News

The Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Mr. Chui Sai On, led an official delegation to Thailand and Cambodia from 21-27 September, aimed at strengthening bilateral co-operation in tourism and other sectors. During the visit to Thailand, Mr. Chui officiated at the opening ceremony of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) held in Bangkok. He met with the country’s Deputy Prime Minister Suwat Liptanpanlop, and Minister of Tourism and Sports, Mr. Sontaya Kunplome, and exchanged views on closer co-operation. Mr. Chui also met with the President of PATA, Mr. Peter de Jong, and discussed proposal for the 2005 PATA conference to be held in Macao. From Bangkok, the Macao delegation went on to the capital of Cambodia, Phnom Penh, at the invitation of the country’s Minister of Tourism, Mr. Veng Sereyvuth. During the four-day visit, Mr. Chui met with the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Sok An, and the Minister of Tourism, Mr Veng Sereyvuth. The Secretary briefed his counterparts on the latest development of Macao SAR. Mr. Veng Sereyvuth expressed the wish of more co-operation in tourism and the launch of charter flight.
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At present, if private entities (e.g. banks, companies, factories, etc) have to verify the identity cards of their staff or customers, they can send the photocopies of the relevant identity cards to the Identification Department (hereinafter referred as “DSI”) and request for verification. If they need to verify personal data such as marital status, they can send their request to DSI along with the authorization letters signed by the cardholders. In emergency, private entities approved by DSI in advance can send their request through fax. The above process requires a certain amount of time to complete. This time, we introduce the service of “Online Verification of Identity Card and Retrieval of Personal Data” with the purpose of providing private entities with a fast and convenient way for verification. When using this service, there is no need to send photocopies of identity cards or authorization letters to DSI. Verification or retrieval can be done instantly through DSI’s particular website. The device required is simply a personal computer with internet access and a card reader with a built-in keypad. Private entities have to first register at DSI to obtain a user ID and password for logging into the particular website (URL: webportal.dsi.gov.mo). Moreover, prior to first time use, fundamental setup performed by DSI staff is required. For those private entities that have already registered, DSI will issue a certificate for them to display at eye-catching area. Furthermore, DSI will publish a list of registered private entities on its website (URL: www.dsi.gov.mo) for the public’s information. Private entities have to enter their user IDs and passwords to login. Once verified, they can start to use the service. To verify the authenticity of the identity card, one can insert the electronic identity card (hereinafter referred as “electronic ID”) into the card reader and request the cardholder to enter the Confirmation PIN through the built-in keypad. To verify client’s personal data such as marital status or parents’ names, cardholder is requested to enter the Ordinary PIN to retrieve the data. Before entering the Ordinary PIN, cardholder should ensure that the private entity has already registered at DSI by referring to the certificate issued by DSI or the published list of registered entities as mentioned above. Personal data will be read from the chip and display on the webpage directly; it will not be recorded during the whole process. In addition, PIN entered through the built-in keypad on the card reader is sent directly to the electronic ID for verification without passing through the computer, hence it will not be copied down. Nevertheless, SSL certificate is installed at the website to assure users that the website is authentic. Moreover, all transactions are secured by SSL encryption to prevent data transmitted between the website and the personal computer from sniffing by third party. During verification, private entities can select to print the result for record keeping. All verification records are logged in DSI. Log information includes date, time, user ID, unique reference number, electronic ID’s chip serial number, and type of verification. These logs, kept as records and serving as proof of verification, are confidential. The PIN letter obtained together with the identity card contains the Ordinary PIN and the Confirmation PIN. Residents can change their PINs through the self-service kiosks located at DSI. If residents forget their PINs, they can seek assistance at DSI’s service desk. Private entities interested in using the “Online Verification of Identity Card and Retrieval of Personal Data” service can submit a written application to DSI together with photocopies of legally registered identity documents. Lastly, as a reminder, according to Article 14 of Law No. 8/2002 (), it is an offense: to counterfeit or modify programs or program interfaces prepared by DSI for access to chip data without permission; to analyze password of the certification system used by DSI for verifying the authenticity of resident identity card and cardholder’s identity electronically without permission, in order to obtain protected data; to counterfeit or damage the component of certification in DSI’s official website for verifying the authenticity of resident identity card and cardholder’s identity electronically, or interfere with its operation; to damage the certification system used by DSI for verifying the authenticity of resident identity card and cardholder’s identity electronically, or interfere with its operation; to counterfeit or modify without permission the certification system used by DSI for verifying the authenticity of resident identity card and cardholder’s identity electronically.
