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The Chief Executive, Mr Edmund Ho Hau Wah, said today Macao should further promote co-operation in tourism with its partners in the Pan-Pearl River Delta (PPRD) region in an attempt to craft the Special Administrative Region (SAR) into a unique regional tourist destination. Mr Ho was delivering a speech at a forum attended by the governors of the nine provinces in the PPRD region, the Chief Executive of Hong Kong SAR, and high-ranking officials in the region. He said despite successive increase in tourist arrivals in recent years, the lack of natural tourist attractions had restrained the development of Macao's mainstay industry. Developing regional tourism with the PPRD region, whose members possessed enormous natural tourism resources, would complement Macao, he said. Mr Ho said shared information and joint marketing would boost the competitiveness of the whole region's tourism industry. Macao should strengthen its uniqueness in order to integrate into the region, he said According to the 11th Five-Year Plan, the Central Government endorsed Macao's plans to develop its tourism and services industry in a bid to attain a moderately diversified economy. Mr Ho said Macao would be committed to the vertical diversification of its tourism industry, which included the integration of culture, leisure, business, retailing, sports, convention and meeting, fine food, gaming and entertainment. Moreover, Macao would spare no efforts to enhance its business environment, credibility and quality of its services. Speaking on the role of the MSAR in regional tourism co-operation, Mr Ho said Macao would welcome members of the PPRD to harness its status as a platform in tourism promotion, especially during major international events in Macao, such as the 44th Meeting of the UNWTO Commission for East Asia and the Pacific, the 48th Meeting of the UNWTO Commission for South Asia, the 2006 World Heritage Year, the 1st Lusofonia Games and the 2nd Asian Indoor Games. In addition, Mr Ho said Macao had plans to step up its promotion in various overseas markets and would welcome members of the PPRD to join in these campaigns.
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The Chief Executive, Mr Edmund Ho Hau Wah, said today the Pan-Pearl River Delta (PPRD) region could participate more actively in the facilitation of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area. Mr Ho was delivering a speech during a session between the members of the PPRD region and some commerce officials from the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Mr Ho said due to the proximity to the ASEAN, the PPRD region could act as an intermediate for these countries. In addition, he said, Macao would like to co-operate with the members of ASEAN to develop the markets of the Portuguese-speaking countries. He said that Macao had become a platform between the Mainland and the Portuguese-speaking countries since the launch of the Forum for Economic and Trade Cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (Macao) in 2003, and the setting up of the supporting office to its Secretariat. To bolster its intermediary role, Macao would organise the second forum this year, and would co-operate with the members of the PPRD region to strengthen the trading and business links with the Portuguese-speaking countries. Before attending this session, Mr Ho officiated the opening ceremony of the third PPRD Economic and Trade Co-operation Fair and toured the exhibition area set up by the MSAR and Macao's businesspeople.
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The Chief Executive, Mr Edmund Ho Hau Wah, and the other heads of governments in the Pan-Pearl River Delta (PPRD) region, this afternoon officiated the opening ceremony of the third PPRD Regional Co-operation and Development Forum in Qujing. In a welcoming speech, the Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Yunnan Provincial Committee, Mr Bai Enpei, said strengthening co-ordination in the region would promote co-operation between the Mainland and the two Special Administrative Regions -- Macao and Hong Kong. He said it would enhance the links between the Mainland and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). After the ceremony, Mr Ho and the other heads of governments in the PPRD region unveiled a stone pillar carved with important events and dates of their co-operation. Afterwards, Mr Ho touched the water at the source of the Pearl River, to indicate its importance. In the evening, Mr Ho and his delegation attended a banquet hosted by the CPC Yunnan Provincial Committee and the Yunnan Provincial Government. Tomorrow, Mr Ho is scheduled to attend the opening ceremony of the third PPRD Economic and Trade Co-operation Fair and a session with some commerce officials from member of ASEAN. In the afternoon, he is scheduled to deliver a speech in a forum participated by the high-ranking officials in the region, and attend a meeting with other heads of governments in the PPRD region. They are scheduled to hold a press conference in the same evening.
