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Pousada de Mong-Há won 2012 Tripadvisor Travelers' Choice Awards, ranked as the 5th out of the Top 25 Hotels in Greater China. It is the number one compared to the other awarded hotel in Macao. Besides, it is also honoured as one of the Top 25 Hotels for Service in Greater China, ranked as the 14th on the list. It also won the Number One Bargain Hotel in the Greater China among the Top 25. Pousada de Mong-Há is a training hotel operated by Institute for Tourism Studies (IFT). It features 20 guestrooms including 4 suites, with 2 restaurants, a conference room, gym room and a cozy library. Situated on a historic hilltop and away from the casino glitz, the hotel is an oasis in the bustling little city where guests can enjoy time in peaceful ambience. What makes the hotel different is that guests can feel the enthusiasm and care of the students cultivated by this internationally recognised tourism institute, also with the great contribution from a team of hospitality professionals for their coaching and management role in the hotel. Being a training hotel, winning awards and getting recognitions from the public means a lot to students. It gives them a lot of valuable support and encouragement. This is also a recognition for IFT's teaching standards and thus motivating IFT to always be at the forefront of teaching quality. The annual TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice awards honour the world's best hotels, earning their distinction from those who know them best – real travelers. Unlike many other hotel awards programmes in the world, TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice winners are based on the millions of reviews and opinions from guests around the world. Furthermore, to enhance the accessibility and convenience of the hotel service to international guests, Pousada de Mong-Há has now launched a newlook website which also coincides with the new online reservation system. For details, please visit www.ift.edu.mo/pousada.
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The University of Macau (UM) will hold a Doctor honoris causa Lecture entitled "Reminiscences on the Founding of HKUST: an Old Returnee's Story" on 24 February 2012. Keynote speaker Prof. Chia-Wei Woo is a world-renowned physicist, educator, and doctor honoris causa of UM. He will share with the audience his several decades of experiences in education and research. Prof. Woo was the founding president of Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), and during his office, he spared no efforts to raise funds and recruit outstanding teaching staff. In 2001, after serving HKUST for thirteen years, he retired as the president. Currently he is President Emeritus and University Professor Emeritus of HKUST. He received his PhD degree in physics from Washington University in St. Louis, U.S., and later he taught at Northwestern University, the University of Illinois and the University of California at San Diego. In 1983, at the age of forty-five, he became president of San Francisco State University, the first Chinese American to head a major university in the U.S. Since 1964 Prof. Woo has published a hundred and twenty papers and books in various fields of physics, including quantum many-body theory, statistical mechanics, liquid crystals, low temperature physics, and surface physics. Under his supervision, twenty-five doctoral students and postdoctoral staff completed their theses and research projects. Prof. Woo has received many honours and awards. He received honorary degrees from Georgetown College and Washington University; and was appointed an honorary CBE by Queen Elizabeth II. In 2000, he was awarded the Gold Bauhinia Star by the Hong Kong SAR government. In 2001, he was awarded "Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur" by the president of the Republic of France. He is listed in both "Who's Who in America" and "Who's Who in the World".
