News

At the beginning of a new era for the Macao SAR, the Government would advocate scientific policy-making and build an even more transparent administration, the Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, pledged today. Delivering his first Policy Address for the Fiscal Year 2010 to the Legislative Assembly, Mr Chui announced that a policy research office, directly under his supervision, would be established to streamline policy-making and be responsible for gathering opinion from public entities, consultative committees, academic institutions and organisations. In addition to the newly-established spokesperson system, the Government would review the Publication Law and Broadcasting Law this year to better uphold publication freedom and facilitate access to information. And based on the existing legal framework and norms, the Government would regulate the accountability of officials at all levels and define their political, administrative and legal responsibilities. The Government would also review the present system to require the adequate disclosure of assets by senior officials. A designated working group would be formed to draft the law for the Legislative Assembly’s approval, he said. Speaking on public finance, Mr Chui said the Government would formalise the usage of financial reserves and ensure that in the future its use would be subject to Legislative Assembly approval. On relieving the hardships of the financially-challenged, the Government would ensure the construction of public housing is on schedule and open for application regularly. The Government would also give residents another round of cash subsidies similar to that of last year, which was 6,000 patacas for permanent residents, 3,600 patacas for residents, and 500 patacas coupons for medical services. The 150 patacas a month electricity charge subsidy for all households would also be extended for another year. On public healthcare, the Government would increase its input to build an even better medical system, including a new hospital on Taipa/Coloane island. Moreover, it would work on a plan on primary healthcare for next decade to enhance the entire public health system. To ensure food safety, the Government would establish a food safety centre under the administration of Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau, to co-ordinate the work in this area. The Government would launch a review of the residency policy in order to attract professionals and talents who could contribute to the upgrading of Macao’s industries and sustainable developments. The administration would also accelerate the passing of a Cultural Heritage Protection Law to better protect the unique cultural features of Macao. On the economy, he said the Government would set up a commission on cultural industry and establish a foundation to support local creative work. Moreover, there will be a Conference and Exhibition Industry Development Commission and a designated department to facilitate the development of the conference and exhibition industry. In line with the principle of ‘one country, two systems’, the Government would put Taiwan-related affairs on its policy agenda and establish a formal communication mechanism with Taiwan to promote co-operation. The Government was committed to fostering Macao-Taiwan exchanges in all fields, including trade, commerce, tourism, culture and education with the ultimate goal of contributing to the peaceful reunification of the nation. On regional co-operation, Mr Chui said Macao would strengthen co-operation with Guangdong and Hong Kong, especially on industries such as conference and exhibition, culture, traditional Chinese medicine, logistics and education. Mr Chui will attend a plenary meeting of the Legislative Assembly to answer questions raised from legislators tomorrow.
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The Macao Chinese Orchestra will present two concerts this spring in the Grand Auditorium of the Macao Cultural Centre. Affinity to Macao (Sunday, 28th March) and Shanghai Rhapsody (Sunday, 25th April) feature outstanding musical selections representing the spirit of the two cities. Concerts tickets are available at JT Ticket Net outlets, where purchasers may also take advantage of the Orchestra’s special 2+2 Discount Scheme. The concert Affinity to Macao, conducted by the Orchestra’s Artistic Director, Pang Ka Pang, features the premiere of a piece for Chinese orchestra titled Reflections on Macao, a work commissioned by the Orchestra from renowned composer Rao Yuyan. The piece takes the audience on a musical stroll through the Historic Centre of Macao, where Western and Chinese cultures converge, and enchants listers with its Cantonese flair and subtle European flavour. Concertgoers will also be treated to the refreshing orchestral version of Affinity to Macao, a part of which was arranged by famed musician Kuan Nai Chung, performed in its entirety. Shanghai Rhapsody, led by Chen Xieyang, will expose audiences to some of the mellowest hits featuring lyrics by the conductor’s own father, Chen Dieyi. Among them are gems like The Evening Bells of Nanping, I Only Have You and Not Him in My Heart, Lover’s Tears and the Spring Breeze Kisses My Cheek, all of them very emblematic of Shanghai. Also presented will be an orchestral number known as The Chrysanthemum Flower Bed, the enigmatically charming signature tune from the film Curse of the Golden Flower. Originally the brainchild of Jay Chou, this number has been “refashioned”, as it were, into a folk piece by Maestro Chen Xieyang. The piece will be interpreted by the multiple international contest award-winning cellist Zhu Yibing, and erhu player Yu Hongmei, the first ever Chinese musician to perform a solo concert in Carnegie Hall. On the heels of their world premiere performance in Beijing, the soloists will be giving the piece its second-ever rendition in Macao, undoubtedly winning over the local audience with the limitless possibilities of the Chinese folk music style and the innovation of placing Chinese musical instruments side by side with their Western counterparts on the concert stage. Yu Hongmei will also deliver a rousing performance of the Erhu Concerto Red Plum Flower Capriccio. The two concerts will take place in the Grand Auditorium of the Macao Cultural Centre on 28th March and 25th April, respectively. Tickets are now available at JT Ticket Net outlets, priced at MOP 100, 60 and 40. The 2+2 Discount Scheme is available, offering concertgoers two free tickets to one concert with the purchase of two tickets to the other. Ticket outlets include the Net’s Nam Van Office (situated diagonally across from the rear entrance to the CTM shop), the Pedro Coutinho Office (on the 2nd floor of the CTM Building) and the ground floor service centre at CTM’s Taipa Branch. For more information call 2828 2888.
