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The Guangdong and Macao Branded Products Fair 2010 commences today (22 July) at the Macau Fisherman’s Wharf Convention and Exhibition Centre. Officiating at the Opening Ceremony of the Fair were Francis Tam Pak Yuen, Secretary for Economy and Finance of the Macao SAR, Lu Shumin, Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the PRC in the Macao SAR, Zhou Zhi Kui, Director General of Economic Affairs Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao SAR, Liang Yaowen, Director General of Department of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation of Guangdong Province, Jackson Chang, President of the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute, Chui Sai Cheong, Vice Chairman of All-China Federation of Industry & Commerce, Cao Xiang Nong, Deputy Mayor of Huizhou Municipality, Feng Yu Rong, Deputy Mayor of Zhongshan Municipality, Zhao Zhi Hui, Deputy Mayor of Zhanjiang Municipality, Chen Jia Lin, Deputy-Mayor of Jiangmen Municipality, Chen Jian Shen, Deputy-Mayor of Chaozhou Municipality, Ho Teng Iat, Vice President of Macao Chamber of Commerce. After the ceremony, the officiating guests graced the enterprises exhibition area of the Fair. To complement the efforts of the governments of Guangdong and Macao SAR on the Outline of the Plan for the Reform and Development of the Pearl River Delta Region and the subsequent Strengthening the Comprehensive Strategic Cooperation Agreement between Guangdong and Macao signed in March last year, the 2010 Fair, following the footsteps of the 2009 edition of the event, comes again as a joint effort between Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute and the Department of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation of Guangdong Province. Promoting the ‘cooperative advantages’ of Guangdong and Macao to the world Liang Yaowen, Director General of Department of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation of Guangdong Province, said at the Opening Ceremony, “Guangdong and Macao Branded Products Fair is another important platform jointly built by us, aiming to give full play to the advantages of Macao as a platform for conventions & exhibitions and Guangdong as a manufacturing base, to jointly promote branded products of Guangdong and Macao to the world”. He added, “This is the third running of the Guangdong and Macao Branded Products Fair, and this time, it is enriched in contents and features.” Taking Guangdong and Macao cooperation to a new level
President of the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute, Jackson Chang spoke at the Opening Ceremony, “To complement the implementation of the Outline of the Plan for the Reform and Development of the Pearl River Delta and to expedite the building of the most vibrant and internationally competitive metropolis in the Asia Pacific Region, the trade and economic departments of Guangdong Province and Macao once again join hands to organize the Guangdong and Macao Branded Products Fair 2010.” Mr Chang said, “The 2010 Fair also provides Macao residents and tourists with a comprehensive and colourful event which combines shopping, cultural exchanges, leisure and entertainment, product presentations, business matching and negotiations. Jiangmen Consultancy Office in Macao avails overseas market expansion through the Macao platform After the opening ceremony of the Fair, the Jiangmen Consultancy Office in Macao, the contact point in Macao for business enquiries for the Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation Bureau of the Jiangmen Municipality, was officially launched under the witness of officiating guests, namely, Francis Tam, Secretary for Economy and Finance of Macao SAR, Liang Yaowen, Director General of Department of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation of Guangdong Province, Jackson Chang, President of Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute, Chen Jialin, Deputy-mayor of Jiangmen Municipality. Jiangmen is the second city in the Pearl River Delta after Zhuhai to set up a contact point in Macao for business enquiries. This marks another stage of deepening the cooperation of Macao with the Pearl River Delta cities, facilitating Macao and Jiangmen in the mutual exploration of markets in the coming round of economic and trade cooperation, benefiting Jiangmen enterprises to make use of Macao’s regional services platform to expand overseas. The Deputy Mayor of Jiangmen Municipality, Chen Jia Lin expressed in his speech that with the official launch of the Jiangmen Consultancy Office in Macao, the link with the various government departments of Macao SAR, business associations and chambers of commerce in Macao would be strengthened. The Consultancy Office is expected to actively collect the trade and investment information of Macao and various countries, promote the investment environment of Jiangmen, encourage Macao and overseas investors to invest in Jiangmen, and to encourage Jiangmen entrepreneurs to make full use of Macao