News

Consumer Council has conducted a questionnaire on the services and charging methods of tutoring centres during summer period. Among the returned questionnaires, most tutoring centres indicate that students are not requested to join tutoring class in August, though certain responding centres state that tuition fees are compulsory whether or not the students are going to join the tutoring class, and such tuition fees serve as a guarantee for a seat in next academic year's tutoring class. The Council considers it necessary for tutoring centres to operate openly and let consumers know about their scope of services and charging methods before consumers apply for any class. The questionnaire mainly focuses on surveying the kind of services provided by tutoring centres and their charging methods during July and August. The questionnaire was sent out to over 160 registered tutoring centres in Macao and 80 questionnaires have been returned. Among the returned questionnaires, only 2 tutoring centres impose mandatory tuition fees in August, over 60 centres offer tutoring service during the whole summer or only in July, students can voluntarily choose to join class, and around 40% of the centres charge less during July and August due to deduction of tutoring hours. The returned questionnaires show that mandatory tuition fees charged by tutoring centres are not common, though some centres may still be charging mandatory fees as around half of the sent questionnaires have not been returned to the Council. Further, around 33% of the returned questionnaires state that parents are required to prepay tuition fees for reserving a seat in the coming academic year. Responding tutoring centres deem it necessary for related government departments to establish guidelines for charging tuition fees. Tutoring centres are also responsible for informing parents about any special fees charged during summer period. The questionnaire on tutoring centres services and charging methods are published in Consumer Report issue no. 215; information on those charging prepaid fees for next academic year is also listed on Consumer Council's website. Consumers may contact the Council directly should they find any difference in the information provided and the practices adopted by tutoring centres. Consumer Report is now available free of charge at the two offices of Consumer Council, 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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An explosion today in a restaurant believed caused by a gas leakage has injured 13 people. According to the Fire Services Bureau, the explosion took place in a restaurant in NAPE at 07:02 a.m. The injured comprised five men and eight women, one of whom was trapped in the rubble and had to be freed by firemen. Eight people, four men and four women aged between 41 to 65, were sent to Conde S. Januario Hospital for treatment. One man required admission for observation. The other seven, who sustained glass cuts to their hands, legs and head, discharged after treatment. Five people, one man and four women, were treated at the scene. The restaurant was located on the ground floor of 'Centro Internacional de Macau' on Rua de Malaca. The Fire Services Bureau utilised 16 emergency vehicles and more than 40 personnel in the operation. The Bureau has ruled out foul play after a preliminary investigation and said it believed the explosion was caused by gas leakage.
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The Macao Historical Archives operates under the auspices of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, and is responsible for the preservation of records of historic value. Given Macao's geographical location in a sub-tropical zone, it is essential to actively protect paper records in order to avoid deterioration and ensure their correct preservation. Such measures include regular pest control. The next scheduled pest control in the Macao Historical Archives will take place on 29th to 31st of July. The Reading Room and Exhibition Room will be closed to the public from 2.30pm on Friday 29th July, and throughout the day on Saturday and Sunday from 30th to 31st July. It will re-open to the public on Monday 1st August.
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Regarding the situation that occurred today (24 July) in Taipei with EVA Air flight BR807 bound for Macao, the Tourism Crisis Management Office (GGCT), after being informed of the accident, proceeded to find out whether any Macao residents were injured in the incident. According to information obtained by the Tourism Crisis Management Office, there were no Macao residents injured during the incident. So far, GGCT has not received any requests for assistance from Macao residents. If necessary, Macao residents should contact the tourism hotline (853-28333000) for assistance.
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GGCT is closely monitoring the high-speed train accident in Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province The Tourism Crisis Management Office (GGCT) is paying close attention to yesterday's (23rd of July) high-speed accident train accident that took place in Wenzhou, and will continue to monitor the events and it's impact on Macao tourists. So far, GGCT has not received any requests for assistance from Macao residents. If necessary, Macao residents should contact the tourism hotline (853-28333000) for assistance.