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The Chief Executive Mr Chui Sai On, is to deliver his Policy Address for the Fiscal Year 2010 tomorrow, his first since he assumed office last December. The session, to be held at the Legislative Assembly at 3 pm, will be followed by a press conference at Government Headquarters at 5 pm. These will be broadcast live on the Portal Website of the Macao SAR (http://www.gov.mo) and the website of the Legislative Assembly (http://www.al.gov.mo). Chinese and Portuguese versions of the Policy Address will be available on these websites. Copies of the Policy Address will be available at the Technical Support Office of the Government Headquarters, Government Information Bureau, Printing Bureau, Government Information Centre, Macao Central Library, Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau, and the Macao Post. On 17 March (Wednesday), Mr Chui will attend a plenary meeting of the Legislative Assembly to answer questions raised from legislators. Teledifusão de Macao will carry televise live broadcasts the Policy Address, the press conference and the plenary meeting. From 18 March to 1 April (Tuesday), the five policy secretaries will attend plenary meetings of the Legislative Assembly to introduce their policies and answer legislators’ questions. These sessions will also be broadcast live on the Portal Website of the Macao SAR and Teledifusão de Macao. Meanwhile, the Government Spokesperson, Mr Alexis Tam Chon Weng, said that Macao and Guangdong had set up a working group to draft a framework agreement on bilateral co-operation. Members of the group comprise senior officials from two sides, including the Deputy Secretary of Guangdong Provincial Government, Mr Tang Hao, and Mr Tam himself, who is also the Chief-of-Office of the Office of the Chief Executive.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service indicated that visitor arrivals in package tours increased by 9.7% year-on-year to 458,920 in January 2010. Visitors from Mainland China (328,956), Japan (23,759) and Taiwan, China (22,937) rose by 5.1%, 55.6% and 61.9% year-on-year respectively, while those from Hong Kong (20,638) decreased by 28.4%. As the 2009 Chinese New Year fell in January, number of Macao residents travelling outbound in package tours in January 2010 dropped substantially by 29.2% year-on-year to 12,842, with Mainland China (63.1% of total), Japan (7.3%) and Taiwan, China (7.1%) being the most popular tour itineraries. Meanwhile, outbound residents travelling under individual arrangements using services of travel agencies totalled 28,471, down by 4.5% year-on-year; the main destinations were Mainland China (37.0% of total), Hong Kong (31.1%) and Taiwan, China (13.7%). At the end of January 2010, total number of available guest rooms of the hotel sector increased by 1,548 (+8.8%) year-on-year to 19,086 rooms. Attributable to the improved economic conditions, a total of 664,403 guests checked into hotels and guest-houses in January 2010, up by 26.6% year-on-year, with the majority coming from Mainland China (53.4% of total) and Hong Kong (19.0%). The average occupancy rate of the hotels and guest-houses soared by 16.0 percentage points year-on-year to 81.6% and that of the hotels reached 82.4%, with 4-star hotels leading at 87.8%. The average length of stay of the guests increased by 0.1 night to 1.5 nights. In January 2010, visitor-guests of hotels and guest-houses accounted for 62.7% of the total number of tourists, up from 56.7% in January 2009.