as a close contact and highly efficient trade and services platform to explore international markets. Services industry and Trade in Services Forum briefs small and medium enterprises on current development trends in services industry of Guangdong and Macao The Services industry and Trade in Services Forum at Guangdong and Macao Branded Products Fair 2010 was held at the Seminars & Presentation Zone of Macau Fisherman’s Wharf Convention & Exhibition Centre on 22 July. The forum aims at promoting the exchange and cooperation of services industry and trade in services between Guangdong and Macao for mutual exploration of business opportunities. The Services industry and Trade in Services forum, co-hosted by the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute, Department of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation of Guangdong Province, was held in the afternoon of the same day as the opening ceremony of the Guangdong and Macao Branded Products Fair. At the Forum, Zhong Jianhui, Deputy Director-General of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation of Guangzhou Province, and Irene Va Kuan Lau, Executive Director of Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute delivered their speeches. The Forum was moderated by the Chairman of General Assembly, Association of Advertising Agents, Edmund Wong, with speakers, namely, Division Chief, Division of Trade in Services, Department of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation of Guangdong Province Bi Huiyang, Chairman of Board of Directors, Macau Importers & Exporters Association, Tsui Wai Kwan, Deputy Director of Foreign Investment Administration Department, Department of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation of Guangdong Province, Ye Hua, Standing Director of Industrial Association of Macau, Lei Si Tai, Executive Director of Neko Sports and Casual Wear, Catherine Ng presenting their views on trade and economic cooperation, services industry and trade in services between Guangdong and Macao. Also at the Forum, the speakers shared their views on how to make use of the ‘cooperative’ edge of Guangdong and Macao to explore the market of Guangdong and other domestic markets, successful experience in finding business opportunities, information exchange and in-depth discussions on the trade and economic cooperation of services industry between Guangdong and Macao. Bi Huiyang presented the outlook of cooperation in Trade in Services between Guangdong and Macao, while Tsui Wai Kwan delivered a thematic speech on the formation of the Macao platform for trade and its room for development in mainland China. Then, Ye Hua talked about the attraction of foreign investment in the services industry of Guangdong Province, Lei Si Tai explained how to make good use of CEPA policies to promote economic and trade cooperation between Guangdong and Macao, and finally Catherine Ng shared her experience of business success in running a brand. The Forum has attracted more than 90 representatives from the trade and economic departments of Guangdong and Macao, corporate leaders and executives from enterprises and business associations. Two cooperation agreements signed and 156 business matching sessions held On the first day of the 2010 Fair, 156 business matching sessions were held and two cooperation agreements signed. The agreements were, Strengthening the Comprehensive Strategic Cooperation Agreement between Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute and the Bureau of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation of Guangzhou Municipality, and the Memorandum of Understanding on Jointly Promote Overseas Investment and Trade, Strengthen Trade Service Platform and Foster Convention and Exhibition Cooperation between Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute and the Zhongshan Bureau of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation. The agreement signing was witnessed by Francis Tam Pak Yuen, Secretary for Economy and Finance of Macao SAR, Chen Xiang, Deputy Director of the Economics Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in Macao SAR, Chen Ling, Consular Department, Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in Macao SAR, Jackson Chang, President of Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute, Zhong Jianhui, Deputy Director-General of Department of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation of Guangdong Province. Although the first day of the Fair was affected by the unstable weather brought along by the rainband of typhoon Chanthu, the enthusiasm of visitors were not diminished by the weather. More than 13,000 visitors were recorded up to 6pm on the first day, representing an increase compared to the recorded 8,000 visitors last year. A carnival of multi-colours The Fair will continue to be open to the public tomorrow. Opening hours are: 11am to 10pm for 23 July and 24 July (Friday and Saturday), 11am to 8pm for 25 July (Sunday). A wide selection of activities will be staged: product presentations and seminars, jumbo discount for branded products purchase, consumption coupons, lucky draws (prizes include air tickets and television) and cultural performances. The organizer welcomes trade visitors/exhibitors/Macao residents/tourists to take part in this year’s event between Guangdong and Macao to enjoy the pleasure of the Carnival. For more information about the Guangdong and Macao Branded Products Fair 2010, please call us at 853-87989788 or browse our website at http://www.guangdongmacaofair.com
