News

A cooperation agreement to establish a Joint Research Centre for Chinese Innovative Medicines is signed today (13 February) in Beijing by four universities in the Greater China: Peking University (PKU), the National Taiwan University (NTU), the University of Hong Kong (HKU) and the University of Macau (UM). The purpose of this Centre is to bring the academic and research strengths of the four universities into full play through collaboration in researching and developing innovative medicines and health products of world-class quality. This Centre will make the best use of UM's strength in Chinese medicine research and the nurturing of talents in this field so that it can advance research and development of Chinese innovative medicines to the world-class level. Several officials attended the occasion, including Vice Chairmen of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NCP) Mr. Han Qide and Mr. Sang Guowei, Vice Minister of Health Mr. Liu Qian, and Vice Minister of Science and Technology Mr. Wang Weizhong. More than two hundred scholars from the four universities also witnessed this historic moment of collaboration in the Greater China in the field of Chinese bio-medical sciences. The President of PKU Prof. Zhou Qifeng, the President of NTU Prof. Si-chen Lee, the Vice-Chancellor of HKU Prof. Lap-Chee Tsui, and the Rector of UM Prof. Wei Zhao signed the agreement on behalf of their respective university at the ceremony. Mr. Han Qide stressed that in spite of the variance of the governance systems, educational philosophy, teaching and research focuses among the four higher learning institutions, they all worked proactively towards the same goal of making the Chinese hold their heads high internationally. For this purpose, we should all make the most of the forte of our tradition and chart a way for the research and innovation of traditional Chinese medicines by weathering all the difficulties in our way. Prof. Wei Zhao noted that thanks to the great joint efforts made over the past decade by the Macao SAR Government and the University of Macau in the research of Chinese medicine, UM was in a good stead to collaborate with the other top universities. The cooperation this time was a further testimony to and recognition of the commitment of the SAR Government, UM and the community at large. Macao would play an important role in this joint project by capitalizing on its unique strengths as well as the research facilities on the new campus of the University of Macau. Apart from that, our University would continue to expand the frontier of our research field and establish a faculty of health to provide better education, research and service for the societal development of the Macao SAR and diversification of its economy. A meeting will be held at UM next month to discuss the establishment of a joint research platform of the Centre.
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Consumer Council's latest specific price survey (February) on tissue and toilet papers has been released. In comparison with data from September last year, most surveyed brands reflected stability in their average price this month. Significant price discrepancy of up to 55% was shown in 'Scott Bathroom Tissue 3 Ply (10 pcs)' in different retail spots. Consumer Council conducted the latest survey on 8th February, surveying 13 samples of tissue and toilet papers from 25 local retail outlets. In comparison with last time's data, most surveyed items only recorded slight changes in price. 6 surveyed products recorded price increases of around 1% to 10%, only 'Kleenex Brand Tissues (5 boxes)' had a price rise of almost 20% in one retail spot. 10 products recorded price decreases of around 2% to 10%, 'Andrex Bathroom Tissue (3 ply) (10 rolls)' had a price drop of almost 20% in one retail spot in Taipa. In the current survey, a general price difference of 20 % was observed for the same product sold in different outlets. The highest difference recorded this time was found in ''Scott Bathroom Tissue 3 Ply (10 pcs)' in which the lowest and highest selling price differed for around 55.2%. Consumers are advised to check with the price data available on the Council's website before making consumption. The latest specific price survey on tissue and toilet papers is now available online on the Council's official website (www.consumer.gov.mo). For enquiries, please call 8988 9315.
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Owing to the snowfalls in France, Macao Post announced that mail delivery services (including Correspondence, Printed Matters, Small Packet and Parcel) from Macao to France, particularly for the areas with postal codes bearing the prefixes below are subject to delay until further notice. Postal Code Prefixes
06, 09, 13, 14, 26, 27, 28, 31, 41, 45, 50, 53, 61, 72, 76, 78, 83 Thank you for your kind attention.
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Owing to the snowfalls in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macao Post announced that mail delivery services (including Correspondence, Printed Matters, Small Packet and Parcel) from Macao to Bosnia and Herzegovina are subject to delay until further notice. Thank you for your kind attention.