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Secretary for Administration and Justice, Ms Florida Chan said today (3 October) that the issue of mainlanders joining their families in Macao was a matter for the Central Government. But the MSAR Government would continue to follow up through the official channels, she said. Ms Chan was speaking in response to reports that a group has started to collect data of Macao residents whose family members on the mainland would like to join them in Macao. Ms Chan stressed this is an issue that should be worked out by official channels and not by private associations or groups.
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Organized jointly by the Macau Sports Development Board (MSDB), the Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO)and the China-Macau Autosports Club (ACMC), the FIM-UAM Asian Motocross Championships, Macau and the Asian Karting Open Championships, Macau to be held in October and November will mark the opening of the Motorsport Festival – Grand Prix Carnival. Macau hosted a round of the FIM-UAM Asian Motocross Championships for the first time in 2003, and it was acclaimed as a successful event by both spectators and competitors alike. This year, Macau will again organize a round of this important series, which also visits Indonesia, the Philippines, Guam and the United Arab Emirates. To be held on October 29 and 30, the FIM-UAM Asian Motocross Championships, Macau will be televised globally on Star TV and ESPN to a projected audience of 400 million households, putting Macau in the international spotlight. The FIM-UAM Asian Motocross Championships is organized by the world motorcycle sport governing body, the Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) and the Asian Motorcycling Union (UAM), with the Macau round organized by the MSDB, MGTO and the ACMC. Established in 1998, the UAM is the governing body for all motorcycle events held in Asia and is comprised of 18 member countries including Macau. Macau will host the penultimate round of the 2004 Asian Karting Open Championships (AKOC) on November 13 and 14, as one of the highlights of the Motorsport Festival – Grand Prix Carnival. It was through the efforts of the MGTO, MSDB and the ACMC that Macau has secured the right to host the fourth round of the region’s leading karting series. In addition to Macau, the Championships includes stops in Malaysia, the Philippines, India and Indonesia, and is recongnised as the most challenging karting series in the region. AKOC has attracted some most talented youngsters from the region, and the Macau round has encouraged strong entry from China, Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau for the series. The event will be held at the Kartodromo in Coloane, Macau. The international B grade karting facility has a 1.25km circuit, with a grandstand which can seat up to 2,500 spectators, control tower, briefing room, restaurant, VIP rooms – and even has a children’s go-kart circuit. First launched in 2002, the AKOC aims to promote the karting sport in Asia and to improve the drivers’ skill. The FIM-UAM Asian Motocross Championships, Macau and the Asian Karting Open Championships, Macau will be live broadcast on Teledifusão De Macau (TDM). Tickets for the Asian Karting Open Championships, Macau and the FIM-UAM Asian Motocross Championships, Macau are available now from Kong Seng ticketing outlets: 24-hour Booking Hotlines
Macau +(853) 555 555
Hong Kong +(852) 7171 7171/2380 5083
China +(86) 1392 691 1111
Website www.macauticket.com Asian Karting Open Championships, Macau
Friday, November 12 (Practice Day) Free Saturday, November 13 (Race Day) Grandstand only* MOP20
Sunday, November 14 (Race Day) Grandstand only* MOP100 *Seated spectators only, no standing permitted FIM-UAM Asian Motocross Championships, Macau
Friday, October 29 (Practice Day) Free
Saturday, October 30/Sunday October 31 (Race Days)
Two day Grandstand ticket MOP100
Entrance at gate (per entry) MOP10
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Japan’s Tamaya Art Pyro Technics, took the top prize in the 16th International Fireworks Display Contest at a ceremony held at the Macau Tower Convention and Entertainment Center on 1 October. The winners received US$6,000, a trophy, and certificate with runner-up prizes of US$3,200 awarded to China’s Liuyang Jiding Fireworks Liuyang Jiding Fireworks Manufacture Export Co., Ltd., and US$1,800 to U.K.’s Millennium Pyrotechnics Ltd.. Mr. Antunes noted in his speech that this spectacular event not only brought joy to the citizens and tourists, but also played an important role to promote Macau to the world. In order to add further festive atmosphere to the fireworks display contest, Macau Government Tourist Office organized The "Fireworks Carnival" with the General Union of Neighbors Association of Macau. Held between 5:00 - 11:00 p.m. on each of the fireworks display nights, at Rua da Torre de Macau. The Carnival presents a series of fantastic events, including food stalls that provide delicious cuisine, souvenirs stalls and performances for tourists and local residents. Ten teams from the enjoyment of - Australia, Taiwan, Germany, Korea, Portugal, Japan, Thailand, Philippines, UK and Mainland China displayed their unique style of pyrotechnic skills at this year’s contest.