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The Chief Executive, Mr Edmund Ho Hau Wah and the Governor of Guangdong Province, Mr Huang Huahua today agreed on strengthening Guangdong-Macao co-operation. At a working meeting held in Kunming, Mr Ho and Mr Huang, accompanied by their government delegations, updated each other on the latest economic and social developments in the two places and reaffirmed the significant results of Guangdong-Macao co-operation in recent years. Both leaders agreed on joining forces in promoting Pan-Pearl River Delta regional co-operation and strengthening trade and economy ties. They also agreed that Guangdong and Macao would work more closely together to promote co-operation among Pan-Pearl River Delta members in infrastructure projects, support the moderate diversification of Macao’s economy, hasten the construction of Zhuhai-Macao Cross Bounday Industrial Park, secure the steady supply of fresh water to Macao, and to prepare for the Guangdong-Macao Co-operation Joint Meeting 2006. The Secretary for Economy and Finance, Mr Francis Tam Pak Yuen and standing Committee Member of CPC Guangdong Committee and Executive Vice Governor of Guangdong, Mr Zhong Yangsheng, were also at the meeting. Later in the afternoon, Mr Ho paid a courtesy call on the Governor of Yunnan, Mr Xu Rongkai, before attending a photo exhibition on Macao, and the opening ceremony of a hotel owned by Macao businesspeople. Afterwards, he joined the Secretary of CPC Yunnan Provincial Committee, Mr Bai Enpei, in attending a signing ceremony of contracts of joint ventures between Macao and Yunnan enterprises. Mr Ho will attend the opening ceremony of the third Pan-Pearl River Delta (PPRD) Regional Co-operation and Development Forum in Qujing tomorrow.
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The Chief Executive, Mr Edmund Ho Hau Wah, arrived in Kunming, Yunnan, today to attend the opening ceremony of the third Pan-Pearl River Delta (PPRD) Regional Co-operation and Development Forum. Before departing for Kunming, Mr Ho said the heads of “9+2” region would meet with commercial officials from the countries of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) during the Forum. He said that this would give a good opportunity for Macao to promote its tourism industry and its role as the trading platform between the Mainland and the Portuguese-speaking countries to ASEAN member countries. Speaking on the co-operation with the provinces in the PPRD region, Mr Ho said that Macao had developed long-term relationship with Guangdong and Fujian provinces. Since the establishment of the PPRD co-operation mechanism, Macao’s business sector could expand to other provinces in the region. He said the mid-western provinces had provided considerable business opportunities to Macao’s businesspeople. The Secretary for Economy and Finance, Mr Francis Tam Pak Yuen, who was leading a business delegation of Macao to attend the third PPRD Economic and Trade Co-operation Fair, said he hoped to enhance Macao’s links with the provinces in the PPRD region. Mr Ho and his delegation arrived in Kunming at noon, and were welcomed by the Vice Governor of Yunnan, Mr Liu Ping, at the airport. In the afternoon, they will attend a photo exhibition on Macao, an opening ceremony of a hotel owned by Macao businesspeople, and a contract signing ceremony between two Macao and Yunnan companies. Mr Ho will attend the opening ceremony of the third Pan-Pearl River Delta (PPRD) Regional Co-operation and Development Forum in Qujing tomorrow and visit some tourist attractions in the city.
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The Chief Executive, Mr Edmund Ho Hau Wah, is scheduled to leave for Yunnan on Sunday (4 June) to head a delegation to attend the third Pan-Pearl River Delta (PPRD) Regional Co-operation and Development Forum and Economic and Trade Co-operation Fair. The PPRD region, also known as ''9+2'' comprises the eight provinces of Fujian, Jiangxi, Hunan, Guangdong, Hainan, Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan, the provincial-level autonomous region of Guangxi, and the two special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macao. The forum will see the gathering of the highetst ranking officials from the PPRD region and provide them the platform to further enhance co-operation. They will also discuss co-operation in tourism, energy and transportation infrastructure, as well as enhancing links with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries. The forum and the trade fair will be held mainly in Kunming, the capital city of Yunnan Province, from 4 to 10 June. Mr Ho and his delegation will attend the opening ceremony of the forum in Qujing on 5 June. The following day they will attend he opening ceremony for the trade fair in Kunming. On the same day, Mr Ho and officials from the PPRD region will attend a session with representatives from the commerce departments of ASEAN and exchange views on how to step up co-operation. In the afternoon, the heads of the ''9+2'' region will deliver speeches to outline their ideas for regional development. They will hold a press conference in the evening. Mr Ho and his delegation will visit Lijiang and Shuhe ancient towns on 7 and 8 June. The Macao delegation includes Secretary for Economy and Finance, Mr Francis Tam Pak Yuen; Chief of Office of the Office of the Chief Executive, Mr Ho Veng On; Chief of Office of the Office of the Secretary for Economy and Finance, Ms Lok Kit Sim; Chief of Office of the Office of the Secretary for Transport and Public Works, Mr Wong Chan Tong; President of the Administration Committee of the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau, Mr Lau Si Io; President of the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute, Mr Lee Peng Hong; Director of the Government Information Bureau, Mr Chan Chi Ping; Acting Director of the Economic Services, Mr Sou Tim Peng.
