News

Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the second quarter of 2012 expanded modestly by 7.3% year-on-year in real terms, as affected by decelerating growth in exports of gaming services, total visitor spending and investment. Economic growth was underpinned by the increase in exports of services and private consumption expenditure, of which exports of gaming services rose by 6.2%, total visitor spending increased by 2.5% and private consumption expenditure went up by 12.8%. Meanwhile, the implicit deflator of GDP that measures overall changes in prices increased by 8.1% year-on-year in the second quarter. In the first half year of 2012, GDP expanded by 12.6% in real terms, and economic growth for the first quarter revised upward from 18.4% to 18.6%. Increase in private consumption expenditure sustained, up by 12.8% year-on-year, on the back of favourable employment conditions, rising total employment and working income. Household final consumption expenditure in the domestic market increased by 11.5%, and consumption expenditure abroad rose by 11.1%, of which spending in Mainland China amounted to MOP 1.81 billion. Government final consumption expenditure increased by 5.2% year-on-year, with compensation of employees and net purchases of goods and services rising by 4.1% and 7.5% respectively. The gauge of investment, increase in gross fixed capital formation narrowed substantially to 11.6% year-on-year. Private investment decreased by 6.3%, as construction and equipment investment shrank by 8.1% and 0.6% respectively. Government investment soared by 187.9%, attributable to the construction of the Hengqin Campus of the University of Macau and the public housing projects that drove up public construction investment to register a notable increase of 193.9%; besides, equipment investment also rose by 104.1%. Merchandise exports rose by 19.1% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2012, moderating from 23.9% in the previous quarter. At the same time, increase in merchandise imports receded from 26.1% in the first quarter to 15.5% in the second quarter of 2012 due to growth deceleration in investment and visitor spending. Regarding trade in services, with declining visitor arrivals, slower growth in gross gaming revenue and per-capita spending of visitors, exports of services increased by just 5.7% year-on-year, far lower than 19.2% in the first quarter; in particular, exports of gaming services increased by 6.2% and total visitor spending rose slightly by 2.5%. In addition, imports of services edged up mildly by 1.2% year-on-year.
…

Macau International Fireworks Display Contest is organized by Macau Government Tourist Office. The Student Drawing Competition and Photo Competition are held annually in conjunction with Macau International Fireworks Display Contest. MGTO hosted the related award ceremony today (August 30) and awarded the prizes to the winners last year. The Ceremony of 23rd Macau International Fireworks Display Contest Photo Competition and 23rd Macau International Fireworks Display Student Drawing Competition was held at the ground lobby of Macau Tower. Director of MGTO, João Manuel Costa Antunes, Deputy Director of MGTO, Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, Acting Deputy Director of Cultural Affairs Bureau, Ieong Chi Kin, Head of Department of Cultural Activities and Recreation, Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau, Choi Chi Hong, Representative of Education and Youth Affairs Bureau, Chan Wun San, Representative of Maritime Administration, Kuan Chon Chun as well as photography, art and media representatives awarded the prizes. The list of winners is published on MGTO website. The awarded works are displayed at the ground lobby of Macau Tower effectively from today to September 6. Macau International Fireworks Display Contest is a spectacular annual event in Macau. The marvelous fireworks displays have attracted both local and foreign spectators and have gained an internationally acclaimed reputation for Macau. Through photography and drawing, Macau citizens can capture the beauty of the fireworks lighting up the night sky. This year, MGTO will add new categories to Macau International Fireworks Display Contest Student Drawing Competition and Photo Competition. Besides the two existing categories, a new category of 15 – 18 years old will be added to the student drawing competition. On the other hand, a high-school plus college student category of 17 – 24 years old will be added to the Photo Competition besides the existing public category. 24th Macau International Fireworks Display Contest Photo Competition and 24th Macau International Fireworks Display Student Drawing Competition are now open for entries and welcome all residents' participation.
…