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15 brands of baby bottles were randomly checked by Consumer Council for their migration levels of Bisphenol-A(BPA). 1 baby bottle, 'Rikang Auto-feedling-bottle with a Wide-mouth and a Handle' (product of China, manufacturing date: 2009/12/17), was found to contain BPA. Test result has been published in issue no.221 of Consumer Report. Consumer Council indicated that responsible department had already been informed of the test result and local agent had been requested to take all related products off the shelves. Consumers who had bought the mentioned baby bottle could ask for refund directly from retailers or through the Council. According to the record provided by the local agent, around 40 baby bottles had been sold to consumers. BPA is a main ingredient of plastic product and is found to be an endocrine disruptor in recent years which could affect the growth of infants. Many countries, including mainland China, have already forbidden the sale of baby bottles which contain BPA. Consumer Council reminds traders to actively test for product safety when importing products made with plastic, and consumers are advised to choose products with material labels, and to notice that products made with polycarbonate (PC) generally contain BPA. Consumer Council of Shenzhen, one of the 22 members of 'Consumer Rights Alliance', conducted a test on the quality of sport suits where samples were collected from various retailers in Guangdong province earlier. Members of the Alliance were called to announce the report in which 4 samples did not meet the standard. Details of the report can be checked in issue no. 221 of Consumer Report. Starting this year, bookstores under the mechanism of 'Certified Shop' begin participating in the 'No Plastic Bag Day' held on 18th and 28th of each month and the Council will further invite other 'Certified Shops' in different industries to join the monthly 'No Plastic Bag Day'. The latest Consumer Report also features the annual event of awarding the 2012 'Certified Shop' emblem. Consumer Report is now available free of charge at the office of Consumer Council (Rua Inácio Baptista, Nº 6-6A Edficio Seaview Garden R/C), and the service counter of Consumer Council at Macao SAR Government Service Centre (Rua Nova da Areia Preta, Nº52), Public Information Centre at Vicky Plaza and libraries. Consumers may also access the resources online at the Council's official website (http://www.consumer.gov.mo). For enquiries, please call 8988 9315.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service indicated that total spending (excluding gaming expenses) of visitors reached MOP 13.4 billion in the fourth quarter of 2011, up notably by 25% in comparison with MOP 10.7 billion a year earlier. Attributable to the increase in visitor arrivals and in per-capita spending, total spending of visitors for the whole year of 2011 soared by 20% from 37.9 billion in 2010 to MOP 45.3 billion. In the fourth quarter of 2011, per-capita spending of visitors was MOP 1,820, an increase of 8% compared with MOP 1,682 a year earlier. Analyzed by place of residence, per-capita spending of Mainland visitors was MOP 2,325, and that of visitors from Southeast Asia at MOP 1,310; Japan at MOP 1,272; Taiwan, China at MOP 1,262; and Hong Kong at MOP 917. Per-capita spending of tourists (overnight visitors) increased by 13% year-on-year to MOP 3,234 and that of same-day visitors went up by 4% to MOP 643. Per-capita spending of overnight and same-day Mainland visitors topped at MOP 4,239 and MOP 813 respectively. Per-capita non-shopping spending of visitors amounted to MOP 878, up by 7% compared with MOP 824 in the fourth quarter of 2010, of which expenses on Accommodation and Food & Beverage accounted for 50% and 34% respectively. Per-capita non-shopping spending of Japanese visitors took the lead at MOP 1,155 and that of overnight visitors from Taiwan, China reached MOP 2,467. Per-capita shopping spending of visitors was MOP 942, up by 10% compared with MOP 857 in the fourth quarter of 2010, with Clothing (21%), Local Food Products (21%) and Jewellery & Watches (19%) being the more popular shopping items. Mainland visitors had the highest per-capita shopping spending of MOP 1,435 and that of overnight Mainland visitors reached MOP 2,398. The average length of stay of visitors was identical to the fourth quarter of 2010, at 0.9 day. Average length of stay of overnight visitors increased by 0.1 day year-on-year to 1.8 days, with overnight visitors from Europe staying at an average of 3.1 days. Average length of stay of same-day visitors held stable at 0.2 day. Total spending and per-capita spending of visitors for the fourth quarter of 2011 were extrapolated from 39,900 effective questionnaires collected; besides, data for the fourth quarter of 2010 have been re-compiled accordingly to facilitate direct comparison.