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To promote aviation safety and increase operational efficiency between the three places, the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China (CAAC), the Civil Aviation Department of Hong Kong SAR (HKCAD) and the Civil Aviation Authority of Macao SAR (AACM) have agreed on the cooperation of the mutual acceptance of approval of aircraft maintenance organizations. The respective Cooperation Arrangement was signed on 02 June 2006 in Beijing. From now on, the approval of maintenance organizations by one Authority will simultaneously be accepted by the other two Authorities. The signing ceremony for the “Cooperation Arrangement for the Mutual Acceptance of Approval of Aircraft Maintenance Organizations”, officiated by the Vice Minister of CAAC, Mr. Gao HongFeng and the Deputy Director-General of the CAAC Office of Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao Affairs, Mr. Pu ZhaoZhou, was held on 02 June 2006 at 11:00am in Beijing. The signatories were the Director-General of Flight Standards of CAAC, Mr. Jiang HuaiYu, the Director-General of HKCAD, Mr. Norman Lo and the President of AACM, Mr. Chan Weng Hong. To avoid the duplication of inspections and evaluations, the three Authorities permit the acceptance of each other’s maintenance certification system. The Arrangement applies to: 1. the acceptance by one Authority of the maintenance performed under the maintenance system of the other Authorities on civil aircraft and aircraft components; 2. the acceptance by one Authority of the approval of maintenance organizations by the other Authorities and the certification of civil aircraft and aircraft components by approved maintenance organizations in the other territories; 3. the cooperation and assistance with respect to maintaining the continuing airworthiness of civil aviation and aircraft components; 4. the exchange of information regarding maintenance standards and maintenance certification systems; and 5. the cooperation in providing technical evaluation and assistance. After the signing, the Arrangement will be effective when the three parties have accomplished their respective internal procedures for bringing it into effect. By that time, it will greatly reduce the work load and the economic burden on the maintenance organizations due to redundant inspections and testing and will also give the airlines a greater flexibility in selecting their maintenance organizations. In addition, it will help the three Authorities to achieve resources sharing and impose a better monitoring on the airlines and the maintenance organizations. The three parties have held discussions in evaluating the rules, standards, practices, procedures and systems for the approval and monitoring of maintenance organizations since 1999. They agreed on the cooperation of the mutual acceptance of approval of maintenance organizations in the aspects of aircraft components and aircraft engines respectively in May 2002 and February 2004. After that, they held 7 meetings before they finally agreed to extend the cooperation scope to the present stage of all maintenance items. Until now, there are a total of 36 maintenance organizations in the three areas: 29 in mainland China, 6 in Hong Kong SAR and 1 in Macao SAR. In addition to maintenance certification system, the three Authorities set up a working group for the licensing of aircraft maintenance engineers with the aim of standardization and mutual acceptance. Several meetings have been held by the group to compare and coordinate the regulations and requirements of the licensing systems as well as their examinations. Such cooperation is expected to be concluded within this year. The rapid growth of the civil aviation industry has led to the urge for stricter technical requirements. Since the handover, CAAC, HKCAD and AACM have enhanced their cooperation in order to better exploit the resources and improve the technical level. The three Authorities hope that their cooperation can be extended to other areas.