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At the invitation of the Central Government, the Chief Executive will lead a delegation to Beijing on 30 September to attend the 55th anniversary celebrations of the People's Republic of China. The delegation, comprises 120 representatives from different sectors, such as business, education, labour and academy, will be received by the state leaders during the visit. Chief Executive Edmund Ho will be the chairman of the delegation; Director Bai Zhijian of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the MASR will be the advisor; Secretary for Economy and Finance, Mr. Francis Tam, will be the vice-chairman; Mr. Ho Veng On, the Chief-of-Office of the Office of the Chief Executive, will be the secretary-general of the delegation.
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To celebrate the “World Tourism Day” today (September 27), Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO) organized an exciting tray race and World Tourism Day banquet to mark this special day. The traditional tray race was held in the afternoon, where waiters and waitresses run down the stoned-path from the Ruins of St Paul to the Senado Square carrying a tray with a bottle beer on it. Over 50 participants came from 20 hotels and restaurants in Macau took part and the race has attracted crowds of visitors and local people who cheered for the participants. The winner of the men’s division is Chen Shang Xuan from Ritz Hotel and the winner of the women’s division is Zhang Bing Mei from Beverly Plaza Hotel. The Best Costume Awards go to Michael Rotillies of Mandarin Oriental and Yang Zhi Hong of StarEast Café & Entertainment Ltd. Director of MGTO, João Costa Antunes presented souvenirs to three first time visitors from Australia, Ms Ginetta Teresa Vacca, Ms Jacky Dawn Bliss and Mr Michael John Neary at Macau’s landmark, the Ruins of St Paul. Souvenirs were also distributed to the visitors at the information counters of MGTO. MGTO held a dinner banquet, attended by the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Dr Chui Sai On, to celebrate the “World Tourism Day”. Speaking at the dinner, Mr Antunes encouraged the participants to be a good host and provide quality service to the visitors so as to build a hospitality image for Macau. World Tourism Organization (WTO) called up their third session in Spain (September 1979), and the General Assembly has decided to commemorate September 27 as “World Tourism Day” each year. It was then commenced on 1980 and this is the 25th year. The main purpose of “World Tourism Day” is to foster awareness among the international community of the importance of tourism and its social, cultural, political and economic values. Each year, World Tourism Organization selects a different theme for the “World Tourism Day”.
The theme of the 2004 “World Tourism Day” is “Sport and Tourism – two living forces for mutual understanding, culture and development of societies.” The host country for this year is Malaysia, and official celebrations were held on 2004 September 27, the “World Tourism Day”. Many other countries and regions also carried out activities to celebrate the day.
