News

Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that the slow economic recovery and sluggish external demand caused the Value of Industrial Production & Other Receipts of Macao to post a protracted decline of 26.5% year-on-year to MOP10.69 billion in 2009. Gross Value Added that measures the sectoral contribution to the economy amounted to MOP3.18 billion, down by 11.4% year-on-year; besides, Intermediate Consumption decreased by 31.5% to MOP7.51 billion, and Gross Fixed Capital Formation fell by 32.3% to MOP993 million. In 2009, there were 1,008 establishments operating in industrial production, a decrease of 44 over 2008; total number of persons engaged dropped by 23.1% to 19,289. Value of Industrial Production of the Manufacturing sector amounted to MOP7.62 billion in 2009, down by 33.0% year-on-year. Manufacture of Wearing Apparel and Textiles, the two major traditional export-oriented industries slackened off, with Value of Production decreasing by 42.4% and 37.1% from 2008 to MOP3.53 billion and MOP1.03 billion respectively. On the contrary, Value of Production of some new emerging industries saw year-on-year increase, of which that of Manufacture of Food Products & Beverages rose by 5.9% to MOP672 million, and Publishing & Printing went up by 2.6% to MOP562 million. In addition, Gross Value Added of the Manufacturing sector dropped by 22.2% year-on-year to MOP1.67 billion, and Intermediate Consumption registered a decrease of 34.2%. Meanwhile, Value of Industrial Production of Electricity, Gas & Water Supply totalled MOP2.89 billion in 2009, down by 6.7% year-on-year; Intermediate Consumption dropped by 16.7% to MOP1.39 billion; while Gross Value Added rose by 4.9% to MOP1.50 billion.
…

The Blood Donor Award Ceremony 2010 will be held on 29th October, at 7:30 p.m. at 4/F Grand Hall of Macau Tower Convention and Entertainment Centre. To express the MSAR Government’s respect and gratitude to blood donors and organizations, the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Cheong U and officials from the Health Bureau will attend the ceremony and present awards to them. A total of 1,299 blood donors who have accumulated five donations or multiples of five donations throughout the year of 2009 have been invited to the ceremony. 22 organizations and individuals who have made more than 30 donations will receive their awards on stage at the ceremony. Blood donors who have been invited to the ceremony are advised to attend the ceremony as scheduled with the invitation letter.
…

Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that the unemployment rate for July-September 2010 remained unchanged from the previous period (June-August 2010) at 2.9%; the underemployment rate rose by 0.1 percentage point to 1.6%. Total labour force was 329,600 in July-September 2010 and the labour force participation rate stood at 71.8%, up by 0.4 percentage point from the previous period. The employed population increased by about 2,700 over the previous period to 320,200, in which employment of the Gaming Sector and Wholesale & Retail Trade saw increase, while that of Restaurants & Similar Activities registered a decrease. Number of the unemployed held stable at 9,400, with 19.0% being fresh labour force entrants searching for their first job, up by 1.8 percentage points over the previous period. In comparison with July-September 2009, the labour force participation rate, the unemployment rate and the underemployment rate decreased by 0.2, 0.8 and 0.4 percentage point respectively. In the third quarter of 2010, the unemployment rate of local residents stood at 3.5%, up by 0.1 percentage point quarter-to-quarter; meanwhile, the labour force participation rate of local residents rose by 0.2 percentage point to 67.3%.
