Law since Macao's return to Chinese sovereignty," Mr Wu said in a written statement upon his arrival. The NPC Standing Committee Chairman said the SAR Government had led the people of Macao with a strong sense of duty and responsibility to cope with local issues. Mr Wu is in Macao at the invitation of the Chief Executive to attend tomorrow's special event marking the 20th anniversary of the promulgation of the Basic Law of Macao. He is also scheduled to attend an event organised by the Macao Chinese Chamber of Commerce and visit the new campus of the University of Macau in Hengqin island, Zhuhai. Vice Chairman of the CPPCC National Committee Mr Edmumd Ho Hau Wah, Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao Special Administrative Region Mr Bai Zhijian, and other principal officials of the MSAR Governemnt and central government officials posted to Macao were also at the airport to welcome Mr Wu.
…

Owing to the strike action taken by several trade unions in the airport of Spain, Macao Post announced that mail delivery services (including Correspondence, Printed Matters, Small Packets and Parcels) from Macao to Spain are subject to delay until further notice.
…

According to preliminary statistics, Macau registered 936,974 visitor arrivals (including foreign workers and students) during February 9 and 15 (Golden Week Holidays in Mainland), marking a growth of 15.4% compared with last year's Spring Festival golden week. Among them, close to 630,000 visitors came from Mainland China, marking an increase of 25.5%. During the golden week, the average occupancy rate of 3 to 5 Star hotels reached 89%, a year-on-year increase of 1.2%. The total number of rooms supplied by all hotels and guest houses in Macau surged up to 28,643 rooms, a year-on-year growth of 24% equivalent to 5,562 rooms. The 3-Star and 4-Star hotels achieved an average occupancy rate of 89% and 87.1% respectively, an increase of 2.9% and 0.7%, whereas 5-star hotels had an average occupancy rate of 90.9%, a slight decrease of 0.02%. Compared with the Spring Festival golden week last year, the number of 5-Star hotel rooms has increased by 4,522. According to the data provided by hotel industry, the average room rate of local 3 to 5 Star hotels reduced by 1.1%. The average room rate of guest houses during the golden week was 642 patacas, a year-on-year increase of 17.1%, while the average room rates of 2-Star and 3-Star hotels were 1,080.4 and 1,998 patacas respectively, a rise of 13.5% and 4%. On the other hand, the average room rates of 4-Star and 5-Star hotels were 1,816.6 and 2,281.6 patacas respectively, a decrease of 3.7% and 3.3%. The decrease in the average room rate of 5-Star hotels was attributed mainly to the reduced room rates of 2 resort hotels compared with the same period last year. It was also due to the reason that another 2 new grand hotels are inaugurated while one of them operates close to 3,900 rooms (constituting 20% of total 5-Star hotel rooms) and has an average room rate of 1,680 to 1,980 patacas. Due to the influence of same factors, the average room rate of 4-Star hotels dropped slightly as well. In response to the situation arisen in the Spring Festival golden week, Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO) will discuss with related departments, industry partners and associations about the improvement of information release in terms of hotels, restaurants and visitors' trip planning before and during the golden week. On the other hand, MGTO first organized the "Parade for the Celebration of the Year of the Snake" this year, hoping to extend the length of visitors' stay in Macau and divert visitors towards different districts. MGTO will reflect upon the feasibility of holding the event again in future and seek to refine the event arrangement and program. MGTO and Tourism Administration of Guangdong Province jointly operated the "Tourism Notification System for Spring Festival Golden Week" during February 9 and 15 (Golden Week Holidays in Mainland) and collaborated with relevant departments and hospitality entities to well facilitate the visitor reception during the Spring Festival golden week. MGTO conducted 53 inspections at border ports and main tourist spots. During February 9 and 15, MGTO sealed 4 premises allegedly used for provision of illegal accommodation. The information counters and tourism hotline service of MGTO operated as usual during the holidays. MGTO's tourism hotline 2833 3000 maintained its 24-hour operator service to answer visitors' enquiries. During Chinese New Year, MGTO received 17 complaints/assistance requests from visitors in total regarding accommodation, consumer and transportation service. MGTO has transferred the cases to the relevant entities for follow up.
…

