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Chief Executive Mr. Edmund Ho Hau Wah today emphasised the importance of public broadcasting in Macao, resulting in independent and objective journalism that facilitated communication and dialogue between the SAR Government and all sectors of the community. This provides effective avenues for the presentation of public opinion and social identity which the Government recognised as valuable resources, he said. Mr. Ho was speaking at the opening of the Public Broadcasters International Conference 2004 which opened in Macao today. ”In the new era of information dissemination and technological innovation, public broadcasting in the 21st century is finding itself on a new media landscape. The rationale for a public broadcasting service has extended from the traditional grounds of providing informative and educational programming for minority audience within a scarce spectrum, to the demonstration of responsiveness to public interests and demands.” He said professionals working in public broadcasting in various parts of the world had gathered in Macao to share valuable visions for the future of the service, though they were confronted with different challenges, their commitment to the same goal of providing high-quality programming was certain. He emphasised that public broadcasting had always been a very important asset in Macao. “TDM TV, the only free-to-air TV station in Macao, launched its pilot television broadcast in May 1984 and this marked the beginning of a new page in the history of public broadcasting in Macao. “Our unique historical background gives rise to the development of a local media that has been catering for the diverse needs of people with very different cultures in a relatively small city. Official bilingualism, in Chinese and Portuguese, is effectively practiced in our public broadcasting domain. This is not only playing a very crucial role in preserving the linguistic and cultural values of Macao, but also underlining our strength as the regional platform for trade and businesses with the Portuguese-speaking countries,” he said. “As you may have learned, we are currently experiencing a very rapid economic progress unprecedented in Macao. The liberalisation of the gaming industry has attracted ever more international attention to a city with less than half a million people. This has called for more pluralistic and informative programming by local public broadcaster, so that the world can know more about us.” Mr. Ho said another vital driving force in the economic development was the partnership with the Mainland, with the implementation of the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement. “Economic collaboration between Macao and the Mainland is further consolidated under the framework of ‘One Country, Two Systems’. “The success of the Pan-Pearl River Delta Regional Co-operation and Development Forum in June this year has drawn generous response from our brother provinces and regions. In fact, our regional integration is not limited only to an economic sphere; it is also projecting to other forms of cultural and social co-operation. “The Public broadcaster of Macao has been actively involved in fruitful exchanges with their Mainland counterparts. Through informative and entertaining programmes, the multi-cultural and vibrant city of Macao is introduced to a wide audience in Mainland China. This proves to be a rewarding channel for attracting investors as well as tourists” “Under the Basic Law of the Macao SAR, residents enjoy freedom of speech, of the press and of publication; and it is against this backdrop that the media industry becomes sophisticated and well-developed in Macao. Independent and objective journalism has facilitated communication and dialogue between the SAR Government and different sectors of the community. It serves as one of the effective avenues for the presentation of public opinions and social identity, which our Government recognises as valuable resources in the course of our governance.” Mr. Ho said that though there was no locally-run commercial TV broadcaster in Macao, the public broadcasting service in Macao was competing with broadcasters in neighbouring areas, as well as with satellite and cable broadcasters. The development of digital broadcasting and other delivery platforms were also posing more questions for the future. “But Macao is not alone in this scenario” he said: “Public broadcasters worldwide are finding themselves dealing with the changing role of this public service in the aspects of content and access on one hand; and striving to improve operational efficiency and financial stability on the other. “We should not have doubt about the future of public broadcasting, rather we should give prominence to the role it continues to play in enlightening people with informative, entertaining and educational programmes,” he added.
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(Macao – 16 October 2004) Chief Executive Mr. Edmund Ho Hau Wa has called for the promotion of the use of Chinese language in the courts. Speaking at the opening ceremony of 2004/2005 Judicial Year, Mr. Ho said that after the establishment of the Macao Special Administrative Region, the courts and the Public Prosecutions Office have been working independently, and have examined various types of criminal cases that helped stabilise public order and harmonised social-economic environment. He praised the legal departments for operating strictly under the “one country, two systems” spirit exercising the powers endowed by the Basic Law that ensured and promoted the effective operation of the judiciary system, laying a foundation for perfecting the judiciary system in the future. Mr Ho said an effective and high quality judiciary system is an important tool in ensuring citizen’s rights and freedom. He said he expected all legal practitioners to contribute their highly responsible and selfless spirit for the good of the community. On the use of Chinese in the judiciary area, Mr. Ho said it was quite late to start the relevant education and studies, structure of the judicial officer, judicial support staff and law might not meet the need required by the society. He urged all professionals, including the academic and legal sectors, to support the judicial organs in promoting the generalisation of Chinese language in the courts. He stressed that the Macao SAR Government would fully support the judicial organs and jointly work with the legislative organs to perfect the legal system. The President of the Court of Final Appeal, Mr. Sam Hou Fai, said the use of Chinese language in the judiciary had been improved. He acknowledged that the judiciary had to solve the existing problems and enhance its quality and efficiency quickly, and he expected to launch a series of reforms and measures early next year to cope with the demand of the public. The Public Prosecutor-General, Mr. Ho Chio Meng, said the Public Prosecutions Office had used more Chinese in trials in the past judicial year. His office would fight crime with new strategies and provide very high standard of services to the public in the coming judicial year. President of the Macau Lawyers Association, Mr. Jorge Neto Valente, said the efficiency and the quality of verdicts made by the Court of Final Appeal and Court of Second Instance have safeguarded the judiciary. However, there is room for improvement in the Court of First Instance, he said.