…

Coverage of the 2009 Service Sector Survey included Real Estate Management; Security Services; Cleaning Services; Advertising; and Conference & Exhibition Organizing Services. In 2009, there were 171 Real Estate Management establishments, an increase of 6 over 2008; number of persons engaged decreased by 8.2% to 4,525. Total Receipts amounted to MOP 844.75 million, down slightly by 0.9% year-on-year; Total Expenditure rose by 3.1% to MOP 659.72 million. Gross Value Added that measures the sectoral contribution to the economy was MOP 504.53 million, a year-on-year decrease of 8.2%; however, Gross Fixed Capital Formation surged by 9.8 times to MOP 40.65 million. Establishments of Security Services increased by 4 over 2008 to 15; number of persons engaged was 4,630, up by 20.4%, with 4,529 working in the 11 establishments with 100 or more workers. Total Receipts (MOP 603.08 million) and Total Expenditure (MOP 532.70 million) grew by 10.1% and 19.4% respectively year-on-year; in addition, Gross Value Added (MOP 489.00 million) increased by 2.6%, while Gross Fixed Capital Formation (MOP 3.40 million) decreased by 64.0%. Meanwhile, there were 96 establishments providing Cleaning Services, a decrease of 4 over 2008; number of persons engaged rose by 18.1% to 3,336. Analyzed by number of persons engaged, the 11 large-scale establishments (with 50 persons or more) had 2,403 workers (72.0% of total). Total Receipts and Total Expenditure stood at MOP 302.59 million and MOP 264.79 million, up by 9.5% and 10.2% respectively year-on-year. Gross Value Added increased by 9.1% year-on-year to MOP 244.96 million; Gross Fixed Capital Formation dropped by 8.4% to MOP 3.97 million. Number of Advertising agencies registered a year-on-year increase of 26 to 348 in 2009, engaging a total of 950 persons, down by 2.7%, with the percentage share of paid employees just accounted for 62.1% of the total persons engaged. Number of small establishments engaging with 5 or less workers totalled 312 (89.7% of total). Total Receipts rose by 8.8% year-on-year to MOP 333.84 million, of which receipts from advertising services amounted to MOP 199.46 million and receipts from conference & exhibition organizing services totalled MOP 120.46 million, up by 7.3% and 6.3% over 2008 respectively. Total Expenditure increased by 8.2% year-on-year to MOP 301.14 million. Gross Value Added totalled MOP 100.22 million, down by 2.6% year-on-year, while Gross Fixed Capital Formation rose by 25.9% to MOP 10.62 million. Establishments of Conference & Exhibition Organizing Services increased by 4 over 2008 to 20, engaging a total of 85 persons. Total Receipts grew by 45.7% year-on-year to MOP 76.79 million, with receipts from provision of conference & exhibition organizing services amounted to MOP 64.77 million, an increase of 30.2% over 2008; receipts from advertising services soared by 3.3 times to MOP 8.60 million. Total Expenditure increased by 53.5% year-on-year to MOP 74.76 million, with Compensation of Employees (MOP 12.93 million) rising notably by 102.4%. Gross Value Added stood at MOP 14.96 million, up by 44.0%; Gross Fixed Capital Formation decreased by 24.0% to MOP 273,000.
…

The distribution of cheques of 2010 Wealth Partaking Scheme has been successfully carried out. Residents with cheque in hand can proceed to any bank where they have an account to deposit it not later than 31 December 2013. Since July when the Scheme was launched, 87,442 beneficiaries have received the cash premium by means of bank transfer, accounting for MOP522,290,400, while 487,297 crossed cheques have been issued, which summed up to MOP2,755,429,200. Among the crossed cheques, 423,022 were withdrawn, representing 86.8% of the total number of cheques written out, and 377 were void. Out of the 63,898 unpresented cheques, 4,638, or 7.3% could not be delivered due to improper address or other reasons and these have been returned to the Identification Services Bureau. This has resulted in 59,260 cheques to be further handled. To provide enquiries and deal with procedures related to the cash disbursement, the government of the Macau SAR has set up a Support Centre for Wealth Partaking Disbursement. Public enquiries can be brought forward in person, by telephone or email. During its operation period, i.e., from 13 July to 22 October, some 38,067 enquiries had been entertained. Majority of the enquiries were made in person, proportion of 64.1% of the total, summing up to 24,408 and the second most popular channel was telephone enquiry which stands for 35.3% or 13,449. Personal visits to the Centre were mainly for re-issuance of cheques, which totaled 7,505 cases, whereas 1,336 were for the purpose of alteration of address. Please read attachment. As the distribution of cheques came to an end, the reception volume of the Support Centre has declined from the peak period of 15,210 person-time during the month of September to merely 7,292 person-time in October. In line with cost effectiveness and the 3 years cheque validity, effective from 25 October this year, the Support Centre will move to the Service Centre of Civil and Municipal Affairs Bureau located in Avenida da Grande Praia no. 804, China Plaza, 2/F to continuously offer assistance and handle enquiries associated with the 2008 to 2010 Wealth Partaking Scheme. The opening hours of this Service Centre are from 9am to 6pm straight, Monday to Friday, except public holidays. The service hotline 2822 5000 and the facsimile 2822 3000 will remain in operation. Enquiries can also be made to the Service Centre of Civil and Municipal Affairs Bureau at 8795 2675 and 8795 2676. Moreover, the official website of Wealth Partaking Scheme http://www.planocp.gov.mo is retained to provide relevant information.