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service indicated that the number of visitor and non-resident arrivals totalled 2,415,181 in June 2010. Total visitor arrivals surged by 30.6% year-on-year to 1,904,395 as visitor arrivals for June 2009 were still adversely affected by the human swine influenza pandemic. Same-day visitors (984,916) accounted for 51.7% of the total visitor arrivals, with 514,827 coming from Mainland China. Analyzed by place of residence, visitors from Mainland China increased by 44.7% year-on-year to 985,127 (51.7% of total visitor arrivals), with 377,491 travelling to Macao under the Individual Visit Scheme, up notably by 62.6% from June 2009 (232,161). Visitors from Hong Kong (569,353) and Taiwan, China (107,204) rose by 15.7% and 19.9% respectively; meanwhile, visitors from Japan (32,126), India (25,192) and the Republic of Korea (21,332) also registered remarkable increases. Total visitor arrivals reached 12,229,446 in the first half year of 2010, up by 17.9% year-on-year. The majority of visitors were from Mainland China (6,507,542); Hong Kong (3,580,411); Taiwan, China (653,153); Japan (201,275); Malaysia (170,388) and the Republic of Korea (155,094). Same-day visitors accounted for 51.9% of the total visitor arrivals, at 6,349,408 in the first six months of 2010. Analyzed by mode of transport, visitor arrivals by sea totalled 5,035,731 in the first half year of 2010, up by 20.3% year-on-year. Visitors arriving at the Outer Harbour increased by 10.1% to 3,164,941, with the majority coming from Hong Kong (51.5%) and Mainland China (24.4%); meanwhile, those arriving at the Provisional Ferry Terminal in Taipa rose by 44.8% to 1,693,338. Visitor arrivals by land increased by 17.2% year-on-year to 6,362,255 in the first half year of 2010; those arriving through the Border Gate totalled 5,820,154 and the majority were visitors from Mainland China (78.7%) and Hong Kong (13.9%). Visitor arrivals by air rose by 9.9% year-on-year to 831,460 in the first six months of 2010. Visitors arriving at the Macao International Airport went up by 10.5% to 821,000, with the majority coming from Taiwan, China (37.1%); Mainland China (29.6%) and Malaysia (7.8%).
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Chinese culinary art has a long history and cuisines of Shandong, Sichuan, Guangdong and Jiangsu form the four major streams. Macanese cuisine is a hybrid of culinary flavours from China, Portugal as well as places like Africa and South-east Asia. It is indeed a cultural product under the east-meets-west influence. Institute for Tourism Studies (IFT), Macao, and Tourism College of Zhejiang (TCZJ), China, both being members of the Network of Asia-Pacific Education and Training Institutes in Tourism (APETIT), jointly organised the Summer International Exchange Programme 2010 - “Chinese Gastronomy and Culture”, which is one of the celebration activities for IFT’s 15th anniversary. IFT had sponsored programme fee to 5 students from local institutions (3 from IFT and 2 from University of Macau) for sharing the joy of our anniversary. The Programme was held from 7 to 12 July in Hangzhou, with 14 participants coming from Mainland China, Macao, Japan and Finland. During the programme, participants attended seminars, field trips and workshops. Speakers from TCZJ and IFT took the opportunity to introduce Chinese gastronomy and culture as well as its history. Participants were amazed by the seminar topics and they hands-on production was an eye-opener for them. The programme was well concluded by student groups summarising what they had learnt and 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 last year, IFT collaborated with an overseas partner in India through APETIT, which was an eye-opener for students. With our rich cultural heritage in Macao, the opportunity to experience other cultures is certainly beneficial to those who will step into the tourism industry in the future. This is the second 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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Information from the Statistics and Census Service indicated that the Composite CPI (104.39) for June 2010 increased by 2.68% year-on-year, attributable to the price increases of Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages; Miscellaneous Goods & Services and Transport. Analyzed by section of goods and services, Miscellaneous Goods & Services (+5.94%); Transport (+5.62%); Clothing & Footwear (+5.36%), Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages (+4.49%) and Recreation & Culture (+3.87%) recorded notable increases on account of dearer prices of gold jewellery, airfare, gasoline, men’s clothing, fresh fish and seafood, and vegetables together with rising charges for meals bought away from home and outbound package tours. As for other sections, apart from the 9.81% decrease of the price index of Education, lower charges for mobile phone services drove the price index of Communication down by 3.48%. The CPI-A (103.85) and CPI-B (104.60) for June 2010 increased by 2.03% and 2.91% year-on-year respectively. The Composite CPI for June 2010 increased by 0.32% month-to-month, of which the price indices of Transport and Miscellaneous Goods & Services rose by 1.64% and 0.52% respectively, attributable to rising prices of gasoline and gold jewellery. However, price index of Recreation & Culture fell slightly by 0.01% due to lower prices of audio-visual equipment. The Composite CPI for the second quarter of 2010 increased by 2.67% over the same quarter of 2009, with marked increase in the price indices of Transport (+7.09%), Miscellaneous Goods & Services (+5.62%) and Clothing & Footwear (+5.25%). The average Composite CPI for the first half year of 2010 increased by 2.09% year-on-year. For the 12 months ended June 2010, the average Composite CPI rose by 0.97% from the preceding period. The 2008/2009-based Composite CPI reflects the impact of price changes on the general population. The CPI-A relates to about 50% of the households, which have an average monthly expenditure of MOP6,000 to MOP18,999. The CPI-B relates to about 30% of the households, which have an average monthly expenditure of MOP19,000 to MOP34,999.
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Jointly organized by Macao Trade & Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) and Department of Foreign Trade & Economic Cooperation of Guangdong Province, the “Guangdong & Macao Branded Products Fair 2010” (the Fair) will be held during July 22-25, at Macau Fisherman’s Wharf Convention and Exhibition Centre. According to the spirit of “Reform of the Pearl River Delta Regional Cooperation Framework” and “Strengthening the Comprehensive Strategic Cooperation Agreement” signed in last March, Guangdong & Macao Branded Products Fair 2010 demonstrates the specific action taken by Macao Trade & Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) and Department of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation of Guangdong Province, to enhance cooperation between Guangdong and Macao on economic and trade. It is also another large-scale exhibition between Guangdong and Macao right after “Guangdong & Macao Branded Products Fair 2009”. As in the previous edition of the Fair, the Guangdong & Macao Branded Products Fair 2010 won the wondrous support of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, and Trade Development Bureau of Ministry of Commerce, PRC as specially invited supporting organisations, and more than 40 government departments, chamber of commerce, business associations from Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau as co-organisers, and the Macau Fairs and Trade Association as the coordinator. The 2010 Branded Products Fair is a comprehensive showcase for trade, culture, shopping, leisure and entertainment goers. The carnival-style Fair is enriched with exhibition and products demonstrations, ‘Forum on Services Industry and Services Trade”, business matching, products and services presentations, purchasing and business negotiations, cultural performances, and lucky draws. More than 200 Guangdong and Macao enterprises took part and a wide selection of products is available The Fair is both for exhibition and purchase. The 249 exhibition booths cover a total of 6,000 square metres of exhibition floor, displaying famous brands and products from Guangdong province and Macao, namely, foodstuffs, tea leaves, small household appliances, daily necessities, electronic products, arts and crafts, tourist souvenirs, etc. Participating cities from the Guangdong Province include, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Swatow, Foshan, Shaoguan, Meizhou, Huizhou, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Jianmen, Yangguang, Zhanjiang, Mouming, Zhaoqing, Jingyuan, Chaozhou, Yunfu, all together 18-prefecture level cities and 142 enterprises of branded products. With the tremendous efforts of encouragement from the Department of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation of Guangdong Province, 192 enterprises represented by 295 exhibition booths were registered for the Fair. Selecting from the best among the good ones, 142 enterprises were chosen by the Department of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation of Guangdong Province. Overall quality of the participating enterprises is improved. Among them, 95 of the enterprises possess the rights for imports and exports, representing 65.5%; 76 of them (52.4%) had their trademarks registered outside mainland China, 94 of them (63%) are awarded