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Winning images from the “New Faces of Macao” Photography Competition will be exhibited in the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau Gallery from tomorrow to Sunday 31 October. Since the Macao SAR Government set Macao on a development course based on gaming and tourism, a number of major infrastructure projects have been completed. Increased planning and renovation of urban areas have also establish a solid framework for urban development and improved the quality of life for local residents, while the co-existence of old and new enhances the charm of Macao – a city steeped in history and culture. To capture the changing landscape of today’s Macao and to highlight the city’s latest developments from different angles, the Macao Government Information Bureau organised a photography competition entitled “New Faces of Macao”, jointly with eight local photography organisations: Associação Fotográfica de Macau, Associação de Salão Fotográfico de Macau, Associação Promotora da Arte Fotográfica de Macau, Associação dos Fotógrafos de Macau, Macau Multi MediArte Fotográfica Associação, Clube Foto-Artístico de Macau, Associação da Arte de Lente Fotográfica de Macau, and Associação de Fotografia Digital de Macau. The competition was extremely popular with local professional and amateur photographer submitting more than 700 entries. After six selection rounds, 101 winning images were chosen by the panel of judges. Awards will be presented to the winners at the opening ceremony of the exhibition, at 6 pm tomorrow.
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The 9th Macao International Trade & Investment Fair (MIF), which is co-organized by the Permanent Secretary to the Forum for Economic and Trade Cooperation between China and the Portuguese-speaking Countries and the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM), is opening today. In the Opening Ceremony, the President of IPIM, Lee Peng Hong, declared that as they keep improving MIF’s quality, MIF will continue to be the economic and trading platform for enterprises. The Opening Ceremony, hosted by the Acting Chief Executive of MSAR Ms. Florinda da Rosa Silva Chan, Vice Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the MSAR Mr. Wang Jinxiang, Mayor of Chongqing Municipal People’s Government Mr. Wang Hong Ju, Commissioner of Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the MSAR of PRC Mr. Wan Yongxiang, Secretary for Economy and Finance of MSAR Mr. Francis Tam Pak Yuen, Secretary General of Permanent Secretary to the Forum for Economic and Trade Cooperation between China and the Portuguese-speaking Countries Mr. Wang Liaoping, President of the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute, Mr. Lee Peng Hong, Director of the 9th MIF, Macao Convention and Exhibition Association, Miss Pansy Ho and President of Board of Directors of Macau Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Hoi Sai Un, was held on the 3rd Floor of the Macau Tower Convention & Enterntainment Centre. More than a thousand government officials, merchants and celebrities attended the ceremony. During his opening speech, Lee Peng Hong stated that this year, more traders from various business sectors, coming from different countries and regions, participated in this MIF. As the implementation of the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA) and the development of the “Pan Pearl River Delta Cooperation,” Macao’s role as a regional service platform is now recognised internationally as being of great importance. Lee Peng Hong once again showed great gratitude to the support of the MIF participants and hope that all exhibitors would have a fruitful result from the Fair. The Acting Chief Executive and the Secretary for Economy and Finance of MSAR, together with government officials and representatives from local business associations visited the Fair before the Opening Ceremony.
