News

Chief Executive Mr Chui Sai On said today the Government attached much importance to enhancing the environment of people living in the older districts. Mr Chui said this as he visited a number of older districts today and spoke to residents and representatives of community associations. Most of the residents told Mr Chui they hoped the Government could improve the business environment, solve the problem of flooding during torrential downpours and traffic congestion. Mr Chui said the Government would analyse their views and follow up on the issues according to their priorities. He re-assured them that the Government attached much importance to issues affecting the quality of lives of the residents in the older districts, including housing, traffic and social security.
…

Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that value of retail sales for the fourth quarter of 2009 was MOP 6.48 billion, for which retail sales of Watches, Clocks & Jewellery took the largest share of 23% of the total, at MOP 1.48 billion. Retail sales of Goods in Department Stores accounted for 16%, Adults' Clothing (10%), Goods in Supermarkets (8%), Motor Vehicles (7%), Cosmetics and Sanitary Articles (3%), Automotive Fuels (3%), Communication Equipment (3%) and Goods in Pharmacies (3%). Value of retail sales for the fourth quarter surged by 28% from a year earlier (5.07 billion) and 18% from the revised MOP 5.52 billion in the third quarter of 2009. Total value of retail sales for the whole year of 2009 amounted to MOP 22.11 billion, up by 16% over 2008, with notable increase in the retail sales of Goods in Department Stores (+41%), Watches, Clocks & Jewellery (+33%) and Adults' Clothing (+25%); however, sales of Fuels for Household Use and Automotive Fuels decreased by 24% and 22% respectively. In the fourth quarter of 2009, about 34% of the retailers reported decrease in the sales volume from the third quarter, down by 19 percentage points from the previous quarter; 66% reported that the sales volume remained stable or showed increase. In terms of retail prices, about 61% reported that the prices were stable, 18% stated that the prices increased whereas 21% reported the prices decreased. Compared with the fourth quarter of 2008, about 58% said that the stock level was normal in the fourth quarter of 2009, while 26% indicated that the stock level was low. Regarding the business outlook for the first quarter of 2010, about 75% expect sales volume will increase or remain stable compared with the fourth quarter of 2009 with 25% expecting a decrease. Meanwhile, about 80% expect the retail prices will remain stable or increase, while 20% expect a decrease. After removing the effect of price changes, volume of retail sales for the fourth quarter of 2009 rose by 19.2% year-on-year, of which sales volume of Goods in Department Stores; and Motor Vehicles increased by 32.9% and 30.8% respectively; on the contrary, sales volume of Automotive Fuels and Fuels for Household Use decreased by 10.0% and 5.9%. Compared with the third quarter, sales volume in the fourth quarter registered a 13.3% increase. For the whole year of 2009, retail sales volume rose by 12.4% from 2008.
…

More than a hundred world experts in aeronautical meteorology attended the 14th session of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Commission for Aeronautical Meteorology (CAeM) in Hong Kong. On behalf of the Macao Special Administrative Region, the Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau (SMG) sent representatives to attend the meeting. Through participation in international meetings and interchange of technical knowledge with experts around the world, SMG has been improving the application of meteorology into aviation industry, which helps to ensure the safety of aviation activities more effectively. The session was held during 3rd to 10th February in Hong Kong, which marks the first time a major international meeting on aeronautical meteorology in Asia. Representatives of SMG included sub-director Mr. António Viseu and the director of the Center for Aeronautical Meteorology Mr. Ku Chi Meng. Meteorological information is important to aviation activities. SMG being the aviation servicing department to the Macao International Airport has always been committed to provide a high standard of weather service for aviation. In addition to providing precise weather forecasts and warnings to aviation working units, SMG has also been enhancing their level of scientific knowledge in order to ensure a smooth operation for air traffics. The Macao SAR has become a Member of the World Meteorological Organization since 1996, and CAeM is one of the technical commissions of WMO. The meeting is held every four years to discuss the progress and future development in the provision of aviation weather services, as well as to standardize the techniques and operational procedures of the Members. The Secretary-General of WMO, Michel Jarraud, highlighted at the opening ceremony the “significant impacts on providing aviation weather services in the 21st century”. These included establishing standards of competence for the meteorological personnel serving in the aviation industry, extending the coverage of weather forecasts in airspace and implementing quality management system for aviation weather service. On the other hand, the meeting also addressed the link between aviation and climate. In view of the anticipated increase in extreme weather, different regions should consider improving their weather warnings mechanisms accordingly.
…