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According to statistics released today by the Monetary Authority of Macao, on a monthly basis, money supply witnessed a decline in December. As deposits with banks dropped and total loans increased, the overall loan-to-deposit ratio rose from a month earlier.
Money supply
Currency in circulation rose 2.8% while demand deposits dropped 9.3%. M1 thus decreased 7.4% from one month earlier. Concurrently, quasi-monetary liabilities dropped 0.4%, driving M2 to fall 1.3% to MOP297.7 billion. On an annual basis, M1 and M2 rose 4.4% and 22.5% respectively. The share of Pataca (MOP) in M2 stood at 26.0%, up 0.9 percentage points over a month ago but down 2.0 percentage points from a year earlier. The share of Hong Kong Dollar (HKD) in M2 was 54.6%, down 0.5 percentage points month-to-month and 0.1 percentage point year-on-year.
Deposits
Resident deposits dropped 1.4% from the previous month to MOP291.6 billion. Of which, MOP deposits grew 2.1% while HKD deposits and other foreign currency deposits decreased at respective rates of 2.2% and 3.5%. In the meantime, non-resident deposits decreased 1.4% to MOP92.9 billion while public sector deposits with the banking sector increased 13.3% to MOP29.6 billion. As a result, total deposits with the banking sector dropped 0.5% from a month earlier to MOP414.0 billion. The shares of MOP and HKD in total deposits were 22.4% and 45.4% respectively.
Loans
Domestic loans to the private sector increased 1.9% on a monthly basis to MOP167.7 billion. Among which, MOP42.3 billion was MOP-denominated and MOP112.2 billion was denominated in HKD, representing 25.2% and 66.9% of the total respectively. Compared with a quarter ago, loans to "gaming", "manufacturing industries" and "non-monetary financial institutions" increased at respective rates of 76.7%, 12.9% and 7.3% whereas those to "electricity, gas and water" and "restaurants, hotels and similar" dropped 12.5% and 7.5% respectively. External loans rose 1.6% to MOP154.3 billion; of which, loans denominated in MOP and HKD accounted for 0.7% (MOP1.1 billion) and 33.2% (MOP51.2 billion) respectively.
Loan-to-deposit ratios
Due to the decline in resident deposits and increase in domestic loans to the private sector, the loan-to-deposit ratio for the resident sector at end-December 2011 rose 1.1 percentage points month-to-month to 52.2%. The ratio for both the resident and non-resident sectors was 77.8%, up 1.7 percentage points from the previous month. For enquiry, please contact:
Research and Statistics Department, Monetary Authority of Macao
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The Macao Museum, under the Cultural Affairs Bureau, concluded the assessment for the four 2011 nominations to the Intangible Cultural Heritage List of Macao, "Macanese Gastronomy", "Patuá Theatre", the "A-Ma Customs and Beliefs of Macao" and the "Na Cha Customs and Beliefs of Macao", all of which were approved by an appointed jury. Beginning tomorrow, February 10th, the applications will undergo a 30-day public review period, allowing all Macao residents the opportunity to examine the documents pertaining to each item and submit their suggestions or concerns.
Owing to the publicity and promotional campaigns implemented in recent years to raise awareness about local heritage, the efforts to protect Macao's Intangible Cultural Heritage have gradually earned the recognition, attention and participation of the Region's citizens. In 2011, five local associations nominated a total of four heritage items for inclusion by the Cultural Affairs Bureau on the Intangible Cultural Heritage List of Macao. The number of applications is an increase over the nominations received in 2010 – a truly encouraging fact.
The recent applications also represent a more diverse array of cultural areas. This batch marks the first ever participation by Macanese associations, who have shown great enthusiasm with two nominations to the Intangible Cultural Heritage List, namely "Macanese Gastronomy", submitted by the Confraria da Gastronomia Macaense, and "Patuá Theatre", submitted by Dóci Papiaçám di Macau. Associations from within the Chinese community made an equal showing. Setting aside old grievances, the Associação do Templo da Calçada das Verdades de Macau and the Associação do Templo Na Cha joined forces to nominate the "Na Cha Customs and Beliefs of Macao", while the Chinese Opera Association of Terrestrial and Maritime Dwellers of Barra appealed for the inscription of the locally influential Cult of A-Ma with their nomination of the "A-Ma Customs and Beliefs of Macao".