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The 9th Macao International Trade and Investment Fair (MIF) will be held between Thursday 21 October and Sunday 24 October, at the Macau Tower Convention & Entertainment Centre. This Year’s MIF is organised by the Secretariat of China and Portuguese Speaking Countries Economic Cooperation Forum and the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM). President of the IPIM, Mr. Lee Peng Hong, said a series of features have been introduced into this year’s fair, for example, information counter will be set up to handle CEPA-related inquiries as one of the Fair’s theme is “Seizing Unprecedented Business Opportunities with CEPA”. Another main event of this year’s MIF is the “China – Portuguese-speaking Countries Product Fair”. Mr. Lee said the product fair, as a follow up to last year’s “Forum for Economic and Trade Co-operation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (Macao)”, is aimed at enhancing economic and trade developments between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries. Conferences and forums will be held during the Fair, namely the “International Trade and Investment forum”, the “Business Opportunities Brought by CEPA” briefing, and the "Business Establishment for Youth Entrepreneur Forum 2004". This year’s fair boasts more than 300 exhibition booths, with many pavilion showcasing different products such as the “Macao Trade and Industry Pavilion”, “The World of Digital & Photography Equipment”, and the “Small and Medium Enterprises’ World”. More than 1,300 participants representing some 70 organisations from local and overseas will attend the fair. The 9th MIF is co-organised by the Macao Chamber of Commerce, Industrial Association of Macau, Macao Importers and Exporters Association, Association of Knitting & Spinning Industry of Macau, Macau Shipper’s Association, Macau Association of Banks, Macao Association of Building Contractors and Developers, Macau Small and Medium Enterprises Association, Macau Chinese Enterprises Association, Chongqing Foreign Trade & Economic Relations Commission and Chinese Manufacturers’ Association of Hong Kong, and coordinated by the Macao Convention & Exhibition Association.
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As one of the founding members of the Alliance for Healthy Cities, the Macao Government will fulfill its pledge of promoting social and public health, the Secretary Chui for Social Affairs and Cultire, Mr Chui Sai-on said today (18 Oct). Mr Chui was speaking to reporters before attending a seminar entitled “Enhancing Regional Follow-up to the Shanghai Implementation Strategy, for the Madrid and Macao Plans of Action on Ageing,” organised by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNSCAP). He said the Macao Government would soon improve by all possible means and educate the public on the importance of healthy living and diseases prevention. Mr Chui had earlier attended the Alliance’s conference and inaugural general assembly held in Kuching, Malaysia, during which Macao was named as one of the founding members of the Alliance for Healthy Cities. He revealed that Macao had submitted three reports on the social status, the process of promoting “Health City” in Macao and what it would do in the future. Meanwhile, speaking at the seminar, Mr Chui said that Macao was being transformed to an aging society, and as such, the Government would establish a substantial system to take care of elderly as one of its top priorities in the next five years.
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Senior Health Officials from the Mainland, Hong Kong and Macao have agreed to speed up the exchange of information on Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and pathogenic avian flu. This was disclosed in a report released after the closing ceremony of the third Joint Meeting of Senior Health Officials held in Hong Kong on XX October. In addition to agreeing to speed up exchange of information on the diseases, the officials had constructive discussions on several agendas, namely public health, prevention of contagious disease and the supervision of food and hygiene. The Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Mr Chui Sai-on, led a 16-member delegation of Macao SAR health officials to the meeting in Hong Kong. The fourth Joint Meeting will be held in the Mainland in 2005, to further discuss and review co-operation based on past experience.
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Macao SAR has been named as one of the founding members of the Alliance for Healthy Cities. In addition, Macao has selected to chair the International Promotion Committee for Healthy Cities. This was decided at the Alliance’s conference and inaugural general assembly held earlier this week in Kuching, Malaysia, attended by Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Mr Chui Sai-on, who led a 21-member delegation to the conference from 12 to 14 October. World Health Organization (WHO) Western Pacific Regional Director, Dr. Shigeru Omi had suggested Macao apply for the "Healthy City" appraisal during his two-day visit to Macao on last July. In the ensuing months, Macao followed the direction of the WHO in preparation for the bid. The Health City Project of Macao will enter its implementation phase next year following completion of urban diagnosis. The Macao Healthy City Committee emphasised that the project is an on-going one that would require the support and co-operation of all involved organisations and members of the public.
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The Secretary for Public Administration and Justice, Ms Florinda Chan said today (12 October) that the performance evaluation system for civil servants is an important step for civil service legislation reform. In line with the introduction of the new system next year, the Public Administration and Civil Service Bureau has organised a campaign, including a series of seminars and workshops, to promote the new system among civil servants and heads of government departments. Ms Chan said the new system was the result of broad consultation during the drafting process when experiences from abroad were considered, in line with local situation, to make evaluation more systemised, more objective, more transparent and fair. She said that the new system was expected to better reflect the performance of civil servants and thus encourage better services for the public. Ms Chan emphasised that the new system required the support and participation of all civil servants, as the civil service reform should be carried out with the co-operation of the entire government.
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More than 1.6 million crossed border over Golden Week holidays Immigration authorities recorded a total of 1,673,121 crossing the five immigration checkpoints of the Macao SAR over the National Day Golden Week holidays (1 October to 7 October), Total number of arrivals stood at 836,880, with Border-gate: 645,608,
Lotus Bridge: 25,225,
Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal: 140,838,
Inner Harbor Wharf Nº14: 6,333, and Macao International Airport: 18,876. Total of departures stood at 836,241, with Border-gate: 675,414,
Lotus Bridge: 28,928,
Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal: 111,213, Inner Harbor Wharf Nº14: 5512, and
Macao International Airport: 15,174.
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