…

Since the law on "Prohibition of Providing Illegal Accommodation" took effect on August 13, MGTO has waged a total of 81 sanctions, of which all were being investigated and will be judged according to established legal procedures, and offenders informed of their right to plead. At present, the first sanction proceeding has been completed and an operator who provided accommodation illegally is fined 200 000 patacas. Other cases are in different stages of sanction proceedings. The Cross-departmental Working Team has been conducting operations in the past two months and seized 12 operators, 12 touts and 12 persons who manage the premises that provide accommodation illegally (managing staff) on site. Apart from the operators seized on site, MGTO’s ensuing investigations will seek to establish if more offenders are involved. MGTO has begun sanction proceedings on offenders according to the law on "Prohibition of Providing Illegal Accommodation". To date, one operator who provided accommodation illegally is fined 200 000 patacas. If the fine is not paid within the statutory period, the Financial Services Bureau will enforce the collection of fine. Meanwhile, six occupants who failed to fulfill their duty of cooperation were fined 3 000 patacas each, among which, two have paid the fine. For those who fail to pay the fine within the statutory period, MGTO has notified the Financial Services Bureau to enforce the collection of fine and informed PSP that the involved persons should pay the fine or their reentry into Macau will be denied. According to the law, operators and persons who manage the premises that provide accommodation illegally (management staff) incur a penalty up to 800 000 patacas, touts can be fined up to 100 000 patacas, persons who fail to cooperate can be fined up to 20 000 patacas and occupants who fail to cooperate are fined 3 000 patacas. From October 19 until 5p.m. today (Oct 25) the Cross-departmental Working Team sealed four premises suspected to provide accommodation illegally and seized two touts, two managing staff, one overstayer and two illegal immigrants at the premises. Since the law on "Prohibition of Providing Illegal Accommodation" took effect on August 13, 999 premise-checks were conducted, involving 692 premises, of which 81 premises suspected to provide accommodation illegally were sealed, while 101 were normal residences. Ensuing investigations on the rest of the premises have been launched. Among the checked premises, some were vacant or unoccupied. Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO) and the Public Security Police Force (PSP) will continue investigation on unanswered doors, which are suspected to be used to provide accommodation illegally. Meanwhile, during investigations to other cases, PSP has found 16 premises suspected to provide accommodation illegally and informed the Cross-departmental Working Team to handle the cases. To date, the operations involved more than 803 occupants, among whom 367 were occupants of premises suspected to provide accommodation illegally and were investigated, including 16 overstayers and 14 illegal immigrants. 12 operators, 12 touts, 12 persons who manage the premises that provide accommodation illegally (managing staff) and six occupants who failed to fulfill their duty of cooperation were seized on site. Following the raid to premises suspected to provide accommodation illegally, MGTO began sanction proceedings on involved operators, touts and managing staff, and adopted provisional measures to cut the supply of water and electricity to the concerned premises and sealed the doors. Public can also call 2833 3000 to report suspected premises.