In response to the travel notice issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China and National Tourism Administration of the People’s Republic of China directed towards Chinese citizens and in light of recent news stories referring that some local organizations will likely engage in protest activities in Thailand, the Tourism Crisis Management Office would like to remind the Macao residents who are planning to travel to Thailand to 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 remain cautious for personal safety. In case of any emergency, please contact the Chinese Embassies in Thailand for assistance – Chinese Embassy in Bangkok: (66) 2-2457044, Chinese Consulate-General in Ching Mai: (66) 53-276125 and Chinese Consulate-General in Songkhla: (66) 1-7665560. Macao residents may also call the Macau Tourism Hotline: (853) 28333000 for assistance.
…

The Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) released results of the Employment Survey for the fourth quarter of 2009, of which principal indicators such as the overall unemployment rate (3.1%), unemployment rate of local residents (3.7 %), etc. have been published in January. Total labour force was 322,000 in the fourth quarter of 2009, comprising 312,000 employed and 9,900 unemployed. Compared with the third quarter, total labour force registered a decrease of 5,800, with number of the employed and the unemployed decreasing by 3,400 and 2,400 respectively. Analyzed by industry, the majority of the employed were engaging in Recreational, Cultural, Gaming & Other Services (23.4%) and Hotels, Restaurants & Similar Activities (14.2%). In terms of occupation, most of the employed were Clerks (including casino dealers, floorpersons, betting service operators, etc.) and Service & Sales Workers, accounting for 26.0% and 23.0% respectively. Median monthly employment earnings of the employed amounted to MOP9,000 in the fourth quarter of 2009, up by 5.9% quarter-to-quarter; meanwhile, median monthly employment earnings of the employed residents held stable as the previous quarter, at MOP10,000. Number of the underemployed totalled 6,000, with 68.8% engaging in Construction and 13.6% in Transport, Storage & Communications sectors. Within the unemployed, 89.3% were searching for a new job and 10.7% were fresh labour force entrants searching for their first job. With regard to educational attainment, 31.3% had primary education or lower, 30.9% had junior secondary education and 24.8% had senior secondary education. For the unemployed that were searching for a new job, analyzed by industry previously engaged, 36.0% had worked in Construction and 13.4% in Hotels, Restaurants & Similar Activities. Analyzed by previous occupation, 27.6% were Craftsmen & Similar Workers and 24.5% were Unskilled Workers. For the whole year of 2009, median monthly employment earnings of the employed (MOP8,500) and the local residents (MOP10,000) rose by 6.3% and 5.3% respectively over 2008. Starting 2009, DSEC releases annual employment indicators of households. In 2009, average number of employed per household was 1.7 and the median monthly employment earnings per household amounted to MOP15,800.
…

O Boletim Oficial da Região Administrativa Especial de Macau (RAEM) publicou hoje (22 de Fevereiro) o despacho nº 41/2010 do Chefe do Executivo, o qual cria o Gabinete de Porta-voz do Governo
Segundo o despacho, a comunicação com os cidadãos constitui uma das prioridades do Governo. O diálogo com os cidadãos, sociedade civil e os meios de comunicação social bem como o reforço da transparência justificam a necessária institucionalização de um mecanismo que assegure uma comunicação efectiva e objectiva. O Gabinete do Porta-voz do Governo adiante designado Gabinete do Porta-voz, com a natureza de equipa de projecto. Ao Gabinete do Porta-voz incumbe, designadamente: Definir, coordenar e concertar a execução da estratégia informativa do Governo; Assegurar de forma coerente, eficaz e integrada a comunicação do Governo; Fomentar as relações com os meios de comunicação social e com a população em tudo o que respeite às políticas, medidas e actividades do Governo.
O Gabinete do Porta-voz funciona na directa dependência e sob orientação do Chefe do Executivo e desenvolve a sua actividade em articulação com o Gabinete de Comunicação Social. Este é orientado pelo Porta-voz do Governo, coadjuvado pelo Porta-voz adjunto, nomeado por despacho do Chefe do Executivo, o qual pode exercer o cargo em regime de acumulação. É dever de todos os serviços e entidades públicas cooperarem com o Gabinete do Porta-voz, nomeadamente prestando apoio técnico e disponibilizando informação tempestiva no âmbito das suas actividades, sempre que tal lhes seja solicitado.
O Gabinete do Porta-voz, enquanto equipa de projecto, tem a duração previsível de 2 anos, renováveis.
…