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Consumer Council has handled 3438 cases during the first half of this year. Inquiry cases amount to a total number of 2475, reflecting the intense need of consumers to inquire about their own consumer rights. Consumer alerts, talks and exhibitions have been released and organized by the Council for the enhancement of consumers' self protection. The Council aims to better its service in replying and meeting consumers' needs and will continue to pay attention to complaints regarding telecommunication services, telecommunication equipment and supplies, and other categories of complaints which are increasing in numbers. Among the 842 cases of complaints handled in the first half year, the top 3 categories are telecommunication services, telecommunication equipment and supplies, and food & beverages. Around 40% of the 123 complaints on telecommunication services involve business practices of telecommunication suppliers, vague charges, and charges for roaming service, etc.; the number of these cases also tends to escalate. For telecommunication equipment and supplies, around 40% of the 88 complaints received involve product quality of mobile phones and after sales service; 30 cases are related to price difference of the same product selling in different retail spots; 11 cases are related to cameras and photographic products. Consumer Council indicates that Macao is a free market and there is no interference or guidance to market prices, consumers are advised to make price comparisons prior to making purchases. For food and beverages, 73 complaint cases, mainly on business practices of retailers selling milk powder, have been received. Consumers can now access contact information of Hong Kong milk powder suppliers on Consumer Council's website, this helps safeguard the basic right of consumers when purchasing milk powder. Other categories which tend to increase in numbers include complaint cases related to product quality of clothing and apparel, skincare products, and cosmetics; cases from tourists also play a significant part in the total number of cases received. Further, as entertainment business develops in Macao, the number of complaint cases regarding concerts have also increased, 19 complaint cases have been received in the first half of 2011 whist only 2 cases were received in the same period of last year. Consumer Council will keep on providing assistance to consumers, and look into disputes and cases to make better suggestions and measurements to consumers.
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Consumer Council released its latest 'Supermarket Price Survey Report' and specific price survey report on canned foods. In comparison with last month's data, the 'Supermarket Price Survey Report' dated 19th July shows minor price rise and price drop in most items; on the contrary, the specific price survey report on canned foods shows obvious price increases in certain brands. The current 'Supermarket Price Survey Report' was conducted on 19th July, surveying over 240 product samples from 14 retail spots. In comparison with last month's figures, among the surveyed product samples, 81 samples recorded decrease in prices and 62 items remained unchanged. Obvious increases in average price were observed in milk products and snacks: half of the 22 surveyed milk products recorded price increase of less than 1% to over 8%, other surveyed infant milk powder samples also recorded minor increase in price. For snacks, average price of over half of the 21 surveyed samples were found to have risen. Consumer Council also conducted a specific price survey report on canned foods on 118th July. Prices of 10 canned food items were recorded in 22 retail outlets. 'Hong Mei Brand Ox Tail Soup (298g)' and 'Narcissus Brand Spiced Pork Cubes (142g)' both recorded obvious price increases. Further, price difference of 'Porthos Sardines in Olive Oil (125g)' selling in different outlets amounted to over 58%. Consumers are advised to check with the above mentioned reports for the most updated price. Consumer Council has optimized its website with regard to the online search of data on its 'Supermarket Price Survey Report' and specific price survey report. Consumers can choose the items of their interest and use our online search function to interactively compare the retail prices of their chosen items at various retail outlets. The latest 'Supermarket Price Survey Report' and specific price survey report on canned foods are now accessible on the Council's website (www.consumer.gov.mo). Reports are also available free of charge at the offices of Consumer Council, IACM's Iao Hon and S. Domingos Markets, bookstores and libraries. Consumers may also access the resources through WAP channels on their mobile phones. For inquiries, please call 8988 9315
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service indicated that total visitor arrivals increased by 14.5% year-on-year to 2,181,476 in June 2011. Same-day visitors (1,142,014) accounted for 52.4% of total visitor arrivals, with 641,186 coming from Mainland China. Analyzed by place of residence, visitors from Mainland China increased by 21.7% year-on-year to 1,198,754 (55.0% of total), mostly coming from Guangdong Province (617,887), Fujian Province (67,767) and Zhejiang Province (45,114); those travelling to Macao under the Individual Visit Scheme totalled 465,218, up by 23.2% year-on-year. Visitors from Hong Kong (620,004); Taiwan, China (111,684); the Republic of Korea (31,114) and Singapore (28,086) increased by 8.9%, 4.2%, 45.9% and 8.5% respectively; however, those from Japan (27,051) decreased by 15.8%. Total visitor arrivals reached 13,246,656 in the first half year of 2011, up by 8.3% year-on-year. Visitors from Mainland China (7,475,086), Hong Kong (3,720,902) and the Republic of Korea (195,384) increased by 14.9%, 3.9% and 26.0% respectively, while those from Taiwan, China (600,310); Japan (179,493) and Malaysia (154,205) decreased by 8.1%, 10.8% and 9.5% respectively. In the first half year of 2011, same-day visitors accounted for 54.3% of the total, at 7,190,962. Analyzed by mode of transport, visitor arrivals by sea totalled 5,225,256 in the first half year of 2011, up by 3.8% year-on-year. Visitors arriving at the Outer Harbour increased by 7.4% to 3,398,234, with the majority coming from Hong Kong (54.2%) and Mainland China (23.9%); meanwhile, those arriving at the Provisional Ferry Terminal in Taipa decreased by 5.0% to 1,609,016. Visitor arrivals by land increased by 13.4% to 7,214,350 in the first half year of 2011; those arriving through the Border Gate totalled 6,679,144 and the majority were visitors from Mainland China (80.7%) and Hong Kong (13.3%). Visitor arrivals by air decreased by 2.9% year-on-year to 807,050. Visitors arriving at the Macao International Airport decreased by 3.2% to 794,918, with the majority coming from Mainland China (36.3%); Taiwan, China (34.6%); and Malaysia (6.4%).