…

The four-day 15th Macao International Trade and Investment Fair (MIF), has come to a close today (24th Oct). The 16th Macao International Trade and Investment Fair (MIF) will be held from 20th to 23rd October 2011. Conclusion of activities
The overall scale of this year’s MIF has been significantly expanded and more internationalized both in the exhibition and the convention areas, with enriched contents of display. The four-day MIF received over 81,000 visits, of which over 8,200 being trade visitors which represented 4% increase year-on-year. A total of 1,151 sessions of business matching were conducted. Over the last 4 days, 62 agreements were signed. A total of 35 forums, conferences, seminars & presentations were held with 6,700 attendees (an increase of 26%). The scale of this year’s MIF regarding the no. of booths increased by 30%. There were altogether 760 exhibitors comprising more than 1,400 booths. New to the exhibition this year also included several themed pavilions, namely the Beijing Section, Zhuhai - Hengqin Investment Pavilion, Hainan Investment Pavilion, Cultural and Creative Industry Pavilion and Small Household Electrical Appliances Pavilion. The retail exhibition area was expanded and participated by SMEs from Mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao, and hence enriched the contents of display and exchange. Trade visitors from more than 60 countries and regions were present this year, including numerous entities from the Central Government and several provinces and regions from the Mainland such as the Autonomous Region of Inner Mongolia. In addition, there were also delegations from Portugal, East Timor, the Philippines etc. led by ministerial level officials. This is a clear indication of the increasing prestige and influence of the MIF both at home and abroad. During the period, numerous sessions of conferences, forums and business matching as well as product and service promotion activities were held, with encouraging responses from a great many exhibitors from home and abroad. During the many high level forums and conferences held, many had invited government officials, entrepreneurial leaders, elites of different trades, experts and scholars as keynote speakers, and the professional level and results of exchanges had been constantly enhanced. E.g. the “International Trade and Investment Forum 2010”, attracted the participation of the government representatives and business leaders from many countries and regions who gathered in Macao to explore regional trade and economic investment cooperation. During the “7th World Summit of Chinese Entrepreneurs”, a record number of some 1,500 Chinese entrepreneurs from all over the world met in Macao to exchange their views about the business development of the Greater China economic circle. Other conventions such as “Seminar and Biz-talks on Beijing-Macau Economic Cooperation” and “Investment Opportunity in Zhuhai Hengqin New Area” coincided interactively with the related exhibition pavilions in strengthening the function of a business platform for investment and cooperation. During the Fair, there were a series of economic and trade seminars between Macao and Portuguese-speaking countries, ASEAN, Latin America, European Union as well as many regions of the Mainland China such as Beijing and Hengqin of Zhuhai. Participants from different countries and regions presented the economic and trade development conditions and industrial policies of their own country or region. It is intended that through the MIF platform, the participants could promote economic and trade exchange and cooperation in the region and seek joint development. During these conventions, a number of cooperation agreements or strategic cooperation memorandums for a wide array of industries within the region were reached while a communication mechanism was established. This year, IPIM organized jointly with CPTTM the “Macao Fashion Week 2010”. Through the holding of professional fashion shows, it showcased the vitality of local and overseas garment enterprises and created a platform for communication and cooperation for garment manufacturers, brand business operators and designers/design houses. Details of Conclusion for Different Activities Business matching and agreement signing
The Organizer received a total of 2,449 business matching projects (a year-on-year increase of 1.87 %). During the Fair, a total of 1,151 onsite business matching sessions were arranged (a year-on-year increase of 11.53%). In particular, there were 362 sessions of purchase negotiations, 359 sessions of product/services supply negotiations, 173 sessions for franchising/brand distribution negotiations, 198 specialized matching sessions and 59 sessions of investment project negotiations. A total of 62 agreements were signed (including the information obtained by the Organizer regarding agreements signed outside the venue, a year-on-year increase of 3.33%). The trades and industries concerned included manufacturing, electronics technology, product distribution, real estate and catering, etc. The signing parties come from Macao, Mainland China, Hong Kong, Portugal, Taiwan, Japan, U.S.A., the Philippines, Indonesia, Germany, Brazil and Mozambique. Summarizing the business matching and agreements signed during the MIF this year, the position of MIF in regional economic and trade exchange service shall be to continue serving Macao’s SMEs to utilize Macao’s platform, in a variety of flexible business forms to deepen Macao’s economic diversification and reinforce the role of a regional platform, enhance external economic exchange, promoting cooperation of the market of Mainland China with the counterparts in ASEAN, EU and Portuguese-speaking countries. Meanwhile, the role of Macao as a platform in the communication and cooperation among Mainland China, Macao, Hong Kong and Taiwan will be more prominent. As always, MIF is devoted to serving the SMEs of Macao, by way of the MIF platform, to utilize many flexible business means to expand domestic and overseas market and strengthen the economic diversification of Macao. Multiple results