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Amid increasing globalization, different economies are becoming inextricably linked and interrelated. To help the public grasp the trend of world economy, the University of Macau (UM) will hold on 23 February 2012 a Distinguished Seminar on the European Debt Dilemma and Its Impact on East Asia and the World Economy. Nobel laureate in economic sciences Prof. Robert A. Mundell, who is hailed as "the father of the Euro", will be the speaker. The seminar is part of a series of academic events to be held by UM in February and March. Prof. Mundell holds that the international monetary system in the twentieth century can be divided into three stages: because every international monetary system is the result of international economic and political development within a period of time and in turn profoundly influences international political and economic development in the context of the period. At the seminar, Prof. Mundell will analyze the European debt dilemma and its impact on East Asia and world economy with remarkable insights. Prof. Mundell has published many books and papers on the history of international monetary system and theories of international economics. He played such a pivotal role in the introduction of the Euro that he is considered "the father of the Euro" and "the father of the theory of optimum currency areas". He formulated what became a standard international macroeconomics model; he was a pioneer of the theory of the monetary and fiscal policy mix; he reformulated the theory of inflation and interest; he was a co-developer of the monetary approach to the balance of payments. He won the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences in 1999 for his analysis of monetary and fiscal policy under different exchange rate regimes and his analysis of optimum currency areas. The seminar will take place on 23 February (Thursday) at 10:00 am at UM's Cultural Centre. It will be conducted in English, with simultaneous interpretation into Mandarin. For those who are interested, please visit https://isw.umac.mo/ mundell and complete on-line registration by 22 February. For enquiries, please call 83974799/83974732.
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The University of Macau (UM) and the Tertiary Education Services Office of Macao SAR will co-organize an International Forum on University Governance: Keys to Competitiveness, on 21 and 22 February, at Macao Science Center. Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of Macao SAR Mr. Cheong U will officiate at the forum. Government officials of higher education (HE), council members and presidents/rectors of tertiary institutions, as well as senior HE scholars and administrators having first-hand experience in governance-wise reforms from mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, Europe and North America will attend the forum. They will discuss a range of issues, including university governance, autonomy, accountability and strategic planning, with Macao SAR government officials, members of Macao's Legislative Assembly, members of UM's Charter Revision Task Force, and representatives from local tertiary and other educational institutions. The forum aims to help find a governance model that suits UM and is in line with international trends and standards in higher education. The 2-day forum will revolve around six topics, namely "Optimizing Autonomy of Publicly-funded Institutions: Objectives, Structures, Process and Strategy", "Models of University as Legal Person: Statutory Entity, Foundation Subsidiary or Incorporated Body", "System (External) Governance: Government Relationship, Funding Models & Increased Autonomy", "Institutional (Internal) Governance: Enhanced Role of University Council/Board and Its Effective Relationship with the Administration", "Balance between Autonomy, Control and Accountability", and "Towards a First-Class University: Governance Reform Experience". The first day will be devoted to the first four topics, and the second day will focus on the last two. Keynote speakers for the first day will include Director-General of the Department of Policies and Regulations, Ministry of Education, People's Republic of China, Mr. Sun Xiaobing; Former Secretary-of-State for Science, Technology and Higher Education of Portugal and current Director of the Center for Innovation, Technology and Policy Research, Technical University of Lisbon, Portugal, Prof. Manuel Valsassina Heitor; Secretary-General of the International Secretariat, University Mobility in Asia and the Pacific, Taiwan, Mr. Tony W.T. Lin; Dean of the School of Law, Tsinghua University, Beijing, Prof. Wang Zhenmin; Senate Chairman and Professor Emeritus of Economic Geography at National Seoul University, South Korea, Prof. Sam Ock Park; Rector of the New University of Lisbon and President of the Portuguese Council of Rectors Prof. Antonio Rendas; Senior Executive Vice President of Global Strategy, Development, and Evaluation at Tsinghua University, Taiwan, Prof. Feng