national level or provincial level branded products; 24 of them (16%) are enterprises of branded products selected by the Ministry of Commerce or the Province as pilot products for developments; 92 of them (61%) are leading enterprises in their own fields, including the five enterprises of famous brands such as Guangdong Silk-Tex Group Co. Ltd, and the Zhuhai Double Happiness Electric Appliance Co., Ltd awarded as ‘Well-known Brands in China’; the 13 enterprises awarded ‘Well-known Trademark in China” such as Yangjiang Shi ba zi, Double Happiness, Lankfair; 41 enterprises awarded “Guangdong Top Brand Products”; 28 enterprises awarded “Guangdong Famous Trademark” and some other leading enterprises as well. The Exhibition and Purchasing Zone are arranged according to their own cities. The branded products are demonstrated in their respective cities ones. To show the spirit of Guangzhou Asian Games, through inviting 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games Organizing Committee, souvenirs franchisee of Guangzhou Asian Games will offer Asian Games souvenirs during the Fair as another highlight of the Fair. A special exhibition zone is dedicated to the branded Macao products from 67 participating Macao enterprises, showing an array of featured Macao products either manufactured by Macao enterprises or business products from Macao, covering foodstuffs, consumer products, daily necessities, home decorations, electronic products, clothings, leather goods, and products using Macau enterprises as agents. “Services Industry and Services Trade Forum” and the signing of cooperation agreement with Guangdong & Zhongshan cities respectively The Guangdong & Macao Branded Products Fair 2010 and the Services Industry and Services Trade Forum is co-host by the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute and the Department of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation of Guangdong Province and to be held from 3-5pm on 22 July at the Business Matching Zone of the venue. The forum is one of the key activities of the 2010 Fair, targeted mainly at the services industry of Guangdong and Macao, as well as the small and medium-sized enterprises. Representatives of the Department of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation of Guangdong Province will conduct a presentation on the current development and policies of the services industry and its development in the Guangdong Province, whereas the chamber of commerce of Macau and representatives from the business sector will be presenting the development and cooperation opportunities for the services sector of Guangdong and Macau. The forum is aimed to assist enterprises and trade visitors to obtain business information and to facilitate cooperation. During the forum, a signing ceremony will be conducted on the “Strengthening of Comprehensive Strategic Cooperation Agreement” between Macau Trade and Investment Promotion Institute and the Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation Bureau of Guangzhou city, as well as the Cooperation Agreement between Macau Trade and Investment Promotion Institute and the People’s Government of the Zhongshan City on the “Lighting metropolis of China – Guzhen Lights Exposition’ Products and Services Promotion activities to create cooperation platform on purchasing and negotiations During the Fair, several products presentations will be conducted, namely “New Green Concepts”, “Green and Intelligent Kitchen”, “Quality Lingzhi types and health products and their functions and effectiveness”, “Coffee”, “How to select effective anti-ageing products”, “King of teas – Dahongpao – from the Wuyi Mountain”, “How to appreciate crystals?”, “Traditional arts and crafts of Thailand – inlay of jewels in paintings’, “Duomu – new cleaning agent without additives – to make your life more healthy”, etc. To promote cooperation of Guangdong and Macau procurors with branded products enterprises, the organizer has arranged business matching session, and mutual promotional activities for the building of trade platform development for Guangdong and Macau, as well as well-known purchasing enterprises and retail business groups such as: the world famous retail brand TESCO, renowned mainland Chinese department stores group – Grandbuy Co.Ltd, will have purchasing negotiation session at the Fair with participating enterprises. The organizer has set aside business matching and purchase negotiation zone, to provide all rounded services for the buyers and sellers, to facilitate trade results. Contact point in Macau for Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation Bureau of Jiangmen City established The launching ceremony for the contact point in Macau for Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation Bureau of Jiangmen City will be officiated after the opening ceremony of the 2010 Fair. This is the second city from the Pearl River Delta to set up a contact point in Macau. The first to establish such is Zhuhai. The set up of a contact point from a second city of PRD marks