In order to better promote healthy lifestyle and strengthen the awareness of environmental protection to students and staff, IFT is going to hold "2013 Healthy and Green Week" on 17– 22 February. Same as last year, IFT hopes to convey the message of building up a healthy and green campus together with students and staff by a series of events during the week. With all these events, students and staff are encouraged to be both physically and mentally involved in environmental protection and have a healthy lifestyle. There are various types of activities for 2013 Healthy and Green Week which include: • Hiking Fun at Grand Taipa Hiking Trail • Be a Green Walker – encouraging students and staff using public transportation, on foot or to share car. • Launching of green healthy menu at Windows Cafeteria for students and staff to promote healthy diet. • Seminar on Sports and Nutrition – inviting Sports Medical Centre of Macao Sport Development Board to deliver related seminars and physical fitness assessment for students and staff.
• Energizing Tour – visiting CEM Coloane Power Station for students and staff further exploring green energy development. • Planting Seminar – introducing a variety of plants and planting methods suitable for indoor cultivation.
• Recycle Week – collecting used clothes, toys, baby and child commodities, books and magazines to charity organisations. In the academic year of 2011/12, IFT had achieved a 7% electricity reduction per user through the completion of a series of energy saving projects, together with the help of the Energy Management Team, daily inspection and some other energy saving measures, making a great step forward to building a low carbon campus. Being an education institute, besides having the responsibility of training and cultivating students, it is also essential to promote environmental friendly and green living style among students and staff, contributing in building a green society and a livable city.
…

Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that visitor arrivals in package tours increased by 8.8% year-on-year to 887,282 in December 2012. Visitors from Mainland China (650,389) increased by 10.6%, with 255,780 coming from Guangdong Province; besides, those from Taiwan, China (62,856) and the Republic of Korea (50,640) increased by 25.4% and 66.6% respectively. On the contrary, visitors from Hong Kong (31,839) decreased by 25.4%. For the whole year of 2012, visitors in package tours reached 9,122,332 (32.5% of total visitor arrivals), up by 21.0% year-on-year. Outbound residents in package tours soared by 92.9% year-on-year to 48,229 in December 2012. The most popular tour itineraries were Mainland China (74.2% of total); Taiwan, China (6.0%); and the Republic of Korea (5.8%), with 23,404 travelling to Guangdong Province. In 2012, residents travelling in package tours totalled 430,065, up by 70.7% year-on-year. Meanwhile, outbound residents travelling under own arrangements using services of travel agencies increased by 23.7% year-on-year to 80,394 in December 2012. The main destinations were Mainland China (45.6% of total); Hong Kong (27.3%); and Taiwan, China (13.7%). In 2012, residents travelling under such arrangements increased by 31.2% year-on-year to 861,152. There were 100 hotels and guesthouses operating at the end of December 2012, providing 26,069 rooms, an increase of 3,713 (+16.6%) year-on-year, of which guest rooms of 5-star hotels accounted for 63.8%. In December 2012, the hotels and guesthouses received 898,857 guests, up by 9.6% year-on-year; the average length of stay decreased by 0.09 night to 1.4 nights. The average occupancy rate of hotels and guesthouses stood at 86.2%, down by 3.5 percentage points year-on-year; occupancy rate of the hotels was 86.8%, with 4-star hotels leading at 89.7%. For the whole year of 2012, hotel guests increased by 10.8% year-on-year to 9,541,397 and the average occupancy rate stood at 83.1%, down by 1.1 percentage points. In 2012, visitor-guests took up 65.4% of the total number of overnight visitors, higher than the 62.3% in 2011.
…

Organized by Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO), the mega evening outdoor Lunar New Year celebrations named "Parade for the Celebration of the Year of the Snake" took place at Macau Northern District tonight (February 16), boosting the festive ambience in town for citizens and visitors. MGTO Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, Vice-President of Cultural Affairs Bureau (ICM), Leung Hio Ming, Head of Department of Cultural Activities and Recreation of the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau (IACM), Choi Chi Hung and President of The Industry and Commerce Association of Macau Northern District, Wong Kin Chong with other guests officiated the launch ceremony at Avenida do Conselheiro Borja at 8 p.m. The 10 floats were radiant with diverse characteristics. Among them, MGTO's float was decorated under the theme "Touching Moments･Experience Macau" whereas IACM's float was themed around the Zodiac statues of the Snake at Governor Nobre de Carvalho Bridge and Iao Hon Market Garden. The rest 8 floats were designed to set off the image of their representative enterprises. The "Parade for the Celebration of the Year of the Snake" started off from Avenida do Conselheiro Borja, passing through Estrada do Arco, Rua Quatro do Bairro da Areia Preta and Avenida da Longevidade until Rua do Mercado de Iao Hon as the destination. The 10 floats were then driven to Tap Seac Square for display. During the parade, lively performance was staged in Iao Hon Market Garden. The artists singed and danced joyfully, adding rich festivity to the traditional "Human Day", the 7th day of Lunar New Year which refers to the birthday of mankind. MGTO remarked that the celebrations took place in turn at Macau Central District and Northern District, which could hopefully enhance the fascination and festive atmosphere of Macau. The event also served to divert visitors towards different districts through various activities in coordination with the Development Plan for Community Tourism. MGTO, IACM and ICM are the organizers of the "Parade for the Celebration of the Year of the Snake" while The Industry and Commerce Association of Macau Northern District is the supporting entity. Starting today, the 10 floats which joined the "Parade for the Celebration of the Year of the Snake" are showcased at Tap Seac Square until February 24 (15th day of the first month of the lunar calendar). The float illuminations brighten from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. during the above period. MGTO will also participate in the Lantern Festival celebrations organized by IACM at Tap Seac Square on the 15th day of the first month of the lunar calendar (Lantern Festival), including float exhibition and artistic performance.
…

The Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, Mr Wu Bangguo, will visit Macao at the invitation of the Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, to attend a string of activities to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the promulgation of the Basic Law of the Macao Special Administrative Region Macao.
The law, adopted at the First Session of the Eighth National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China and promulgated by Decree of the President of the People's Republic of China No. 3 on 31 March 1993, came into effect at the establishment of the Macao SAR on 20 December 1999.
…

Consumer Council released its latest specific product price survey on oral care products. A general price difference of about 40 percent was observed for the same product sold at different retail outlets and the highest price difference recorded was over 80 percent. Consumer Council collected prices of 10 toothpastes and mouthwashes from 30 retail outlets, including supermarkets and drugstores, on 7th February. Price differences ranged from 26.76 percent to 83.49 percent were observed this time. The greatest price difference was found in 'Oral-B Tooth and Gum Care/100g', which was sold at $10.9 to $20.0, which differed for 83.49 percent and was 40 percent more than the data from last time's survey. The highest and lowest price of 'Crest Cavity Prevention Toothpaste - Icy Mint/200g' also differed for 60 percent. Survey result also showed that among the various supermarket chain stores surveyed by the Council, selling prices of some products were found to vary in different branches. Consumers are advised to check with the survey result to make price comparisons. The specific product price survey on oral care products has been uploaded to the Council's 'Specific Product Price Platform' website and in the Council's 'Supermarket Price Information Platform' iPhone and Android apps. For enquiry, please call 8988 9315.
…

The Monetary Authority of Macao announced today that the preliminary estimate of Macao SAR's foreign exchange reserves amounted to MOP137.0 billion (USD17.15 billion) at the end of January 2013. The reserves increased by 3.4% or MOP4.5 billion from the revised value of MOP132.5 billion (USD16.60 billion) for the previous month. Macao SAR's foreign exchange reserves at end-January 2013 represented 18 times the currency in circulation or 150.7% of Pataca M2 at end-December 2012. The trade-weighted effective exchange rate index for the pataca, a gauge of the domestic currency's exchange rates against the currencies of Macao's major trading partners, rose slightly by 0.07 points month-to-month but fell 0.48 points year-on-year to 96.92 in January 2013. For enquiry, please contact:
Research and Statistics Department, Monetary Authority of Macao (Tel: 83952532; Fax: 28353042)
…

The Monetary Authority of Macao released today the credit card statistics for the fourth quarter of 2012. The total number of personal credit cards in circulation was 648,881 at the end of December 2012, equivalent to an increase of 4.4% over a quarter earlier. The numbers of Pataca (MOP) cards, Hong Kong Dollar (HKD) cards and Renminbi (RMB) cards were 470,751, 70,953 and 107,177 respectively. MOP cards, HKD cards and RMB cards witnessed respective growth of 3.6%, 1.3% and 10.2% quarter-to-quarter. Compared with a year ago, MOP cards and HKD cards rose 13.8% and 6.3% respectively, while the RMB cards registered an upsurge of 39.0% mainly driven by a marked 41.2% growth of MOP/RMB dual-currency cards.
As at end-December 2012, credit card credit limit granted by banks in Macao reached MOP10.8 billion, up 5.7% from end-September 2012. Credit card receivables amounted to MOP1.7 billion while the rollover amount totalled MOP502.8 million, accounting for 29.2% of credit card receivables. The delinquency ratio, i.e. the ratio of delinquent amount overdue for more than three months to credit card receivables, edged down to 0.61%.
For the fourth quarter of 2012, the credit card turnover surged 17.9% quarter-to-quarter to MOP3.4 billion. The cash advance turnover was MOP158.4 million, accounting for 4.7% of total credit card turnover. Credit card repayments, in which payments for interest and fees are included, went up 7.4% from the previous quarter to MOP3.2 billion.
…