News

A detailed price comparison report on local rice prices for the first half year is available in Consumer Report issue No.206. An average price increase of 5 per cent was recorded for Thai rice brands during the first seven months of this year. Consumer Council pays special attention to local rice prices and a specific price report is conducted each month, covering price data from almost 30 local retail spots. Around 70 per cent of surveyed samples come from Thailand, other surveyed rice brands come from Japan and Australia. According to the Council’s data, prices of Thai rice brands increased significantly in the last quarter of 2009, recording an average price increase of up to 10 per cent. Prices then continued to rise in 2010 at an unhurried pace of less than 1 per cent and had become quite stable since this March. During the first 6 months, price increases ranged from 1 to 5 per cent due to import price and special promotions, etc. Prices of brands from other countries tend to be stable. The Council will continue to keep an eye on the market price trend and provide sufficient information to consumers. Consumer Report is now available free of charge at the two offices of the Consumer Council, bookstores and libraries. Consumers may also access the resources online at the Council’s official website (http://www.consumer.gov.mo). For inquiries, please call 8988 9315.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that consumption of Electricity increased by 17.3% over the previous quarter to 1.12 billion kWh in the third quarter of 2010 upon the hot Summer weather. Electricity consumption by Households surged by 34.2% to 250 million kWh, and that by the Business sector increased by 12.8% to 819 million kWh (Gaming sector shared 46.3%). Meanwhile, local generation of Electricity reached 375 million kWh, up notably by 65.6% quarter-to-quarter; imports of Electricity increased by 9.7% to 839 million kWh, accounting for 69.9% of the total available supply. For the first three quarters of 2010, local generation of Electricity decreased by 37.3% year-on-year to 806 million kWh, while imports (2.183 billion kWh) and consumption (2.817 billion kWh) of Electricity increased by 41.2% and 6.6% respectively. Imports of Natural Gas for electricity generation increased further to 55.86 million cubic metres in the third quarter, soaring by 88.9% from the previous quarter. For the first three quarters of 2010, imports of Natural Gas totalled 112 million cubic metres, up by 41.4% year-on-year. In the third quarter of 2010, consumption of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) decreased by 15.9% quarter-to-quarter to 8,406 tonnes, of which consumption by Households (2,562 tonnes) and the Business sector (5,795 tonnes) fell by 22.9% and 12.5% respectively. Meanwhile, imports of LPG decreased by 17.3% from the previous quarter to 7,685 tonnes, with the average price of imports dropping by 2.5% to MOP7.57 per kg. For the first three quarters of 2010, imports of LPG (29,344 tonnes) increased by 3.7% year-on-year. In addition, the average price of Bottled LPG and Centralized LPG decreased by 8.1% and 7.3% respectively quarter-to-quarter on account of lower prices of import; however, the average price increased by 5.3% and 5.0% respectively year-on-year. At the end of the third quarter, stock of LPG (2,288 tonnes), Fuel Oil (19.69 million litres) and Gas oil & diesel (23.93 million litres) registered quarter-to-quarter decrease of 23.6%, 15.7% and 0.5% respectively.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that the unemployment rate for August-October 2010 was 2.9% and the underemployment rate was 1.6%, both remained unchanged from the previous period (July-September 2010). Total labour force was 330,000 in August-October 2010 and the labour force participation rate stood at 71.7%, with the employed population increasing by about 400 over the previous period to 321,000. Analyzed by industry, employment of Retail Trade saw increase, while that of Real Estate & Business Activities registered a decrease. Number of the unemployed held stable at 9,400, with 19.9% being fresh labour force entrants searching for their first job, up by 0.9 percentage point over the previous period. In comparison with August-October 2009, the unemployment rate and the underemployment rate dropped by 0.6 and 0.3 percentage point respectively; meanwhile, the labour force participation rate stayed unchanged.
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A price check on canned foods and beverage items has been conducted by Consumer Council earlier (25th November). Significant price increases are observed in both ‘Narcissus Brand Spiced Pork Cubes (142g)’ and ‘Porthos Sardines in Olive Oil (125g)’. Selling price of ‘Narcissus Brand Spiced Pork Cubes (142g)’ has been increased by 20 per cent in one retail outlet and price increases are recorded at six retail outlets for ‘Porthos Sardines in Olive Oil (125g)’, with a price rise of almost 13 per cent. For beverages, average prices of most products have dropped or remained stable in the past three months. However, a 25 % increase in price is recorded for ‘Vita Pure Distilled Water (700ml)’ in one retail spot while ‘Vita Lemon Tea (250ml x 6)’ records a 2 per cent increase in price. Selling prices of other sample remain unchanged. Consumers are advised to check with the reports for the most updated prices in different retail stores to save time and money. The Council will continue to monitor local price trend of both beverages and canned foods. The above-mentioned reports are now available online at the Council’s official website (http://www.consumer.gov.mo). For enquiries, please call 8988 9315.