The Macao SAR Gazette issued today announcement the appointment of three director grade officers who will head the newly established Protocol, Public Relations and External Affairs Office. They are Mr Fung Sio Weng, who is appointed Director, and Mr Tong Wai Leong and Ms Lei Ut Muim who are appointed deputy directors. The Office will come into operation on September 1 and valid for one year, subject to renewal by the Chief Executive. Mr Fung obtained his master degree in public administration from the University of Macao. He joined the public service in 1987 and has held the post of Advisor of the Office of the Chief Executive from 1999. He is mainly responsible for co-ordinating and planning concierge and public affairs of the SAR Government. Mr Tong obtained his bachelor degree in software engineering from the Huaqiao University. He joined the public service in 1988 and had been the Chief of the Administration and Finance Division of the Macao Sport Development Board from 1988 to 2009. Ms Lei Ut Mui has obtained one master degree in business administration from the Asia Macau International Open University and one master degree in public administration from the Macau University of Science and Technology. She joined the public service in 1995 and has been serving in the public relations department of the Government Headquarter from March 2007.
…

The Government of the Macao Special Administrative Region is ready to submit the second periodic report pursuant to the provisions of the United Nations Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (hereinafter referred to as the Convention), and the stated report will be incorporated into the sixth report submitted to the Committee Against Torture by the People's Republic of China pursuant to the provisions of the Convention. The content of the second periodic report mainly includes the relevant information of the latest development of the implementation of the Convention since the period of coverage of the first report submitted in 2004 and the responses to the things to note and suggestions raised by the Committee Against Torture during its delivery of concluding observations in 2008. Should anyone or any organisation have any opinion or comment on the implementation situation of the Convention in the Macao SAR, please submit your opinions to the Law Reform and International Law Bureau in writing through the following mean between 30 August and 28 September 2012: E-mail : info@dsrjdi.ccrj.gov.mo
Address : Alameda Dr. Carlos D'Assumpção, no. 398, Edf. CNAC, 6˚ andar, Macau
Fax : (853) 28750814 The Law Reform and International Law Bureau will put all the opinions collected into careful consideration. For those who plan to have your opinions kept completely or partially confidential, please clearly indicate your wish upon your raise of opinions in writing. The Chinese text and the English translation of the draft of the second periodic report have already been uploaded to the webpage of the Law Reform and International Law Bureau: www.dsrjdi.ccrj.gov.mo. The first report (CAT/C/MAC/4), the list of issues of the Committee Against Torture (CAT/C/MAC/Q/4), the Macao SAR's reply to the Committee's list of issues (CAT/C/MAC/Q/4/Add.1) and the Committee's concluding observations (CAT/C/MAC/CO/4) mentioned in the draft of the second periodic report have already been uploaded to the webpage of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights : http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/cat/cats41.htm.
…

Macau Government Tourist Office, Hong Kong Tourism Board and Tourism Administration of Guangdong Province co-organized joint promotion activities in three Indian cities to promote Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau tourism as well as travel itineraries with multi stops among their local media and trade. The event is aimed at developing new visitor sources and attracting Indian quality visitors to Macau in order to diversify the tourist market to further extent. The three tourism departments joined hands with Tourism Administration of Guangzhou Municipality, Zhongshan Municipal Tourism Bureau and Shenzhen Municipal Bureau of Culture, Sports and Tourism to co-organize promotion activities successively in Chennai, Mumbai and New Delhi, India. Nearly 300 Indian media and trade representatives were invited to participate in the activities. Director of Macau Government Tourist Office, João Manuel Costa Antunes, Deputy Director of Tourism Administration of Guangdong Province, Mei Qi Jie and General Manager for Business Development of Hong Kong Tourism Board, Patrick Kwok attended the joint promotion event in New Delhi today (August 29) and delivered a speech at the luncheon. Director João Manuel Costa Antunes expressed that Macau has always attached importance to India as a potential market; that Macau Government Tourist Office co-organized the joint tourism promotion event in India with Guangdong and Hong Kong for the first time to promote itineraries with multi stops in one trip, to further extend Indian visitor source and build the reputation as a regional travel destination. He stated that it not only benefits Macau tourism development but also strengthens regional tourism, bringing long-term profits to the entire Pearl River Delta Region as a travel zone; in addition, it also manifests the advantage of complementary resources among Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau, maturing the cooperation among the three regions. The three tourism departments first introduced their unique tourist attractions and resources during the promotion session followed by jointly promoting itineraries which include all three destinations. The heads of the three tourism departments also met with local media to conclude this joint promotion event. The number of India visitors to Macau increased from nearly 10,000 in 2003 to 170,000 in 2011. During the stay in New Delhi, Director João Manuel Costa Antunes made a courtesy visit to Chinese Ambassador to India, H.E. Zhang Yan, Cabinet Minister of Tourism of India, Subodh Kant Sahai, and met with Secretary, Ministry of Tourism of India, R.H. Khwaja and Director of China National Tourist Office in India, Liu Shijun individually. Director João Manuel Costa Antunes also joined the Executive Director of Macau International Airport Co. Ltd., Suning Liu and the representative of Civil Aviation Authority to meet with Directorate General of Civil Aviation of India.
…