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The ninth tripartite meeting by heads of crime investigation units of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao had successfully concluded today (Sept 21) in Macao where the counterparts exchanged views on cross-border crimes and cooperation. The Assistant of the Commissioner General of Unitary Police Service, who headed the Macao delegation, Cheang Seng Chio the three areas would reinforce the cooperation in combating cross-border crimes, adding that the security situation was stable in the first half year. Mr. Cheang summarized the consensus reached in the meeting such as reinforcing cooperation in striking Internet crimes, exchanging information about drug-trafficking and monetary frauds, launching promotional campaign to educate citizen not to be deceived in mainland, etc. Illegal gambling and gaming were also discussed in the meeting. The delegations from Grangdong and Hong Kong were led by the Director of Guandong Provincial Public Security Department Liu Ancheng and the Assistant Commissioner of the Hong Kong Police (Crime) Lo Yik Kee respectively. The next meeting will be held in March next year in Guangdong province.
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The WHO Regional Committee for the Western Pacific Fifty-fifth Session held from 13-17 September in Shanghai where more than 200 health representatives from 33 countries and regions participated in the meeting.
This high-rank meeting was officiated by the Vice-premier and the Minister of Health Wu Yi, the Director-General of WHO Lee Jong-wook and the Regional Director for the WHO Western Pacific Region Dr. Shiqeru Omi.
The Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Dr. Chui Sai On who led an eight-member delegation participated in the meeting. The Macao representative thanked the WHO for supporting Macao in the prevention of SARS, providing advisory on quarantines and related facilities, granting Macao important guidelines for the Health City Project. The speaker also expressed the will to cooperate with other countries and regions on professional training, information exchanges, etc.
The agendas for the meeting included proposed program budget for 2006-2007 and eleventh general program of work for 2006-2015; outbreak response, including severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), food safety, HIV/AIDS, blood safety, tobacco control, measles and hepatitis B, tuberculosis, etc.
The Regional Director Dr. Omi reported the works done for fighting infectious diseases, establishing health community. He has also reviewed the effective solution to the outbreak of SARS in 2003. Dr. Omi also mentioned the Macao Health City Project in his report.
The fifty-sixth session will be held in New Caledonia in September 2005.
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The Civil Aviation Authority of Macao SAR (AACM) and the Ministry of Transport and the Department of Civil Aviation of Thailand met on 16 September to discuss the development of the air transport market between the two places. The discussions were held in a friendly and cordial atmosphere, leading to satisfactory conclusions. The two parties amended certain provisions of the Air Services Agreement (ASA) between Macao and Thailand and signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the following signatories: Acting President of AACM, Mr. Chan Weng Hong and the Director General of the Department of Civil Aviation of Thailand, Mr. Chalor Kotcharat. The amended provisions of the ASA and the new MOU bring more advantangeous conditions to the development of both passenger and cargo businesses between the two places: no limitation on capacity and frequency, exercise of full fifth freedom traffic rights, multiple airline designation and operation of code-sharing services (including same contracting party code share). The Thai side has also designated four airlines to operate the route during the discussions. In accordance with the ASA between Macao and Thailand signed in 1995 and the old MOU, fifth freedom traffic rights could only be exercised on a conditional basis, the frequency was constrained to 7 flights per week per each side and only one single airline could be designated by each side. Since Thailand has always been a famous tourist destination of both Hong Kong and Macao people, with the recent success of the Macau International Airport in attracting the low-cost carrier, Air Asia, to operate the Macao-Bangkok v.v. route as well as the cooperation between Air Macau and Thai Airways in establishing code-sharing services in the near future, the air transport market between the two places has been enlarged. This together with the open policy of individual traveling not only generates more and more Macao people traveling to Thailand but also boost the number of people from Hong Kong and the mainland who travel via Macao to Thailand. The old frequency therefore no longer met the current market need. To cope with the market expansion, the aeronautical authorities of the two places held discussions. The Macao delegates also comprised of the Director of Air Transport and International Relations of AACM, Mr. António Menano and the Consultant of Air Transport and International Relations of AACM, Mr. Ren Jinfang. In addition, the Senior Assistant to Chairman and Director of Marketing Department of CAM-Macau International Airport Company Ltd., Ms. Liu Suning and the Network Planning Executive of Air Macau, Ms. Mavis Chan attended the meeting as observers.
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