The Macao Museum finished collecting applications in the first half of last year. They then invited a jury of three national specialists on intangible cultural heritage and four local individuals with recognised merit in the field to evaluate the submissions. After a rigorous screening process, the jury approved the nomination of all four items to Macao's Intangible Cultural Heritage List.
In addition to the jury's comments, the Cultural Affairs Bureau will take into account public opinion about the nominated items, gathered from the various social sectors in Macao during a 30-day public review, to commence February 10th. Introductions of the four nominated items, along with supporting videos, may be accessed on the websites of the Cultural Affairs Bureau and the Macao Museum. Photocopies of the submissions' supporting documentation may be viewed at the following Bureau-run facilities: the Macao Central Library, the Sir Robert Ho Tung Library, the Ilha Verde Library and the IACM Building Library. Local residents are requested to submit any opinions or objections regarding the nominated items or their evaluations, in writing, to the Macao Museum, by post (Address: Praçeta do Museu de Macau, Nº 112), by fax (2835 8503) or delivered in person, before the close of the public review period, which ends March 10th. Please write "Opinion regarding the items nominated for Intangible Cultural Heritage status" on the envelope and clearly describe your reasoning and arguments. All correspondence should include the sender's name, address, contact number and preferred form of contact, so that the Cultural Affairs Bureau can process the matter and make the necessary recommendations. For enquiries, please visit the Museum website at www.macaumuseum.gov.mo or contact Mr. Tou on 8394 1209.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that a total of 876 new companies, with registered capital of MOP104 million, were incorporated in the fourth quarter of 2011, up by 18.9% and 36.7% respectively year-on-year. The majority of new incorporations were operating in Wholesale & Retail (345), Business Services (145) and Construction (116). On the other hand, number of companies in dissolution totalled 137 and the value of registered capital amounted to MOP147 million. For the whole year of 2011, number of new incorporations increased by 13.8% over 2010 to 3,405 and the value of registered capital rose by 94.1% to MOP983 million. Analyzed by industry, 1,228 new companies were operating in Wholesale & Retail, 567 in Business Services and 440 in Real Estate. Analyzed by value of registered capital, there were 2,378 (69.8% of total) new incorporations registered with capital under MOP50,000 and the value of capital (MOP62 million) made up 6.3% of the total; meanwhile, there were 72 new companies registered with capital of MOP1,000,000 or over, and the value of capital (MOP781 million) accounted for 79.4% of the total. In addition, nearly 80% of the new incorporations were limited companies. With regard to place of residence of the shareholders, 2,064 new companies were established solely by Macao shareholders, and 388 were joint ventures between shareholders from Macao and other countries or regions. Capital of the new companies from Macao totalled MOP743 million, up notably by 198.1% over 2010, and that from Mainland China and Hong Kong amounted to MOP135 million and MOP67 million respectively; furthermore, capital originating from the 9 Provinces of the Pan-Pearl River Delta Region amounted to MOP53 million, with that from Guangdong province leading at MOP38 million. In 2011, there were 511 companies in dissolution, up by 3.9% over 2010; the value of registered capital increased by 41.6% to MOP306 million, of which capital of 92 Business Services companies in dissolution accounted for 44.4% (MOP136 million); moreover, 159 were operating in Wholesale and Retail and 84 in Real Estate.