The Monetary Authority of Macao announced today that the preliminary estimate of Macao SAR’s foreign exchange reserves amounted to MOP147.5 billion (USD18.43 billion) at the end of January 2010. The reserves rose by 0.7% from the revised value of MOP146.6 billion (USD18.35 billion) for the previous month. When compared with the same period last year, the reserves increased by MOP18.3 billion or 14.2%. Macao SAR’s foreign exchange reserves at end-January 2010 represented 30 times the currency in circulation or 246.9% of Pataca M2 at end-December 2009. 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 0.19 points month-to-month but fell by 2.71 points year-on-year to 89.42 in January 2010.
…

Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that the Sale and Purchase of building units saw quarter-to-quarter increase in the fourth quarter of 2009, with 6,588 units being purchased and sold at MOP10.62 billion. The majority (4,548 units) were residential units amounting to MOP8.83 billion, up by 23.6% and 15.3% respectively over the previous quarter. The average transaction price of residential units rose by 6.1% quarter-to-quarter to MOP25,631 per square metre of usable area, with the average price of those in the Macao Peninsula increasing by 5.2% to MOP25,415 per square metre, and the average price of those in Taipa rising by 10.6% to MOP26,432 per square metre. With regard to transaction of residential units under Intermediate Transfer of Title, the average price stood at MOP44,935 per square metre, up by 30.8% from the previous quarter. A total of 17,310 building units valued at MOP26.30 billion were purchased and sold in 2009, down by 19.5% and 24.9% respectively year-on-year, of which 11,307 were residential units amounting to MOP21.52 billion, down by 17.4% and 27.7% respectively. Among the residential units, 9,031 were situated in the Macao Peninsula and 2,242 in Taipa. As regards the price of transaction, a total of 4,318 residential units were sold for MOP1,000,000 or less, and 3,481 units for over MOP1,000,000 to MOP2,000,000. Analyzed by year of completion of the building, 3,597 residential units were completed in 2000 and after, 4,728 units in 1990-1999 and 2,982 units in 1989 and before. As regards the size of unit, 5,595 units (49.5% of total) had an area of 50 to 99.9 square metres. For the whole year of 2009, the average transaction price of residential units fell marginally by 0.3% year-on-year to MOP23,235 per square metre, and the average price of those purchased and sold under Intermediate Transfer of Title was MOP36,708, down slightly by 0.2%. The average price of office units rose by 1.6% over 2008 to MOP21,650 per square metre, and that of industrial units went up by 4.9% to MOP6,079 per square metre. For 2009 as a whole, a total of 9,111 cases of real estate sale and purchase contracts were made, a year-on-year decrease of 6.2%; the number of units transacted dropped by 10.4% over 2008 to 11,546 whereas the total value went up by 4.1% to MOP14.95 billion. In addition, total value of mortgage loans fell by 9.6% year-on-year to MOP52.01 billion. Gross floor area of buildings and the number of units completed in 2009 registered notable increase from 2008, reaching 1.41 million square metres and 3,251 units (of which 3,096 are residential units), up by 1.4 times and 1.8 times respectively. In addition, number of parking spaces for cars and motorcycles surged by 3.3 times and 2.7 times respectively year-on-year, at 6,291 and 1,750 respectively.
…

