News

Owing to the delay in custom's inspection on mails/cargo in Nigeria, Macao Post announced that mail delivery services (including Correspondence, Printed Matters, Small Packet, Parcel and EMS) from Macao to Nigeria are subject to delay until further notice. Thank you for your kind attention.
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The Kun Iam Ecumenical Centre is not merely a unique construction but one of the most important landmarks and tourist attractions in Macao. Every year, it welcomes an average of some 100,000 visitors and tourists. To ensure service quality and to maintain the facilities in good condition, the Macao SAR Government began to undertake large-scale repair and maintenance works in October last year. After six months, the work is now nearly finished and the new-look Centre is scheduled to re-open to the public on Saturday 12th May. Some new facilities will gradually open following the re-opening. Located along the bay for more than a decade, the Kun Iam Ecumenical Centre is inevitably affected by various environmental factors. Water once leaked from both the inner and outer walls of the arched base, resulting in mildew, and some facilities fell into disrepair. Furthermore, the large bronze Kun Iam statue was coated in dust having stood erect in the air for many years, and appeared old and lack-lustre, affecting not only its appearance but its public opening. Following a comprehensive evaluation, the government decided to undertake large-scale repair and maintenance works, renewing both interior and exterior facilities. Closed since October for such works, comprehensive repair and maintenance of the bronze statue, maintenance and renewal of the interior and exterior structure and various facilities inside the arched base under the statue plus cleaning of the statue were instigated in order to ensure the safety and appearance of the construction. Themed around religion, the upper level of the arched base is a showroom, whose painted dome is painted with the characters and divine words of Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, etc. More pleasing to the eye following the repairs, a richer religious ambience is now evident. Souvenirs and publications of the Cultural Affairs Bureau and Macao Museum are available for sale at the small sales counter located on this floor, while the lower level is a space for contemplation, enabling visitors to escape the hustle and bustle of city life. To the side is a small library themed around religion, exhibiting books about religion and various kinds of philosophy. During the repair and maintenance work, the air-conditioning system of the whole construction was renewed. More bookshelves have been added to the library so that more books on religion and philosophy are available for reading and research purposes. The new sound system covers the entire construction and the causeway: pleasant music - coupled with the beautiful surrounding bay environment - projects a quiet and peaceful sensation, encouraging people to linger. The Kun Iam Ecumenical Centre opens daily from 10:00am to 6:00pm, and is closed on Fridays. For more information about opening hours, please call (853) 2835 7911 during office hours or visit the Macao Museum website at www.macaumuseum.gov.mo or Cultural Affairs Bureau at www.icm.gov.mo.
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Pacific Asia Association (PATA) Annual Conference was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in April, 2012. IFT delegation led by President Dr. Fanny Vong announced the establishment of PATA Macau Student Chapter during the conference. The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is a membership association acting as a catalyst for the responsible development of the Asia Pacific travel and tourism industry. In partnership with PATA's private and public sector members, it enhances the sustainable growth, value and quality of travel and tourism to, from and within the region. In 2011, IFT, with the support of local industry partners, was elected as Chairman of the PATA Macau, committed to facilitate exchanges of ideas, forge corporation among members and build a better future for our region. IFT, being a higher education institution, quests to encourage the involvement of undergraduates and young tourism professionals to the future tourism development. During the inauguration ceremony, Chairlady of PATA Macau Student Chapter Ariel Lin, year 3 student of IFT's bachelor degree programme in Tourism Business Management, spoke on behalf of the Chapter stressing how Macao students, as a new generation and energy to the tourism industry learn from and contribute to the PATA as well as the tourism industry as a whole. The PATA Macau Student Chapter with students of IFT, University of Macao and Macao University of Science and Technology as core members while students of Macao Polytechnic Institute are also heavily involved. The aims of the chapter are:
- To provide forum for student chapter members to contribute to and share about tourism knowledge and trends with all interested parties and potential young professionals;
- To assemble student representatives of PATA at regular intervals to facilitate member integrity and closer working relationship to enhance the efficiency and efficacy of the student chapter's management;
- To implement specific PATA and PATA Macau Chapter events and projects in compliance with the goals and objectives of PATA; - To obtain opinions of student chapter members on any PATA and the PATA Macau Chapter initiatives. IFT looks forward to the establishment of Student Chapter in strengthening the link of student cooperation among local higher institutions, encouraging youngster to speak out their creative opinion and nurturing future tourism professionals.