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2011 Population Census (2011 Census) will take place from 12 to 26 August. To ensure smooth operation of the census, officials of the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) visited local associations recently; moreover, DSEC invited representatives of the media to a luncheon on 21 July, showing premiere of the 2011 Census television advertisements. Kong Pek Fong, Director of DSEC, says that full support of the media is vital to the success of the census operation. She wants to extend DSEC's gratitude for the media's continuous support to the work of official statistics and takes the opportunity to strengthen the liaison and cooperation with the media. Ms Kong also indicates that the preparatory work for 2011 Census is ready, and the promotional campaign starts on 22 July, including outdoor advertising, shows, as well as newspaper ads, radio and television advertisements. Television advertisements tend to deliver the message that "Participating in Census is simple and easy", "Census data are essential to a better future of Macao" and "Census is a complete count of the population". In addition, DSEC officials went to visit the União Geral das Associações dos Moradores de Macau (UGAMM), the Macao Federation of Trade Unions, The Women's General Association of Macao, the Industrial Association of Macao, the Macao Importers & Exporters Association, and the Associação dos Familiares Encarregados dos Deficientes Mentais de Macau (AFEDMM), introducing 2011 Census and listen to the comments and suggestions of the associations. Representatives of the associations state that statistics are essential public goods that are important to the development of Macao. Results of the census are valuable reference to the government in policy formulation; therefore, they will give their full support to the 2011 Census. In addition, there were suggestions to DSEC about informing the public that identification documents of the respondents are not required; concerns about the safety of the census officers; special care with the dogs, etc. And Ms Kong replies that DSEC is well-prepared to take care of these issues.
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The Summer International Exchange Programme 2011 was jointly organised by Institute for Tourism Studies (IFT), Macao, and Taiwan Hospitality & Tourism College (THTC), Chinese Taiwan, from 4 to 8 July in Hualien, with 55 participants coming from Chinese Taiwan, Macao, Hong Kong and Japan. The objectives of the Programme are to enhance the professional knowledge and practical skills of participants about tourism, hospitality, and local cultures in Hualien; to cultivate those participants who are interested in devoting themselves in this industry; to help them understand the content of the tourism and hospitality programmes as well as the trends of future development; to promote and popularise professional practicum, with an aim to aid potential high calibers in their career planning for the industry. During the Programme, participants attended seminars, culinary tournament, field trips, etc. to learn the theme, and professionals and senior lecturers from various related fields are invited to share their experience to strengthen the learning impact. The Programme was well concluded by participants' sharing what they had learnt as well as the certificate presentation. Since 1998, this Summer Programme has been launched with different annual themes. It brought students from various places to Macao for cultural exchange. Starting from 2009, IFT collaborated with an overseas APETIT partner to jointly orgainsed the Programme, which was an eye-opener for students. With our rich cultural heritage in Macao, the opportunity to experience other cultures and gain further international exposure is certainly beneficial to those who will step into the tourism industry in the future. Until this year, students from 22 countries and regions have joined the Programme. This is the third year that IFT had the Programme partnered with an institution beyond Macao. IFT strives to elevate and globalise its tourism education in the region through organising different types of exchange programmes to broaden the horizon of the students. The cultural diversity thus acquired can definitely help prepare them for their career in the tourism industry.
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