the entry of another phase of deepening the cooperation of Macau and the cities of Pearl River Delta, and will facilitate mutual exploration of markets in the new round of economic and trade cooperation between Macao and Jiangmen, as well as to benefit enterprises of Jiangmen to explore overseas market through Macau as the regional services platform. The ceremony will be officiated by the Secretary of Economy and Finance, Francis Tam Pak Yuen, Department Head of the Department of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation of Guangdong Province Liang Yaowen, Deputy Mayor of the People’s Government of the Jiangmen City Chen Jialin. Functioning at the new round of economic and trade cooperation between Guangdong and Macao Against the backdrop of the global financial impact on the world in the second half of the year 2008, and the various impact posed onto the Guangdong and Macau enterprises, the Guangdong and Macao Branded Products Fair 2009 was an event formed under the essence of the “Outline Plan for the Reform and Development of the Pearl River Delta Region” and the “Strengthening of Comprehensive Strategic Cooperation Agreement” signed in March last year, to ensure a stable, sustainable and faster pace of development for enterprises of both places. The Fair encapsulates the competitive advantage of Macau’s tourism industry and Macao as a business services platform, and targets at Macau residents and tourists, for the promotion of local economy and facilitation of branded products of Guangdong and Macau to speed up their entry to mainland China market and overseas markets. The Fair also seeks to help enterprises of Macau and from the region to make use of the business opportunities presented by the financial crisis. The Fair 2010 is a continual activity between Guangdong and Macao after the 2003 edition of the Fair. With the mutual endeavour of the governments of the two places, the Fair is expected to reach the targeted results and great success. The 2009 Fair has attracted more than 100,000 visitors and tourists. Most of the items are short of demand, during and after the Fair. 589 business matching sessions were conducted and 8 agreements were signed. Exhibitors had received continuously purchase orders after the Fair which had to a certain extent helped them walk out of the doldrums of the financial crisis, realizing Macao’s role as a regional economics and trade services platform. Exhibitors and Professional visitors were generally satisfied with the Fair 2009. Many of them expressed their willingness to come for the 2010 edition is due to the great business opportunities brought down by their experience of the Fair in 2009. Therefore, they will stock up more products to satisfy the needs of Macau citizens and tourists this year. With the success gained last year, coupled with the new cooperation situation of Guangdong and Macau, and the deepening of solid measures on the cooperation of trade and economic activities between both places, as well as having the aim to achieve greater success, the 2010 Fair begins its preparations right after the 2009 Fair concluded. Various promotional activities started as early as June this year. A Carnival for all The Fair 2010 is characterized by its carnival-style with activities such as Jumbo Discount for branded products, consumption coupons, lucky draws, and cultural performances. The lucky draw will be conducted daily for visitors on site. Lucky draw times are daily at 5.30pm on 22, 23 and 24 July. The Grand lucky draw will be held at 7.45pm on 25 July. Cultural performances will be staged at the Fair 2010 with famous singers and artists from Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau, star-studding the event with their songs, dances and other programmes, different everyday. The show times are: 1-1.30pm, 2-2.30pm, 3-3.30pm, 4-4.30pm, 5-5.30pm, 7-8pm daily. Famous singers from Hong Kong will reveal their talents on 22, 24, 25 July from 7-8pm. All programmes are admission free. Local and overseas trade visitors and residents are welcomed to take part at the Fair Free shuttle buses are arranged to take visitors at the following spots. The bus routes are: Avenida de Dr Soares – Macau Square – Estrada de Almeida – Pak Wai Bus Stop – Avenida de Hipodromo – Royal Supermarket at Areia Preta, and from different border checkpoints (Border Gate & Ferry Terminals) and from different major hotels to and from the venue. Free parking for 3 hours will be provided at the Macau Fishermen’s Convention and Exhibition Centre. The Fair 2010 will be open for four consecutive days and welcome local and overseas trade visitors/visitors/Macau residents/tourists to take part in this trade and economic festivity between Guangdong and Macau. Opening hours are: 22 July (Thursday) 12noon to 10pm, 23 and 24 July (Friday and Saturday) 11am to 10pm, 25 July (Sunday) 11am to 8pm. For more information, please visit the website http://www.guangongmacaofair.com or through hotline at 853-87989788 for the Guangdong & Macao Branded Products Fair 2010.