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The annual Guangdong-Macao Cooperation Joint Conference will take place in Macao on Tuesday (15 May), with the participation of Chief Executive Mr Chui Sai On and the Governor of Guangdong, Mr Zhu Xiaodan, and leading officials from both governments. According to a statement by the Office of the Government Spokesperson, during the meeting at the Government Headquarters, Mr Chui and Mr Zhu are expected to review the results of various co-operation projects in the previous 12 months and discuss means to strengthen co-operation in different areas. Officials from Macao and Guangdong are expected to sign a number of agreements after the meeting. After the conference, Mr Chui and Mr Zhu are expected to meet the press.
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Consumer Council released its latest specific price survey on canned foods. Survey result showed that retail prices of the 11 surveyed brands were similar to those recorded in March. Consumers may check the relevant data on the 'Specific Product Price Information Platform' on the Council's website. Consumer Council conducted its latest specific price survey on canned foods on 8th May, surveying 11 brands of canned foods from 21 retail outlets. In comparison with last time's data, prices of canned foods remained stable. 4 out of the 11 surveyed brands recorded no change in price, others recorded minimal to about 10% of price increase or decrease. The specific price survey on canned foods also revealed that selling prices of the same brand of canned food sold in different outlets varied. In the current survey, the price discrepancy rate of 'Narcissus Brand Spiced Pork Cubes (142g)' had srinked by over 10% comparing to last time's data; the mentioned product recorded a price difference of around 10% in this survey, ranging from MOP13.00 to MOP14.50. Both 'Porthos Sardines in Olive Oil (125g)' and 'Swanson Clear Chicken Broth (250ml)', though recorded no change in their selling prices in retail stores, revealed obvious price discrepancies of about 50%. Consumers may access the relevant resources on the 'Specific Product Price Information Platform' on the Council's website and make price comparisons. For enquiry, please call 89889315.
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The Consul General of the Australian Consulate-General in Hong Kong, Mr. Paul Tighe, visited the Identification Services Bureau of the Macao Special Administrative Region (hereafter called "Macao SAR") and met with the Director, Mr. Isaac Ieng Kit Lai today (10th May 2012). Mr. Tighe informed the Macao SAR Government that with effect from 1st July 2012 the government of Australia will introduce simplifying measures to facilitate visa applications for the Macao residents to Australia in accordance with the subsequent negotiations and agreement reached between the two parties. The measure is called "Label-Free Visa Arrangements" to target on the Macao SAR Passport holders, the Macao SAR Travel Permit holders and all other Macao residents, regardless of their country of origin. This measure applies to all visa types, including tourist, business, student and migration visas. Once the measure takes effect, applicants will no longer need to lodge their applications in person at the Australian Consulate-General in Hong Kong nor send their original copy of travel documents to Hong Kong. Upon the application lodgement with supporting documents followed by the assessment being completed, applicants will be sent a letter by post or by email confirming the decision. For other types of visa applications, procedures remain unchanged. Physical visa labels will not be affixed in the travel document of the applicants under the new "Label-Free Visa Arrangements". Visa information is instead recorded in Australia's immigration system database. These computerized records are available to airline staff at the airports for verification of those flights' check-in passengers bound for Australia. Applicants should print out or keep the reply of the assessment result and present it if needed. The Macao SAR Government and the Australian Government have been maintaining strong levels of cooperation in areas such as immigration, trade, law enforcement and others. Both parties perceive that the facilitating measures will continue to strengthen the ease of travellers and therefore to boost in the tourism, and socio-culture between the two places. In the year of 2011, there were 1485 holders of Macao SAR travel documents applying for various types of visas at the Australian Consulate-General in Hong Kong. For more information on the application of visas to Australia, please visit the website of the Australian Consulate-General in Hong Kong www.hongkong.china.embassy.gov.au.