Da-Hsuan; former Commissioner of Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and former Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at the University of Texas System, U.S., Dr. Kenneth Ashworth; Provost of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prof. Benjamin W. Wah; Emeritus President at Texas A & M University (U.S.) and Visiting Chair Professor of Management at UM Prof. William Mobley; former Senior Advisor to the Vice Chancellor and former Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Chair Professor of Education at the University of Hong Kong, Prof. Kai Ming Cheng; and Vice Council Chairman at Hong Kong Baptist University, Mr. Yan Kee Cheng. Keynote speakers for the second day will include President and CEO of Higher Education Quality Council Ontario, Canada, Dr. Harvey P. Weingarten; Vice President (International Affairs) of Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Prof. Er Meng Hwa; Associate Vice President (External Relations) of Hong Kong Institute of Education Prof. Mok Ka Ho; Chair Professor and Dean of the College of Commerce at Chengchi University, Taiwan, Prof. Kwei Tang; Rector of the University of Minho, Portugal, Prof. Antonio M. Cunha; and Prof. Elsa Hackl at the University of Vienna, Austria. Faced with fierce competition amid increasing economic globalization, the Macao SAR government is in urgent need of a large number of outstanding professionals to meet future challenges. The implementation of the new UM campus project shows that the central government and the Macao SAR government attach great importance to higher education development in Macao. In view of external competition and high expectations from various parties, it is more necessary than ever for UM to establish a governance model that can cope with international competition and better support its future development. Last June, the SAR government established the UM Charter Revision Task Force to revise UM's Charter in order to create more favorable conditions for the university to realize the goal of becoming a world-class institution. It is against the abovementioned background and with the purpose of finding a suitable governance model to enhance UM's international competitiveness that this forum is organized. The forum will be conducted mainly in English, with simultaneous interpretation into Portuguese and Mandarin. For enquiries, please call 83974306/83974392 or email to rebeccatai@umac.mo/ lawrencelou@umac.mo.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that number of building units purchased and sold in the fourth quarter of 2011 decreased further by 5.2% quarter-to-quarter to 3,543 as per Stamp Duty record, yet the total value increased by 5.2% to MOP10.12 billion. There were 2,173 residential units purchased and sold, down by 1.0% over the previous quarter, while the total value rose by 5.9% to MOP6.27 billion. With high-end new properties being offered for sale in the fourth quarter of 2011, the average transaction price of all residential units increased by 14.2% quarter-to-quarter to MOP41,519 per square metre of usable area. The average price of those in the Macao Peninsula (MOP39,228), Taipa (MOP45,057) and Coloane (MOP64,063) rose by 10.8%, 18.1% and 3.5% respectively quarter-to-quarter. On account of the measures introduced by the Government to curb property prices, number of building units purchased and sold (27,624) in the whole year of 2011 decreased by 6.7% over 2010, yet the total value (MOP76.26 billion) increased by 34.4%; number of residential units (17,176) dropped by 4.5% year-on-year whereas the total value (MOP58.86 billion) went up by 28.1%. Among the residential units, 12,862 units were situated in the Macao Peninsula and 3,317 in Taipa. Regarding the price of transaction, a total of 4,967 residential units were sold for over MOP2,000,000 to MOP4,000,000, and 4,872 units for over MOP4,000,000. Analyzed by year of completion of the building, 8,396 residential units purchased and sold were completed in 2000 and after, 5,236 units in 1990-1999 and 3,544 units in 1989 and before. As regards floor area of the unit, 45.9% (7,889) of the residential units had an area of 50 to 99.9 square metres. For 2011 as a whole, the average transaction price of residential units increased by 33.6% over 2010 to MOP41,433 per square metre. The average price of office units rose by 53.5% year-on-year to MOP35,076 per square metre, and that of industrial units went up by 72.4% to MOP12,001 per square metre. For the whole year of 2011, a total of 10,935 cases of real estate sale and purchase contracts were made, down by 13.9% over 2010, and the number of units dropped by 12.7% to 14,075. Moreover, there were 7,930 cases of residential mortgage contracts signed, a decrease of 6.7% year-on-year. In 2011, gross floor area of buildings completed dropped by 8.6% year-on-year to 1,162,506 square metres, altogether providing 1,387 units (1,099 are residential units), 2,940 parking spaces for cars and 1,185 parking spaces for motorcycles.