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22nd Macau International Fireworks Display Contest, organized by Macau Government Tourist Office, will be held on September 11, 18, 22, 25 and October 1 at the sea area in front of the Macau Tower. Director of MGTO, João Manuel Costa Antunes expressed in the press conference that he is confident that the ten breathtaking fireworks displays will thrill the spectators' senses of sight and sound, creating wonderful memories for citizens and visitors alike. Among the five nights of fireworks display contest, September 22 falls on Mid-Autumn Festival and October 1 is China's National Day. Teams from Italy and China will deploy their skills on China’s National Day to add extra sparkle to the celebrations. This year MGTO and Companhia de Telecomunicações de Macau S.A.R.L. (CTM) jointly launch “SMS Game” to promote citizen participation in the event. During the period of fireworks display contest, CTM will send out short message to their mobile service subscribers to introduce the game, in addition to promotion of the game on the websites of MGTO and CTM. Macau residents can send one text message to CTM through their mobile to vote for their favorite team after each night of display. The citizen who voted for the most popular team on that night is eligible for lucky draw to win two sets of reservoir stand tickets for the 57th Macau Grand Prix (Saturday and Sunday) and souvenir. The 5 teams who get the most SMS votes will be awarded with “The People’s Choice” certificates and souvenirs. However the voting result will not affect the jury’s decision on the fireworks display contest. MGTO will also post web banner on CTM’s website to enhance the promotion effectiveness. Each participating team is requested again this year to complement their display with music to enthrall the audience with a light and sound spectacular. To enhance the enjoyment, the organizer will install sound systems at the waterfront of the Macau Tower Outdoor Plaza, at the Macau Tower Street seaside and at the square in front of Kun Iam Statue on Ave. Dr Sun Yat Sen so that the public can enjoy synchronized music to the spectacular displays. Spectators are able to listen to live music of the fireworks displays through Radio Macau's live broadcast at FM100.7. In past years, world-renowned pyrotechnic companies have participated in the Macau International Fireworks Display Contest. The contest this year features teams from the United Kingdom, Chinese Taiwan, the Philippines, Australia, Portugal, Korea, Japan, France, Italy and China. Among which, teams from Korea, Italy and China make their Macau debut. This year a number of teams who scored high in the past years revisit Macau to vie for the contest again. Tamaya Kitahara Fireworks Co. Ltd. from Japan won the championship in 2004, 2005 and 2009, as well as the second prize in 2008. Their unique technique to produce firework shells which are perfectly spherical will gain the applause of the spectators again. Platinum Fireworks, Inc. from the Philippines and Infinity Pyrotechnic from Australia will compete for a higher score in the contest this year. Platinum Fireworks was the second runner-up last year and Infinity Pyrotechnic who took part in 2008 edition will bring the spectator through a journey of light and sound with passionate music. Established in 1996, Pyro 2000 Limited from the United Kingdom has participated in various fireworks displays and competitions around the world. The team staged a fireworks display for the closing ceremony of World Cup Cricket Final in 2007 and pocketed the second prize of the Macau International Fireworks Display Contest 10 years ago. Wan Dar Fireworks Mfg. Co., Ltd. from Chinese Taiwan is a veteran in the Macau International Fireworks Display Contest as well as other international celebrations and competitions. It took part in this contest as early as 1989 and attained the third prize in 2008. Wan Dar is all set for this year’s prize which it missed last year. SAS Sodip Pyrotechnie from France, with a history of 60 decades, uses cutting edge technology to design and display fireworks patterns accompanied by classical or robust music. The team got the fourth prize in the contest in 2003. Portuguese team Pirotecnia Lanhelas Lda, known as Gaspar Fernandes & Irmao Lda before 2008, joined the contest for three times and won the second prize in 1989. This is the first time for both teams from Italy and China to take part in Macau’s fireworks contest. Being one of the oldest fireworks company in Italy, Protecnica Morsani S.R.L. celebrates its 130 anniversary this year while Panda Fireworks Group Co. Ltd. staged the fireworks display to mark the 10th Anniversary of the Establishment of Macau SAR, took part in the firework extravaganza at 2008 Beijing Olympics and was the champion in Sweden’s Stockholm International Pyromusical Competition. Another new team, Woori Fireworks Inc. from Korea has taken part in domestic and international fireworks competitions, including the display at Korea/Japan World Cup in 2002. MGTO will spare no effort to bring about the world's most prominent international fireworks display to visitors and at the same time, will promote the fireworks display contest through various international, regional and local media channels, including advertisements on international media in neighboring region and travel magazines as well as distribute posters and leaflets. MGTO and the General Union of Neighbors Association of Macau will again jointly present the Fireworks Carnival to offer an array of live entertainment, cultural activities and culinary delights on the fireworks display nights. In order to capture the spectacular moments of the fireworks display contest, photo and drawing competitions will be held again this year. 22nd Macau International Fireworks Display Contest Photo Competition and 22nd Macau International Fireworks Display Contest Drawing Competition will invite entries soon. The winners of the two competitions will be entitled to premiums and trophies.