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According to statistics released today by the Monetary Authority of Macao, on a monthly basis, broad money supply continued to stay flat in March. As total loans grew much faster than deposits, the overall loan-to-deposit ratio of the banking sector continued to rise.
Money supply
Currency in circulation edged down 0.2% while demand deposits grew 2.2%. M1 thus increased 1.8% from one month earlier. Concurrently, quasi-monetary liabilities dropped 0.2% and offset the rise in narrow money. M2 therefore kept virtually unchanged from the previous month at MOP310.6 billion. On an annual basis, M1 and M2 rose 13.4% and 20.0% respectively. The share of Pataca (MOP) in M2 stood at 25.7%, down 0.5 percentage points over a month ago and 2.2 percentage points from a year earlier. The share of Hong Kong Dollar (HKD) in M2 was 54.6%, up 0.6 percentage points month-to-month and 1.5 percentage points year-on-year.
Deposits
Resident deposits stayed flat from the preceding month at MOP303.8 billion. Of which, HKD deposits increased 1.2% while MOP deposits and other foreign currency deposits decreased at respective rates of 2.0% and 0.6%. In the meantime, non-resident deposits grew 9.1% to MOP124.6 billion while public sector deposits with the banking sector increased 3.0% to MOP30.8 billion. As a result, total deposits with the banking sector rose 2.5% from a month earlier to MOP459.2 billion. The shares of MOP and HKD in total deposits were 20.8% and 44.4% respectively.
Loans
Domestic loans to the private sector increased 2.1% on a monthly basis to MOP170.4 billion. Among which, MOP45.4 billion was MOP-denominated and MOP110.3 billion was denominated in HKD, representing 26.7% and 64.7% of the total respectively. Compared with a quarter ago, loans to "agriculture and fisheries", loans to "wholesale and retail trade" and "car loans" increased at respective rates of 18.9%, 15.4% and 9.7% whereas those to "manufacturing industries" and "electricity, gas and water" dropped 12.7% and 7.5% respectively. External loans rose 8.4% to MOP182.2 billion; of which, loans denominated in MOP and HKD accounted for 0.6% (MOP1.1 billion) and 27.9% (MOP50.9 billion) respectively.
Loan-to-deposit ratios
Due to the growth in domestic loans to the private sector, the loan-to-deposit ratio for the resident sector at end-March 2012 rose 0.9 percentage points month-to-month to 50.9%. The ratio for both the resident and non-resident sectors was 76.8%, up 2.0 percentage points from the previous month.
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Macao's Economic and Cultural Office in Taiwan, located at Taipei 101, will have its official opening on Sunday (13 May). The Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Mr Cheong U, will lead a delegation of officials and representatives from Macao's cultural, educational and tourism sectors for the opening ceremony. Mr Cheong and his delegation will also meet with students from Macao studying in Taiwan and visit a number of creative industry sites and companies in Taipei. In July last year, Macao SAR Government announced that it would set up an economic and cultural office in Taiwan to provide services to Macao citizens in Taiwan and enhance links and exchanges with Taiwan authorities in areas of economy, culture, education, tourism, sport, public hygiene and other areas. The Office, on the 56th floor in Taipei 101, began operation in December last year. Members of the delegation include the Chief-of-Office of the Office of the Chief Executive, Mr Tam Chon Weng; the Chief-of-Office of the Office of the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Ms Cheung So Mui; the Director of Cultural Affairs Bureau, Mr Ung Vai Meng; the Director of Macau Government Tourist Office, Mr João Manuel Costa Antunes; the Co-ordinator of the Tertiary Education Services Office, Mr Sou Chio Fai, and the Deputy Director of Education and Youth Affairs Bureau, Mr Lou Pak Sang.