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The Monetary Authority of Macao released today the credit card statistics for the fourth quarter of 2011. The total number of personal credit cards in circulation was 527,359 at the end of December 2011, equivalent to an increase of 4.8% over a quarter ago. The numbers of Pataca (MOP) cards, Hong Kong Dollar (HKD) cards and Renminbi (RMB) cards were 398,659, 66,774 and 61,926 respectively. MOP cards, HKD cards and RMB cards witnessed respective growth of 3.5%, 1.9% and 18.1% quarter-to-quarter. On an annual basis, RMB cards surged 109.9% while MOP cards and HKD cards rose 18.1% and 11.4% respectively. As at the end of December 2011, credit card credit limit granted by banks in Macao reached MOP8.9 billion, up 5.2% from end-September 2011. Credit card receivables amounted to MOP1.5 billion while the rollover amount totalled MOP482.8 million, accounting for 32.5% of credit card receivables. The delinquency ratio, i.e. the ratio of delinquent amount overdue for more than three months to credit card receivables, slid to 0.82%. For the fourth quarter of 2011, the credit card turnover grew 10.3% quarter-to-quarter to MOP2.8 billion. The cash advance turnover was MOP139.8 million, accounting for 5.0% of total credit card turnover. Credit card repayments, in which payments for interest and fees are included, increased 5.2% from the previous quarter to MOP2.7 billion. For enquiry, please contact: Research and Statistics Department
Monetary Authority of Macao (Tel：8395 2532Fax：2835 3042)
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The Monetary Authority of Macao announced today that the preliminary estimate of Macao SAR's foreign exchange reserves amounted to MOP283.3 billion (USD35.46 billion) at the end of January 2012. The reserves rose by 4.0% from the revised value of MOP272.4 billion (USD34.03 billion) for the previous month. When compared with a year earlier, the reserves increased by MOP91.3 billion or 47.6%. Macao SAR's foreign exchange reserves at end-January 2012 represented 47 times the currency in circulation or 366.6% of Pataca M2 at end-December 2011. 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 by 0.20 points month-to-month but fell by 0.23 points year-on-year to 88.60 in January 2012. For enquiry, please contact:
Research and Statistics Department, Monetary Authority of Macao (Tel: 83952532; Fax: 28353042)
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Police are acting more proactively against crimes such as robbery, in particular in areas frequented by visitors.
And at the same time they will strengthen their relationship with the public to help fight crime, the Secretary for Security, Mr Cheong Kuoc Va, said today.
Mr Cheong disclosed this when he released the crime statistics for last year, which showed a slight increase of 7.4 per cent compared with 2010.
He said as work had commenced on large infrastructure projects which could bring more visitors to Macao, they might have to recruit more police officers to cope with an increasing workload.
Mr Cheong said due to the increase in robbery cases, the authorities would act more proactively against crimes, particularly at tourist spots and strengthen the relationship between the police and the public. He said crimes against property made up of 56.6 per cent of the total of 12,512 cases in the reporting year, with crimes against the person accounting for 19.4 per cent. Crimes against the person -- one of the five major categories of crimes classified in the Penal Code of Macao -- dropped 1.7 per cent to 2,428 cases. Wounding increased by 6.7 per cent to 1,704 cases, with criminal intimidation up 16.9 per cent to 207 cases. Crimes against property rose 16.2 per cent with 7,080 cases, with pick-pocketing and robbery cases up 20.1 per cent. Crimes against society dropped 1.4 per cent with 670 cases, due to a 10.6 per cent drop in the use of counterfeit banknote cases. Other crimes not included in the above classifications dropped 11.3 per cent, with 1,379 cases. Juvenile crimes fell by two cases compared with last year, with 100 cases in 2011.
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