The MIF this year launched a series of new measures to enrich the theme of the Fair, upgrade the level of the forums and conferences in order to strengthen the business matching function which, in turn, opens up more business and cooperation opportunities. Trade and investment promotion matching and business service produced effective results. The MIF this year had made more efforts in inviting professional visitors. In particular, the Organizer launched incentives plans for buyers, special invited trade visitors and themed pavilions, which had drawn a large number of trade visitors from Mainland China, Portuguese-speaking countries, Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan, Macao and Hong Kong. Assisting actively SMEs in exploring business opportunities – This year, the MIF expanded the SME Exhibition by doubling the size of last year, having recruited more than 300 exhibitors from both sides of the Strait, making this year’s SME Exhibition the largest ever. Over the past 4 days, the Exhibition attracted many visitors and customers. The “SME International Business Days” (SME Day) focused on such emerging business models as franchising and e-commerce. By providing a wide range of services and activities such as a consultancy service counter, catalogue show, topical discussion, and service promotions, IPIM helped the SMEs to strengthen their general competitiveness, realize upgrading and transformation. The SME Day resulted in the signing of 23 cooperation agreements in environmental protection, specialties, real estate, and media promotion. “One-trip, Multi-stop” to enhance results of participation – Grounding on the experience of last year, the Organizer continued to conduct the “One-trip, Multi-stop” programme for trade visitors, which included tours to Canton Fair and to Hengqin of Zhuhai to inspect the investment environment and investment projects, with an aim of enhancing the results of participating in MIF. Survey
In order to have a more scientific and systemic conclusion of the Fair this year, the Organizer has entrusted the University of Macao to conduct a survey to collect data for future reference. The report of the survey will be announced shortly.
…

Information from the Statistics and Census Service indicated that the number of operating restaurants & similar establishments and cooked-food stalls in the markets totalled 1,615 in 2009, an increase of 47 compared with 2008, consisting of 1,570 restaurants & similar establishments and 45 cooked-food stalls. Total number of persons engaged was 19,738 in 2009, up by 4.0% (+764 persons) year-on-year. Sales & Other Receipts of the sector increased by 6.5% from 2008 to MOP 4.79 billion and Total Expenditure rose by 5.0% to MOP 4.43 billion. In addition, Gross Value Added that measures the sectoral contribution to the economy amounted to MOP 1.89 billion, up by 9.7% year-on-year; Gross Fixed Capital Formation went up by 8.0% to MOP 250 million. There were 1,570 restaurants & similar establishments operating in 2009, an increase of 46 year-on-year; number of persons engaged increased by 4.0% to 19,656. Sales & Other Receipts of restaurants & similar establishments reached MOP 4.78 billion, up by 6.6% over 2008. Total Expenditure of restaurants & similar establishments amounted to MOP 4.42 billion in 2009, an increase of 5.0% year-on-year. Analyzed by item, Purchase of Goods (MOP 1.79 billion), Compensation of Employees (MOP 1.53 billion) and Operating Expenses (MOP 1.11 billion) rose by 7.8%, 5.6% and 0.2% respectively. Moreover, Gross Value Added and Gross Fixed Capital Formation grew by 9.8% and 8.0% year-on-year to MOP 1.89 billion and MOP 250 million respectively. The majority of the establishments were eating places, totalling 1,235 (78.7% of total), up by 41 compared with 2008. Number of persons engaged rose by 7.5% to 12,622. Sales (MOP 2.86 billion) and Expenses (MOP 2.63 billion) increased by 7.8% and 7.3% respectively year-on-year. In 2009, there were 45 cooked-food stalls operating in municipal markets, an increase of 1 stall over 2008, engaging a total of 82 persons but without paid employees. Sales and Expenditure of cooked-food stalls decreased by 4.8% and 9.3% over 2008 to MOP 14.52 million and MOP 8.76 million respectively; in addition, Gross Value Added decreased by 4.6% to MOP 5.81 million. Survey coverage comprised all licensed restaurants, eating & drinking places, and cooked-food stalls in municipal markets in 2009, excluding hotel-operated restaurants and similar facilities, as well as street hawkers.