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According to statistics released today by the Monetary Authority of Macao, new SME lending approved by Macao banks increased at a fast pace in the second half of 2009. Concurrently, the utilisation of SME credit in proportion to the credit limit approved by banks witnessed a slight decline. New Lending Approved In the second half of 2009, new SME credit limit approved by Macao banks totaled MOP8.9 billion, 43.7% up on the first half of 2009 or 72.0% up on the same period last year. The collateralised ratio, which indicates the proportion of credit limit with tangible assets pledged, reached 64.4%, up 25.1 percentage points when compared with the first half of 2009 or up 3.1 percentage points when compared with the same period of the preceding year. Credit Utilisation As at end-December 2009, the outstanding value of total SME loans reached MOP20.7 billion, which represented a growth of 5.7% from end-June 2009 or 4.2% from a year earlier. When compared with end-June 2009, SME loans to sectors of “construction and public works”, “restaurants, hotels and similar activities” and “wholesale and retail trade” increased at respective rates of 17.0%, 10.6% and 5.0%, whereas those to “manufacturing” dropped 24.6%. These sectors accounted for 75.0% of the total SME loans outstanding. The utilisation rate, defined as the proportion of outstanding credit balance to the credit limit granted, declined 0.4 percentage points from six months ago to 60.7% . Delinquent Loans At the end of December 2009, the outstanding balance of delinquent SME loans grew by 17.8% from six months ago to MOP510 million. Compared to a year ago, the balance grew by 19.0%. The delinquency ratio, a ratio of delinquent loans outstanding balance to total SME loans outstanding, rose 0.25 percentage points from end-June 2009 or 0.31 percentage points from a year ago to 2.47%.
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Organized by the International Association of Professional Congress Organizers (IAPCO) and hosted by the Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO), the "IAPCO Regional Seminar on Professional Congress Organization" opened today (March 15) at the Grand Hyatt Macau. About 90 MICE industry professionals from Macau and other regions in Asia participated. This is the second consecutive year for the prestigious IAPCO Regional Seminar to be held in Macau. The 3-day seminar aims to provide value-added opportunity for industry professionals from this region to further enhance their organization skills of an international event, how to promote a destination and how to win the bid. About 90 professional congress organizers (PCOs), convention and visitors bureaus, events management companies and other meetings industry representatives from Macau, Hong Kong, Korea, the Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand are here to take part in the seminar and each participant will receive a certificate of attendance from IAPCO & MGTO. The first two days of the seminar will provide participants with a snapshot understanding of the mechanics of conferences and exhibitions, whilst the third day will be dedicated to an in-depth seminar on Promoting a Destination and Bidding to Win. In addition, MGTO has arranged a half-day tour the next day after the seminar so that participants can see and experience for themselves Macau’s current MICE offerings. Three internationally renowned speakers who are experts in the congress industry will share their knowledge and experience in organizing international congresses. They are: Philippe Fournier, the newly elected President of IAPCO, and managing director of MCI in Europe with 25 years experience; Roslyn McLeod, IAPCO Council Member, and managing director of Arinex Pty Ltd. in Australia - Roslyn has been awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for her contribution to the meetings industry - and Jan Tonkin, also IAPCO Council Member, and managing director of The Conference Company in New Zealand. The Deputy Director of MGTO, Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, pointed out in her welcome speech that 2009 was an exceptionally challenging year. “The financial crisis took its toll on the global economy, while the outbreak of human swine influenza further discouraged travelling. However, as the global economy revives, we should take this opportunity to strengthen our fundamentals and be well equipped with necessary trainings to grasp more business opportunities,” she stressed. She believed that from the valuable insight of the speakers and through interaction with regional participants, the local business tourism trade can enhance their competitiveness and standards of service. Macau’s convention and exhibition industry is growing steadily. With the support of governmental policy, improved facilities and continuous educational opportunities, Macau has enriched its event portfolio by hosting various regional and international conventions and exhibitions. Since the first IAPCO seminar in 1975, IAPCO has built up an unequalled reputation in the field of international meetings management training. Over 2,700 participants worldwide, including at least 80 in Macau have since obtained an IAPCO Seminar Certificate of Attendance. The IAPCO annual “Wolfsberg Seminar” is a much touted industry educational event, however with Macau hosting the regional seminar, many more MICE professionals in Asia will have the opportunity to tap into the collective expertise and experience of the speakers.
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The Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, today praised his predecessor for his contributions to the Macao SAR over the past 10 years, achievements which were widely affirmed by the Central Government and Macao residents. His praises came after Mr Edmund Ho Hau Wah was elected vice chairman of the Third Session of the Eleventh CPPCC National Committee in Beijing. On behalf of the Macao Government, Mr Chui sent Mr Ho a congratulatory letter which said under the latter’s administration Macao society became stabilised, the economy improved, people’s status was elevated, citizen’s lives improved continuously and systems became more perfect, particularly in the implementation of “one country two systems”, “Macao people governing Macao” and high degree of autonomy have achieved fruitful results He said he believed that Mr Ho, in his new position, would constantly contribute to the nation’s unification and fully support the on-going “one country two systems” practice in Macao. Mr Ho said he felt honoured for having been elected vice chairman of the CPPCC National Committee and, under the guidance of the Central Government, he would continue to make efforts to enhance the establishment and development of the country. He also said that he would propel regional co-operation between Guangdong province, Hong Kong and Macao as this has been regarded as one of the strategies of the country’s development.