According to statistics released today by the Monetary Authority of Macao, on a monthly basis, money supply M2 grew slightly in December. Total loans continued to rise while non-resident deposits grew at a fast pace. The loan-to-deposit ratio thus fell from a month ago. Money supply
Currency in circulation increased 1.6% whereas demand deposits decreased 5.0%. M1 thus dropped 4.0% compared with the previous month. Meanwhile, quasi-monetary liabilities went up by 1.1%. The sum of these two items, i.e. M2, grew slightly by 0.4% to MOP212.2 billion. On an annual basis, M1 and M2 rose 23.8% and 11.8% respectively. The share of Pataca (MOP) in M2 stood at 28.2%, up 0.1 percentage point over a month ago or down 0.3 percentage points from a year earlier. Concurrently, the share of Hong Kong Dollar (HKD) in M2 was 53.6%, down 0.8 percentage points month-to-month and up 1.3 percentage points year-on-year. Deposits
Resident deposits rose slightly by 0.3% from the previous month to MOP207.2 billion. Of which, HKD deposits fell 1.2% but MOP deposits and other foreign currency deposits grew at respective rates of 0.6% and 4.5%. Concurrently, non-resident deposits grew notably by 12.8% to MOP83.2 billion while public sector deposits with the banking sector increased 22.3% to MOP16.3 billion due to treasury operations. As a result, total deposits with the banking sector expanded 4.5% from the previous month to MOP306.8 billion. The shares of MOP and HKD in total deposits were 22.1% and 46.4% respectively.
Loans
Domestic loans to the private sector expanded 2.1% month-to-month to MOP100.8 billion. Among which, MOP26.3 billion was MOP-denominated and MOP67.9 billion was denominated in HKD, representing 26.1% and 67.3% of the total respectively. Loans to “wholesale and retail trade”, “individuals for house purchases” and “manufacturing industries” increased quarter-to-quarter at respective rates of 14.2%, 11.3% and 8.4% whereas those to “non-monetary financial institutions” and “restaurants, hotels and related activities” dropped 15.9% and 5.2%. Meanwhile, external loans rose by 4.8% to MOP85.8 billion; of which, loans denominated in MOP and HKD accounted for 1.0% and 47.5% respectively of the total, at values of MOP0.9 billion and MOP40.8 billion. Loan-to-deposit ratios
As domestic loans to the private sector rose at a faster pace than resident deposits, the loan-to-deposit ratio for the resident sector at end-December 2009 increased slightly by 0.2 percentage points month-to-month to 45.1%. The ratio for both the resident and non-resident sectors stood at 60.8%, down 0.7 percentage points.
…

Information from the Statistics and Census Service indicated that per-capita spending of visitors increased by 1% year-on-year to MOP 1,807 in the fourth quarter of 2009. Analysed by place of residence, per-capita spending of Mainland visitors took the lead, at MOP 3,563; per-capita spending of those from Southeast Asia; Taiwan, China; and Hong Kong amounted to MOP 1,814, MOP 1,606 and MOP 1,212 respectively. Compared with the fourth quarter of 2008, per-capita spending of tourists rose by 7% to MOP 2,659 and that of same-day visitors went up by 26% to MOP 631. In the fourth quarter of 2009, per-capita non-shopping spending (excluding gaming expenses) of visitors increased by 1% year-on-year to MOP 1,093, of which expenses on Accommodation and Food & Beverage accounted for 47% and 34% respectively. Meanwhile, per-capita shopping spending rose by 1% to MOP 714, with expenses on Local Food Products and Clothing sharing 28% and 22% respectively. Per-diem spending of visitors amounted to MOP 1,679 in the fourth quarter of 2009, a year-on-year increase of 8%. Mainland visitors had the highest per-diem spending of MOP 2,837 and the respective spending of visitors from Taiwan, China; Southeast Asia and Hong Kong was MOP 1,600, MOP 1,493 and MOP 1,209. The average length of stay of visitors held stable at 1.1 days, same as the fourth quarter of 2008, with Mainland visitors staying an average of 1.3 days. The average length of stay of both tourists and same-day visitors extended by 0.1 day to 1.7 days and 0.3 days respectively.
…