…

The four-day 15th Macao International Trade and Investment Fair (MIF), has come to a close today (24th Oct). The 16th Macao International Trade and Investment Fair (MIF) will be held from 20th to 23rd October 2011. Conclusion of activities The overall scale of this year’s MIF has been significantly expanded compared to last year with enriched contents and more internationalized both in the exhibition and the convention areas. The four-day MIF received over 81,000 visits, of which 8,286 being trade visitors which represented 4% increase year-on-year. A total of 1,151 sessions of business matching were conducted. Over the last 4 days, 62 agreements were signed. A total of 35 forums, conferences, seminars & presentations were held with 6,724 attendees (a year-on-year increase of 26%). The scale of this year’s MIF regarding the no. of booths increased by 30%. There were altogether 760 exhibitors comprising more than 1,400 booths. New to the exhibition this year also included the Beijing Section, Zhuhai - Hengqin Investment Pavilion, Hainan Investment Pavilion, Cultural and Creative Industry Pavilion and Small Household Electrical Appliances Pavilion. The retail exhibition area was expanded and participated by SMEs from Mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao, and hence enriched the contents of showcase and communication by display. Trade visitors from more than 60 countries and regions were present this year, including numerous entities from the Central Government and several provinces from the Mainland such as the Autonomous Region of Inner Mongolia. In addition, there were also delegations from Portugal, East Timor, the Philippines etc. led by ministerial level officials. This is a clear indication of the increasing prestige and influence of the MIF both at home and abroad. During the period, numerous sessions of conferences, forums and business matching as well as product and service promotion activities were held, with encouraging responses from a great many exhibitors from home and abroad. During the many high level forums and conferences held, many had invited government officials, entrepreneurial leaders, elites of different trades, experts and scholars as keynote speakers, and the professional level and results of exchanges had been constantly enhanced. E.g. the “International Trade and Investment Forum 2010”, attracted the participation of the government representatives and business leaders from many countries and regions who gathered in Macao to explore regional trade and economic investment cooperation. During the “7th World Summit of Chinese Entrepreneurs”, a record number of some 1,500 Chinese entrepreneurs from all over the world met in Macao to exchange their views about the business development of the Greater China economic circle. Other conventions such as “Seminar and Biz-talks on Beijing-Macau Economic Cooperation” and “Investment Opportunity in Zhuhai Hengqin New Area”, coincided interactively with the related exhibition pavilions in strengthening the function of a business platform for investment and cooperation. During the Fair, there were a series of economic and trade seminars between Macao and Portuguese-speaking countries, ASEAN, Latin America, European Union as well as many regions of the Mainland China such as Beijing and Hengqin of Zhuhai. Participants from different countries and regions presented the economic and trade development conditions and industrial policies of their own country or region. It is intended that through the MIF platform, the participants could promote economic and trade exchange and cooperation in the region and seek joint development. During these conventions, a number of cooperation agreements or strategic cooperation memorandums for a wide array of industries within the region were reached while a communication mechanism was established. his year, IPIM organized jointly with CPTTM the “Macao Fashion Week 2010”. Through the holding of professional fashion shows, it showcased the vitality of local and overseas garment enterprises and created a platform for communication and cooperation for garment manufacturers, brand business operators and designers/design houses. Details of Conclusion for Different Activities Business matching and agreement signing Prior to and during the 15th MIF, the Organizer received a total of 2,449 