The working group on food prices released its latest specific price survey on instant noodles. Prices of 10 brands of instant noodle were surveyed and significant price differences were recorded. The highest price difference recorded was almost 78 percent. Instant noodles are very common in consumers' daily lives, the current specific price survey covered products such as instant noodle, vermicelli and macaroni. The working group on food price collected prices of 10 brands of instant noodle products from 24 retail outlets on 23rd August. Survey result showed that 3 out of the 10 surveyed brands recorded price differences of over 60 percent. 'Nong Shim Shin Ramyun Noodle Spicy Mushroom Flavour (120g)' was sold at $4.2 to $7.5 in various outlets, which amounted to a price difference of 78.57 percent; 'Doll Instant Mifun (70g)', which was sold at $2.6 to $4.5, recorded a price difference of 73.08 percent, and the third highest price difference was recorded in 'Doll Instant Noodle - Sesame Oil Flavour (100gx5)', which was sold at $12.0 to $20.0, with a difference of over 66 percent. The specific price survey on instant noodles 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.
…

At the start of a new academic year, the University of Macau (UM) welcomed over 1,500 first-year students. The students showed a deep interest in the new friends they met, the environment of the campus they were shown around, and the unique campus culture of UM. UM Rector Wei Zhao said the new students injected a new vigour into the university. He encouraged the students to make good use of the four years and to try to achieve well-rounded growth through the best academic programmes, facilities and learning environment offered by UM. Everywhere on the campus was swarming with people. This year, UM admitted over 1,500 students from nearly eight thousand applicants. Rector Wei Zhao said he felt very proud of the students and expressed his hope that the students can realize whole person development during the four years through UM's "4-in-1" pedagogical model that consists of discipline-specific education, general education, research and internship education, and community and peer education. Rector Wei Zhao noted that with the start of the new academic year, UM will focus primarily on several areas, including the new campus construction progress and the relocation plan, the expansion of the residential colleges, the Charter revision, the further improvement of the "4-in-1" pedagogical model, and the improvement of the academic and student affairs structure, in order to create the best possible learning environment for the students, nurture more outstanding graduates for society, and achieve more results in scientific research. Chui Ka I, first-year student of the Faculty of Business Administration, said: "I look forward to the residential college education at UM, which I believe will not only allow me to discuss academic questions with the professors more frequently, but will also give me the opportunity to learn from their life experiences. I think the four years at UM will benefit me greatly." Chui also said she hopes to enter the Honours College (HC) so she can take full advantage of the unique programmes and overseas exchange opportunities provided by HC. Wong Ka Chon, who majors in computer sciences, shows a deep interest in the "4-in-1" pedagogical model at UM. He believes that general education as well as research and internship education, in addition to the traditional discipline-specific education, will help expand students' knowledge and stimulate their creativity, thereby better preparing the students for future challenges upon graduation. He also looks forward to the residential college arrangement, which he thinks sets UM apart from many universities in Asia, and which he believes will let him experience his university life to the fullest.
…

Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that with the arrival of Summer, consumption of Electricity soared by 38.6% over the previous quarter to 1.138 billion kWh in the second quarter of 2012. Consumption of Electricity by the Business sector (76.3% of total) increased by 34.5% quarter-to-quarter to 869 million kWh, with that of the Gaming sector rising by 34.2%; consumption by Households surged by 57.8% to 218 million kWh. Imports of Electricity increased by 32.5% quarter-to-quarter to 990 million kWh in the second quarter, accounting for 83.2% of the available supply; meanwhile, local generation of Electricity rose significantly by 94.3% to 215 million kWh. In the first half year of 2012, consumption (1.959 billion kWh) and imports (1.737 billion kWh) of Electricity increased by 11.9% and 32.8% respectively year-on-year, while local generation (325 million kWh) of Electricity decreased by 38.3%. In the second quarter of 2012, consumption of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) decreased by 21.4% quarter-to-quarter to 10,020 tonnes; meanwhile, imports of LPG declined by 18.4% from the previous quarter to 10,148 tonnes, with the average price of imports rising by 5.0% to MOP10.07 per kilogram. In the first half year of 2012, consumption of LPG (22,766 tonnes) decreased by 2.0% year-on-year. The average price of all fuels, except LPG, decreased from the first quarter of 2012, with that of Unleaded Gasoline (MOP11.42 per litre) dropping by 9.2% but that of Bottled LPG (MOP15.87 per kilogram) rising by 3.1%. At the end of the second quarter of 2012, stock of Gas Oil & Diesel (19.39 million litres) and LPG (1,795 tonnes) increased by 5.8% and 16.6% respectively quarter-to-quarter.
…

China's gold medalists from the London 2012 Olympic Games left for Beijing today, on completion of their three-day visit to Macao. The Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Mr Cheong U, the Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao SAR, Ms Gao Yan, the President of the Macao Sport Development Board, Mr Vong Iao Lek and some 250 students were at the lobby of the hotel where the Olympians stayed to bid farewell to the delegation. One of the gold medallists told reporters that they felt good about the visit to Macao and hoped to come again.
Mr Cheong said all Chinese people, including the people of Macao, felt so excited for the Chinese athletes' achievements in the London Olympics. The visit of the Mainland gold medalists was a rare opportunity for the people of Macao to share the Olympians' joy and pride as well as their tough training for competition, he said.
The Secretary said he believed the gold medallists would set a good learning sample for local youths and wished that the sport industry of the nation and Macao would continue to develop.
…

The Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) released results of the Survey on Manpower Needs and Wages for the second quarter of 2012. Survey coverage comprised Wholesale & Retail Trade; Transport, Storage & Communications sector; Security Activities and Public Sewage & Refuse Disposal Activities, excluding own-account workers. At the end of the second quarter of 2012, Wholesale & Retail Trade had 35,551 paid employees, up by 12.0% year-on-year, with 22,685 working in Retail trade. In June 2012, average earnings (excluding bonuses and allowances) of full-time employees rose by 4.9% year-on-year to MOP10,410, with Sales representatives and Salespersons earning MOP14,180 and MOP9,520 respectively in average. The Transport, Storage & Communications sector took on 8,291 paid employees, up by 9.1% year-on-year. In June, average earnings of full-time employees increased by 5.9% year-on-year to MOP16,450. Drivers of passenger/cargo transport by land earned an average of MOP17,800. Security Activities had 5,004 paid employees, up by 5.6% year-on-year. The average earnings of full-time employees in June rose by 9.7% year-on-year to MOP8,380, with Security guards earning MOP7,980 in average. Public Sewage & Refuse Disposal Activities had 698 paid employees, up by 5.0% year-on-year. The average earnings of full-time employees in June increased by 8.9% year-on-year to MOP12,120. At the end of the second quarter of 2012, Wholesale & Retail Trade reported 4,826 vacancies, up substantially by 40.5% year-on-year, of which 3,485 were in Retail trade, up significantly by 52.2%. The vacancy rate of Retail trade had shown a continual growth reaching 15.6% this quarter, while the employee turnover rate has rebounded to a higher level of 9.0%, signifying a continual high demand of human resources. Vacancies in Security Activities (792) rose by 15.6%, while those in the Transport, Storage & Communications sector dropped by 17.5%. In terms of recruitment prerequisites, 60.7% of the vacant posts in Public Sewage & Refuse Disposal Activities and 51.2% of those in Wholesale & Retail Trade required work experience. As regards educational attainment, 64.3% of the vacancies in Public Sewage & Refuse Disposal Activities and 51.2% of those in the Transport, Storage & Communications sector required senior secondary education or higher; meanwhile, 63.3% of the vacancies in Security Activities required primary education only. Besides Cantonese, knowledge of Mandarin and English was respectively required in 69.0% and 45.6% of the vacancies in Wholesale & Retail Trade, while 46.1% of those in the Transport, Storage & Communications sector and 42.9% of those in Public Sewage & Refuse Disposal Activities required knowledge of English.
…