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service shows that in the first quarter of 2006, the available amount of Gasoline (unleaded) and Electricity surged by 16.7% and 9.4% respectively, whereas Gas oil & diesel and Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) fell 0.8% and 0.2% respectively year-on-year. Nevertheless, the available amount of Gas oil & diesel and Electricity dropped by 13.6% and 13.4% respectively over the fourth quarter of 2005, whilst LPG recorded the only increase of 12.0%. In comparison with the first quarter of 2005, consumption of Gas oil & diesel and Gasoline (unleaded) rose by 10.9% and 8.1% respectively, whereas LPG registered the only drop of 0.9%. Compared with the fourth quarter of 2005, consumption of LPG recorded the only increase of 8.1%, whereas Gas oil & diesel and Electricity registered decreases of 18.0% and 13.5% respectively. With respect to the import quantity of fuels in the first quarter of 2006, Aviation kerosene grew 15.8% and Gasoline (unleaded) was up 12.8% respectively year-on-year, while Common kerosene (kerosene for illumination) registered the only decrease of 13.1%. In comparison with the fourth quarter of 2005, import quantity of LPG and Common kerosene (kerosene for illumination) grew by 13.2% and 3.5% respectively, while Gas oil & diesel and Gasoline (unleaded) shrank by 28.4% and 6.6%. In the first quarter of 2006, the total import value of liquid and gas fuels reached the amount of MOP777 million, representing an increase of 52.8% year-on-year and a decrease of 9.0% over the fourth quarter of 2005. At the end of the first quarter of 2006, the list prices of all fuels went up compared with the end of the first quarter of 2005, among which those of Fuel oil and bottled LPG (per kg) increased 17.3%. Compared with the end of the fourth quarter of 2005, the list prices of all fuels were higher, among which those of Gas oil & diesel for automotive use grew the most, up 5.4%.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service indicates that, in April 2006, Macao’s total value of exports amounted to MOP1.65 billion, up 45.0% over the same month of 2005. Among this, the value of domestic exports surged 74.6% to MOP1.11 billion and the value of re-exports rose 7.5% to MOP540 million. Value of imports amounted to MOP3.13 billion, up 30.6% over the same period of 2005. A trade deficit of MOP1.48 billion was recorded this month. During the period of January – April 2006, the value of total exports increased 38.5% year-on-year to MOP6.42 billion. In addition, both the values of domestic exports and re-exports went up 53.3% and 10.1% respectively. Moreover, the value of imports amounted to MOP10.83 billion, up 29.1% over the same period of 2005. In the first four months of 2006, Macao’s trade balance registered a deficit of MOP4.41 billion. During this period, the exports/imports ratio increased from 55.2% in the corresponding period of 2005 to 59.3%. In the first four months of 2006, the value of Textile & garment exports, which accounted for 75.1% of the total exports, increased 44.4% over the same period of 2005. In addition, the value of Non-textile exports also rose 23.3%. As the major components of non-textile exports, Machines & apparatus, parts & accessories thereof and Footwear both expanded 8.4% and 113.6% respectively year-on-year. The USA and the EU remained as Macao’s major export markets, together making up 66.7% of the total value of exports. Among this, exports to the USA, which made up 49.6% of the total value of exports, increased 54.8% over the same period of 2005; exports to the EU, which made up 17.1% of the total value of exports, also increased 102.5% over the same period of 2005. During the period of January – April 2006, Macao’s total value of imports grew 29.1% year-on-year, mainly due to the increase in the value of imports by broad economic categories, namely Fuels & lubricants (44.3%), Consumer goods (30.4%), Capital goods (25.8%) and Raw materials & semi-manufactures (25.4%). Meanwhile, Macao’s main suppliers of imported goods still concentrated in the Asian region. Imports from Mainland China and Hong Kong together constituted 54.4% of the total value of imports. Compared with the same period of 2005, the value of imports from Mainland China and Hong Kong rose 47.2% and 30.0% respectively.
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The Guangdong-Macao Working Group on Water Supply held its first meeting in Guangzhou today to discuss ways to conserve water resources in Macao and Zhuhai region, and to help ease Macao's shortage. The Director General of the Department of Water Resources of Guangdong Province, Mr Zhou Rifang, and the Director of Maritime Administration of Macao, Ms Wong Soi Man, led the meeting. They discussed the shortage of water in Macao and Zhuhai in the past few years, and exchanged views on the planning, protection, management and pricing mechanism of water resources. Moreover, they analysed the possible limited supply of water in Macao and Zhuhai in the coming winter and spring, and agreed to step up the construction of a pumping station and study other measures to ease the shortage. The working group also decided to set up a task force to tackle the technical issues.
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