business matching projects (a year-on-year increase of 1.87 %), which included 82 buyers procuring 285 sourcing projects, 1,227 goods supplies projects (a year-on-year increase of 0.50%), 127 franchising/brand distribution projects for 79 enterprises (a year-on-year increase of 8.22%), 810 investment cooperation projects (a year-on-year increase of 0.5%). During the fair, a total of 1,151 onsite business matching sessions were arranged (a year-on-year increase of 11.53%). In particular, there were 362 sessions of purchase negotiations (31.45%), 359 sessions of product/services supply (31.19%), 173 sessions for franchising/brand distribution (15.03%), 198 specialized matching sessions (17.20%) and 59 sessions of investment project negotiations (5.13%). A total of 62 agreements were signed (a year-on-year increase of 3.33%, including the agreements signed outside the venue). The trades and industries concerned included manufacturing, electronic technology, product distribution, real estate, catering, etc. The signing parties come from Macao (51.2%), Mainland China (27.2%), Hong Kong (4.8%), Portugal (4.8%), Taiwan (3.2%), Japan (2.4%), U.S.A.(1.6%), the Philippines (1.6%), Indonesia (0.8%), Germany (0.8%), Brazil (0.8%) and Mozambique (0.8%). Summarising the business matching and agreements signed during the MIF this year, the position of MIF in regional economic and trade exchange service shall be to continue serving Macao’s SMEs to utilize Macao’s platform, in a variety of flexible business forms to deepen Macao’s economic diversification and reinforce the role of a regional platform, enhance external economic exchange, promoting cooperation of the market of Mainland China with the counterparts in ASEAN, EU and Portuguese-speaking countries. Meanwhile, the role of Macao as a platform in the communication and cooperation among Mainland China, Macao, Hong Kong and Taiwan will be more prominent. As always, MIF is devoted to serving the SMEs of Macao, by way of the MIF platform, to utilize many flexible business means to expand domestic and overseas market and strengthen the economic diversification of Macao. Multiple results The MIF this year launched a series of new measures to enrich the theme of the Fair, upgrade the level of the forums and conferences in order to strengthen the business matching function which, in turn, opens up more business and cooperation opportunities. Trade and investment promotion matching and business service produced effective results. The MIF this year had made more efforts in inviting professional visitors. In particular, the Organizer launched incentives plans for buyers, special invited trade visitors and themed pavilions, which had drawn a large number of trade visitors from Mainland China, Portuguese-speaking countries, Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan, Macao and Hong Kong. Assisting actively SMEs in exploring business opportunities – This year, the MIF expanded the SME Exhibition by doubling the size of last year, having recruited more than 300 exhibitors from both sides of the Strait, making this year’s SME Exhibition the largest ever. Over the past 4 days, the Exhibition attracted many visitors and customers. The “SME International Business Days” (SME Day) focused on such emerging business models as franchising and e-commerce. By providing a wide range of services and activities such as a consultancy service counter, catalogue show, topical discussion, and service promotions, IPIM helped the SMEs to strengthen their general competitiveness, realize upgrading and transformation. The SME Day resulted in the signing of 23 cooperation agreements in environmental protection, specialties, real estate, and media promotion. “One-trip, Multi-stop” to enhance results of participation – Grounding on the experience of last year, the Organizer continued to conduct the “One-trip, Multi-stop” programme for trade visitors, which included tours to Canton Fair and to Hengqin of Zhuhai to inspect the investment environment and investment projects, with an aim of enhancing the results of participating in MIF. Survey In order to have a more scientific and systemic conclusion of the Fair this year, the Organizer has entrusted the University of Macao to conduct a survey to collect data for future reference. The report of the survey will be announced shortly.