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On 3 February 2012, Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of Macao SAR Mr. Cheong U visited the University of Macau (UM), to stay abreast of UM's latest developments. Mr. Cheong also attended UM's Chinese New Year Gathering for Staff 2012 later in the evening. In his speech at the gathering, Mr. Cheong noted that in recent years UM has achieved pleasing results in numerous areas, and with the SAR government's support UM has established a relatively sound teaching, research and governance system, and has produced a large number of outstanding graduates for society. He encouraged all UM members to make a united effort to help UM scale new heights in the future. Mr. Cheong and his colleagues, including advisors Ms. Iao Man Leng, Mr. Wai Cheng Iong, and Mr. Ung Chi Keong, were warmly received by UM's University Council Chair Dr. Tse Chi Wai, UM Rector Wei Zhao, and Vice Rectors Prof. Simon Ho, Prof. Rui Martins and Dr. Alex Lai. During the meeting, Mr. Cheong highly recognized UM's impressive achievements in recent years, which he attributed to government support and the joint efforts of all UM members. He made special mention of the new "4-in-1" pedagogical model, the trial implementation of the residential colleges, the approval of the two state key laboratories, and the founding of Macao's first Honours College, saying that these strategies are not only pioneering endeavours in Macao, but also have taken UM one more step closer towards realizing whole-person education. He remarked that developing UM into a world-class institution is no mean feat that would probably take ten years, twenty years or even longer. He also expressed admiration for the solidarity among all UM members in their preparation for future relocation to the new campus, which is expected to be completed within a short time frame of three years . He encouraged all UM members to continue to work hard and make a united effort to help UM scale new heights in the future. Mr. Cheong paid special visits to the State Key Laboratory of Analog and Mixed-Signal VLSI, the State Key Laboratory for Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, the East Asia College and the University Library, during which he was updated on UM's latest developments in cutting-edge research and the effectiveness of the implementation of whole-person education. Later in the evening, he attended UM's Chinese New Year Gathering for Staff 2012 and proposed a toast to over six hundred people. In his speech at the gathering, Mr. Cheong said that the Macao SAR government has always provided full policy- and resource-wise support for higher education development in Macao, and at the moment the UM Charter Revision Task Force is revising UM's Charter, in order to better support the university's future development upon relocation to the new campus and create more favorable conditions for the university to realize the goal of becoming a world-class institution. UM staff and students were very encouraged by Mr. Cheong's visit and his pledge of support. In his speech Rector Wei Zhao thanked the Macao SAR government and the Secretariat for Social Affairs and Culture on behalf of all UM members for their longstanding support and guidance.
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Owing to the flooding in Australia, Macao Post announced that mail delivery services (including Correspondence, Printed Matters, Small Packet, Parcel and EMS) from Macao to New South Wales and Queensland are subject to delay until further notice.
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A total of 6,850 cases were received by Consumer Council in 2011, 1,689 were complaints, 4,987 were inquiries and the rest of 147 cases were suggestions from consumers. Telecommunication services marked the top category among the almost 1,700 complaints received by the Council, and over half of the 261 complaints under this category involved mobile phone services. Among those complaints, 60% involved price issues such as roaming charges and data fees, as consumers were not aware of new charges levied by telecommunication service operators after the discounted price offered in their contracts expired. Telecommunication service operators have been informed regarding this phenomenon and requested to state clearly their service plans details as well as their terms and conditions, reminders about contract expiration are also needed to be sent to consumers. Telecommunication equipment and supplies marked the second top category with 158 complaints, 98 cases of which involved quality, price, and after-sales service of mobile phones; the number of cases had increased by 7% compared to last year's statistics. Number of complaints regarding photographic equipment supplies had also increased by 7% in 2011. Another category with the most complaints was food and beverage. In comparison with last year's figures, the number of complaints received (149 cases) in 2011 has increased by 45% due to the salt incident and insufficient supply of infant formula happened in 2011. Other categories with notable increase in the number of complaints were tourism, personal hygienic services and products, entertainment, medicine and Chinese herbal medicine, and food and beverage. The number of complaints of all the above categories have increased by 70% to 100% compared to last year's figures. For group buying, the Council only received 9 complaint cases in 2011 and all were about the cessation of business of Macao Dragon. Consumer Council indicated that the number of complaints in public transport category boomed to around 1,400 cases in 2010 due to Viva Macau's shut down, and Viva Macau alone accounted for almost 1,200 cases in 2010. Aside from Viva Macau, the number of complaints and inquiries during these two years has changed just lightly. Tourist cases accounted for around 22% of total complaints. Among the 380 cases received from tourists, 206 involved telecommunication equipment and supplies, watches and clocks, food and beverage, photographic equipment and clothing and apparel.
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