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The Historical Archives of Macao will hold another of its popular conservation workshops on Saturday 24th of July from 14.00 to 17.00. This time the focus will be on binding a buttonhole notebook. No previous experience is required but participants must be at least ten years old. Starting 19th of July, please visit the Historical Archives of Macao (open Mon-Fri, 09:30-18.30, Sat, 13.00-18.00) on Tap Seac Square to register and pay the workshop fee of MOP$20 (inclusive of materials and equipment for the workshop). Places are limited and will be distributed according to order of registration. For more information about individual workshops this year, please visit http://www.archives.gov.mo. For further details, please contact Ms. Esther Chu of the Macao Historical Archives of the Cultural Affairs Bureau at 85986537.
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The Monetary Authority of Macao announced today that the preliminary estimate of Macao SAR’s foreign exchange reserves amounted to MOP163.7 billion (USD20.42 billion) at the end of June 2010. The reserves rose by 3.4% from MOP158.3 billion (USD19.72 billion) for the previous month. When compared with a year earlier, the reserves increased by MOP21.8 billion or 15.3%. Macao SAR’s foreign exchange reserves at end-June 2010 represented 32 times the currency in circulation or 273.4% of Pataca M2 at end-May 2010. The trade-weighted effective exchange rate index for the pataca, a gauge of the domestic currency’s exchange rates against the currencies of Macao’s major trading partners, rose by 0.50 points month-to-month and 1.74 points year-on-year to 92.29 in June 2010. For enquiry, please contact:
Research and Statistics Department, Monetary Authority of Macao (Tel: 83952532; Fax: 28353042)
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service indicated that the Tourist Price Index (TPI) for the second quarter of 2010 rose by 12.29% year-on-year to 164.04. The price indices of Miscellaneous Goods; Accommodation; Clothing & Footwear; Food, Alcoholic Drinks & Tobacco; Transport & Communications; and Restaurant Services increased notably by 23.48%, 17.38%, 8.69%, 6.22%, 6.09% and 4.79% respectively, attributable to dearer prices of gold jewellery, men’s clothing, alcoholic drinks and tobacco, rising hotel room rates and airfares, as well as higher charges for restaurant services. On the contrary, price index of Entertainment & Cultural Activities registered a slight decrease of 0.05% year-on-year. The second quarter TPI went up by 1.38% quarter-to-quarter, of which the price indices of Miscellaneous Goods; Clothing & Footwear; and Food, Alcoholic Drinks & Tobacco increased by 6.01%, 2.86% and 2.17% respectively, on account of rising prices of gold jewellery, men’s clothing, alcoholic drinks and tobacco. On the other hand, price index of Accommodation decreased by 10.60% as a result of lower hotel room rates compared with the first quarter. The average TPI for the last 4 quarters ended the second quarter of 2010 increased by 8.45% over the previous period, with marked increase observed in the indices of Miscellaneous Goods (+19.45%); Accommodation (+10.72%); and Food, Alcoholic Drinks & Tobacco (+5.16%). For the first half year of 2010, TPI went up by 10.84% year-on-year, of which the price indices of Miscellaneous Goods and Accommodation rose significantly by 21.40% and 14.29%, respectively. TPI reflects the price changes of goods and services purchased by visitors, which is compiled according to the consumption pattern of visitors. TPI covers 8 sections of goods and services, namely Food, Alcoholic Drinks & Tobacco; Clothing & Footwear; Accommodation; Restaurant Services; Transport & Communications; Medicine & Personal Goods; Entertainment & Cultural Activities; and Miscellaneous Goods. The base period of TPI is from July 1999 to June 2000.
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The email system of the Education and Youth Affairs Bureau was out of order on July 13; currently the system has resumed its normal operation. The individuals and institutions that had contacted DSEJ through email during this time can inquire the staff of DSEJ by telephone or consider resending the email. We would like to apologise for any possible inconvenience in communication and contact caused by this incident.
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