…

The 15th MIF continues to be open to the public today (23rd Oct). As this is the weekend, the Fair has attracted lots of local residents and tourists. Many pavilions and booths have been crowded with continuous flows of visitors, thus creating a very lively atmosphere. The honorary chairman of Taiwan’s ruling Kuomintang, Wu Bo Xiong, accompanied by the President of Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute Jackson Chang and Executive Director Irene V. K. Lau, paid a visit to the exhibition hall of the MIF and had friendly talks with the exhibitors. A total of 22,000 visitors have been recorded today. The Organiser has arranged 312 business matching sessions (including 88 sessions of purchase negotiations, 21 investment projects, 119 sessions for goods/services supply, 53 sessions for franchising/brand distribution and 31 specialized matching sessions), resulting in the signing of 15 agreements, which are related to a number of investment projects (establishing Jilin University (Macau College) in Macau, cooperation of developing manganese mine, establishment of environmental fire extinguisher factory, establishing the first “Macao Montessori Center” in Macao, manufacturing of electromagnetic induction energy-saving lamp), and products distribution (including products of environmental protection, animal feed, artificial heart, Liang Zi seafood), products sourcing (including fruit, vegetables and coffee, etc.) The signing parties come from Macao, Mainland China, Hong Kong, U.S.A., the Philippines and Mozambique. Entering the third day of MIF, a number of economic and trade conventions such as summit and forums continue to be held. The “7th World Summit of Chinese Entrepreneurs”, which has the theme of “Culture, Creativity and Environment”, was held this morning, with the presence of almost 1,500 Chinese entrepreneurs from 36 countries and regions. Organised by Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute, Institute of European Studies of Macau, European Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong and European Union Business Information Programme, Seminar on EU-Macao Business Opportunities “Fostering co-operation and exchange in cultural and creative industries” was held this afternoon. Participants in the Seminar exchanged thoughts on topics including EU-Macao trade and economic communication and co-operation, expansion of the EU market and creative industry development. In addition, a business-matching area has been set up to assist entrepreneurs’ in their search for potential business partners. In addition, Macau Productivity and Technology Transfer Center and Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute have jointly organized “CPTTM Fashion Design and Manufacturing” - 2009/2010 Diploma Programme - Grad Show, which presented numerous original fashion designs. Besides, “Creative Chic”, a Macao Local Fashion Designers' Society - House Show, has showcased the works of 14 local fashion designers which carried originality and distinctive fashion culture of Macao. On the same day, the Organizer has arranged a series of seminars and presentations. “Latin American Business and Tourism Seminar: Cuba and Peru” has invited 10 countries from Latin America to take part in MIF this year. At the Seminar, the consuls general of Cuba and Peru in Hong Kong and Macao SARs have presented the economy, trade and tourism of their countries with an aim to strengthen communication and cooperation. During the “History, Cultural and Heritage Tourism in ASEAN and Macao Forum”, representatives from several ASEAN countries including Malaysia and Vietnam have conducted discussions on the history and culture as well as tourism industry development of their respective countries, and took a further step in exploring joint promotion with Macao in historical and cultural tourism cooperation. Meanwhile, more seminars and presentations were held, including “The 8th Special Industry Seminar on How to Develop a Brand - Cultural and Creative Industry" organized by Macau Businesswomen Association; “Maximize Business Value of Macau Enterprises: Human Resource Goes Hybrid” organized by Macao Professional Development Association; “Finding overseas buyers through e-commerce” organized by Alibaba.com Hong Kong Limited; “World Mathematics Culture Franchising & Korea Snack Food Retail Franchising” organized by Licensing & Franchising Association of Hong Kong; and “Macao Post eSignTrust Certification Services” organized by Macao Post eSignTrust Certification Services. “The 5th Anniversary of the Establishment of Macau Businesswomen Association” and “The 4th Macau Honor Board – International Cuisine ”Awards Ceremony organized by Macau Businesswomen Association, was also held this afternoon. The workshop “Open to Creativity” organized by Macao International Brand Enterprise Commercial Association has the objective of providing a platform for communication among the local and overseas fashion designers. Kam Kuok Leung, a famous screenwriter and veteran cross-media practitioner, and other speakers, have shared their experience in brand building. The workshop was met with enthusiastic responses from the participants. Moreover, the Organizer continues to conduct the “One-trip, Multi-stop” programme for trade visitors, which included a tour to Hengqin of Zhuhai to inspect the investment environment and investment projects, with an aim of enhancing the results of participating in MIF. Preview of Activities for Tomorrow Tomorrow, the last day (24th Oct) of this year’s MIF, will continue to be open to the public. The Main Hall as well as the SME Exhibition will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The main programme of activities will include “ShowSmart Kids Fun Fun Show” to be held in the hall of “Macao Fashion Festival 2010” and “Relation between Website and E-commerce” seminar. There will also be a lucky draw tomorrow, and all residents and tourists are invited to join. Visitors to the MIF can enjoy 4-hour free parking at the Venetian-Macao-Resort-Hotel upon presentation of the MIF entrance ticket.
…