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IFT is selected as 2012 Top 10 Asia Pacific IATA Authorised Training Center (ATC) by International Air Transport Association (IATA). The Association strongly recognises IFT's role in developing the human capital to the hospitality and service industry in Macao. IFT has been an IATA Authorised Training Center since 1990s and it has been the only center in Macao providing IATA/UFTAA International Travel Agent Foundation Course which is an international benchmark programme for the travel industry. Macao residents can gain the fundamental knowledge for being a travel agent by taking this course. Tourism and Hotel School (THS) is one of the academic units under the governance of IFT. It provides diversified courses to the general public and has been working closely with local industries and organisations, offering tailor-made training to their staff or members. There is a variety of courses and training of fundamental, intermediate or advanced levels provided by THS. 19,202 participants completed their courses or training in THS last academic year. THS also provides a variety of international qualifications programmes of other international organisations. These organisations are The American Hotel and Lodging Educational Institute (AH&LEI), CIBTAC, Master Sommeliers, IATA, The International Bartenders Association (I.B.A.), LCCI, Le Cordon Bleu, Servsafe® and The Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET). By offering the international qualifications programmes, IFT offers opportunities for those who are eager to further studies and acquire international qualifications, as well as enhancing the service quality of local talents. Institute for Tourism Studies hopes to provide the public with a wide range of choices for continuous studies. It offers a variety of international qualifications programmes and students are winning awards from many internationally qualified assessments. Leong Lai Iong, student of THS, was awarded the LCCI World Gold Medallion for Level 2 Business Administration. She was presented the award at the 2011 Medallion Presentation Ceremony - Medallion Award Winners - Macau on 8 May. Ieong Lai Iong was also awarded the LCCI World Silver Medallion for the Certificate in Level 3 Marketing. Since 2009, Institute for Tourism Studies has been offering individual and diploma courses under LCCI, in the areas of business administration, marketing, accounting, public relations, advertising, retail sales, customer service, business English and information technology. In the academic year of 2011/12 (up till April 2012), passing rate of students is around 85% and the rate of students passed with distinction is 47%. LCCI International Qualifications are among the best recognised and most highly regarded business-related qualifications in the world. There are more than 5,000 training units among 120 countries in the world which provide LCCI courses and over 250,000 students take LCCI qualifications each year. Student who gets the highest mark will be awarded the Gold Medallion and the second one will get the Silver Medallion. Since there are a large number of students around the world taking the examinations and there may be students getting the same mark, so more than one student may get the same award. Leong Lai Iong is terrific about receiving the award and she expressed her gratitude to IFT instructor and also to IFT for providing a platform for the LCCI examinations. Leong Lai Iong has worked and been working as Secretary to General Manager in some organizations for which she experienced different ways of management in different departments. She thinks that these LCCI courses would be helpful for her career development in the future.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that a total of 881 new companies were incorporated in the first quarter of 2012, up by 14.7% year-on-year; total value of registered capital soared by 151.0% to MOP199 million. The majority of new incorporations were operating in Wholesale and Retail (327), Business Services (156) and Real Estate (82). There were 583 (66.2% of total) new incorporations registered with capital under MOP50,000 and the value of capital (MOP15 million) made up merely 7.7% of the total; meanwhile, there were 29 new companies registered with capital of MOP1,000,000 or over, and the value of capital (MOP145 million) accounted for 72.8% of the total. In addition, 80% of the new incorporations were limited companies. Capital of the new companies came mainly from Macao (MOP69 million), Taiwan, China (MOP50 million) and Mainland China (MOP27 million). Capital originating from the 9 Provinces of the Pan-Pearl River Delta Region amounted to MOP6 million, with that from Guangdong province sharing MOP5 million. Analyzed by place of residence of the shareholders, 764 new companies were established solely by Macao shareholders, and 101 were joint ventures between shareholders from Macao and other countries or regions. In the first quarter of 2012, number of companies in dissolution totalled 130 and the value of registered capital amounted to MOP31 million, of which registered capital of 48 Wholesale and Retail and 16 Real Estate companies in dissolution accounted for 55.6% (MOP17 million).
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