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In response to the travel notice issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China and Chinese Embassy in Thailand directed towards Chinese citizens, and in light of recent news stories referring that some local organizations will engage in large scale protest activities in Thailand from 12 March, and also on 9 March, the Cabinet Meeting of the Thai Government authorized the enforcement of Internal Security Act (ISA) in Bangkok and 7 neighbouring provinces (Pathum Thani, Nonthaburi, Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon, Nakhon Pathom, Ayutthaya and Chachoengsao) from 11 March to 23 March, the Tourism Crisis Management Office would like to remind the Macao residents who are planning to travel to Thailand should monitor the situation there or adjust travel itineraries if necessary. As for those who are currently travelling in Thailand, please avoid visiting protest locations and do not participate in any political activity, and remain cautious for personal safety. In case of any emergency, please report to the local police and contact the Chinese Embassy in Thailand for assistance – Chinese Embassy in Bangkok: (66) 2-2457044. Macao residents may also call the Macau Tourism Hotline: (853) 28333000 for assistance.
According to notice of the Ministry for foreign affairs, the Centre for Consular Assistance and Protection also available for public enquiries, Mainland residents and compatriots from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan may contact the Centre for Consular Assistance and Protection for assistance（8610-65964086）.
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The Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) released results of the Survey on Manpower Needs and Wages for the fourth quarter of 2009. Survey coverage comprised Wholesale & Retail Trade; Transport, Storage & Communications; Security Activities and Public Sewage & Refuse Disposal Activities, excluding own-account workers. Survey results were extrapolated according to the information collected from 889 statistical units successfully interviewed. At the end of the fourth quarter of 2009, Wholesale & Retail Trade had 29,211 paid employees, up by 12.3% year-on-year, with 17,754 working in Retail trade. In December 2009, the average earnings (excluding bonuses and allowances) for full-time employees rose by 5.7% year-on-year to MOP9,090, with Sales representatives and Salespersons earning MOP12,070 and MOP7,510 respectively in average. The Transport, Storage & Communications sector took on 7,658 paid employees, down by 2.0% year-on-year. In December 2009, the average earnings for full-time employees increased by 1.1% year-on-year to MOP15,090. Drivers of passenger/cargo transport by land earned an average of MOP12,540. Security Activities had 3,749 paid employees, down by 4.1% year-on-year. The average earnings for full-time employees in December 2009 went up by 4.7% year-on-year to MOP7,830, with Security guards earning MOP7,410 in average. Public Sewage & Refuse Disposal Activities had 623 paid employees, down by 5.3% year-on-year. The average earnings for full-time employees in December 2009 decreased by 6.4% year-on-year to MOP10,520. At the end of December 2009, Wholesale & Retail Trade reported 3,380 vacancies, up substantially by 95.6% year-on-year; Security Activities had 590 vacancies, a year-on-year increase of 23.9%, while the Transport, Storage & Communications sector had 284 vacancies, down by 9.3% year-on-year. In terms of recruitment prerequisites, 57.3% of the vacancies in Wholesale & Retail Trade and 55.8% of those in the Transport, Storage & Communications sector required working experience. As regards educational attainment, 73.8% of the vacancies in Wholesale & Retail Trade and 67.7% in the Transport, Storage & Communications sector required junior secondary education or higher, while 90.5% of those in Security Activities required primary education only. In addition, DSEC introduced the employee turnover rate, recruitment rate and job vacancy rate of the respective sectors to reflect the inflow and outflow of manpower and staffing needs in the various economic activities. In the fourth quarter of 2009, a high level of employee turnover was observed in Security Activities, where the employee turnover rate, recruitment rate and job vacancy rate were 10.6%, 10.4% and 13.6% respectively, higher than those in the other sectors. Employee turnover rate: The percentage of full-time employees leaving employment in the average total number of full-time employees in the reference quarter. Employee recruitment rate: The percentage of newly hired full-time employees in the average total number of full-time employees in the reference quarter. Job vacancy rate: The percentage of vacant posts in the total number of full-time employees and vacant posts at the end of the reference quarter.
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The Government of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) was informed by the Embassy of the Republic of Macedonia in Beijing that, holders of the Macao SAR Passport have been exempted from visa requirements when entering the Republic of Macedonia for a stay of maximum 90 days since 1 October 2009. On the basis of reciprocity, nationals of the Republic of Macedonia are also exempted from visa requirements when entering the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) for a stay of maximum 90 days. At present, a total of 79 countries and territories have agreed to grant visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to the Macao SAR passport holders, while 9 countries have agreed to grant the visa-free access to the Macao SAR Travel Permit holders.
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