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To embody the national spirit of protection of intangible cultural heritage and outstanding folk arts, and to fulfil the obligations of Macao in joining UNESCO’s Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, and co-ordinate with the declaration works of Taoist Ritual Music in Macao as a national intangible cultural heritage, the Macao Museum under the Cultural Affairs Bureau will organize a themed exhibition entitled Heavenly Harmonies – Taoist Ritual Music in Macao in December this year. To complement the exhibition, it will host two seminars in the Macao Museum Auditorium prior to and during the exhibition. The first session will be held on Saturday 27th November. Interested parties and residents are welcome to enrol for the seminar. Following the successful inscription of ‘Macao Religious Figure Carving’ on the list of the second batch of National Intangible Cultural Heritage on 14th June 2008, the Macao Museum under the Cultural Affairs Bureau once again initiated the declaration for three items, namely “Taoist Ritual Music in Macao”, “Cantonese Naamyam (Narrative Songs)”, and “Feast of the Drunken Dragon”. The relevant documents were submitted to the Ministry of Culture of the People’s Republic of China in September 2009. The results will be announced by the State Council of the People’s Republic of China by the end of this year. Taoism is a religion native to China. Taoist Ritual Music, which is commonly used in Taoist ceremonies, remains an integral part of traditional Chinese folk music. As at the present, Macao has preserved nearly 500 items of Taoist Ritual Music from the Lingnan Zhengyi and Quanzhen schools. Such a large number of repertoires is unrivalled by any other Taoist ritual music genre in the world. The two seminars - known as ‘The Influence of Taoist Ritual Music in Macao’ and ‘The Value of Taoist Ritual Music’ - will be held on Saturday 27th November from 6:30pm to 8:30pm and on Saturday 18th December from 3:00pm to 5:00pm, respectively. The Macao Museum has specially invited Wang Zhongren, a former associate professor of Wuhan Conservatory of Music, to speak at the seminars, which are conducted in Mandarin. Through the seminars, the organizer seeks to enable audiences to recognise the historical context and characteristics of the traditional folk music of Taoist Ritual Music in Macao. Interested parties may call 83941204 for enrolment during opening hours of the Macao Museum (10:00am-6:00pm, closed on Mondays). Seats are limited and reserved on a first-come, first-served basis. For relevant details, please visit the Macao Museum website (www.macaumuseum.gov.mo).
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Macau Government Tourist Office takes part in the IT Week 2010 and introduces its latest service, “Online Payment”, in line with the development of e-government. IT Week 2010 is held from November 26 to 28 at the Tap Seac Multisport Pavilion, and MGTO has set up a booth to promote “MacauMap” and highlight the newly launched “Online Payment” service as well as other IT applications related to tourism. MGTO is gradually proceeding with “Online Payment” service, starting with payment procedures for tour guide card renewal and enrollment to join promotional activities. “Online Payment” service employs the most widely used encryption methodology, and through this secure and express platform, the travel trade can complete payment procedures for various kinds of services regardless of time and place. The users just need to log in to MGTO’s website and follow the instructions to proceed easily through the operations.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that inward foreign direct investment (FDI) amounted to MOP 22.12 billion in 2009, up by MOP 1.34 billion over 2008, with the investment in the Gaming Sector accounting for 70.7% of the total, at MOP 15.64 billion, followed by that in the Financial Sector (MOP 3.49 billion) and the Wholesale & Retail Sector (MOP 1.54 billion), sharing 15.8% and 7.0% respectively. Analyzed by investors’ place of usual residence, investment came mainly from the United States (MOP 8.86 billion), Hong Kong (MOP 7.23 billion) and the Cayman Islands (MOP 2.28 billion). In addition to a disinvestment of MOP 5.66 billion of outward FDI by local enterprises, Macao registered a net FDI inflow of MOP 27.77 billion in 2009. In 2009, income earned by investors from inward FDI totalled MOP 21.99 billion, an increase of MOP 323 million year-on-year. Meanwhile, Macao enterprises also recorded an income of MOP 338 million from outward FDI. At the end of 2009, stock of inward FDI to Macao reached MOP 96.81 billion, an increase of MOP 12.73 billion from 2008. Analyzed by industry, the majority was invested in the Gaming Sector, at MOP 67.19 billion, up by MOP 8.98 billion year-on-year; meanwhile, stock of FDI in the Financial Sector (MOP 19.12 billion) and the Wholesale & Retail Sector (MOP 3.90 billion) shared 19.7% and 4.0% respectively. Analyzed by investors’ place of usual residence, stock of FDI mainly came from Hong Kong (MOP 31.78 billion), the United States (MOP 23.47 billion) and the Cayman Islands (MOP 19.17 billion), up by MOP 3.64 billion, MOP 6.05 billion and MOP 2.18 billion respectively year-on-year. Furthermore, stock of outward FDI made by Macao enterprises amounted to MOP 1.92 billion at the end of 2009, down significantly by MOP 5.80 billion from 2008. Outward FDI was mainly invested in the British Virgin Islands, Hong Kong and Mainland China. Direct Investment Statistics facilitate analysis of FDI profile between Macao and other economies. For statistical purposes, Macao and Mainland China are considered as two separate economies. Coverage of the Direct Investment Statistics included the major industries of Macao, namely Industrial Production; Construction; Wholesale & Retail; Hotels & Restaurants; Transport, Storage & Communications; Financial Services; Gaming; and Cultural, Recreational & Other Services. In 2009, Macao had 2,082 inward FDI enterprises, with 2,033 engaging in the Non-Financial Sector and 49 in the Financial Sector.
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The Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) released results of the Survey on Manpower Needs and Wages for the third quarter of 2010. Survey coverage comprised Manufacturing; Hotels & Restaurants; Financial; and Electricity, Gas & Water Supply sectors, excluding own-account workers, as well as insurance agents and brokers not directly employed by insurance companies. At the end of the third quarter of 2010, the Manufacturing sector had 13,604 paid employees, down by 16.6% year-on-year, with those working in Manufacture of Textiles (1,128) and Manufacture of Wearing Apparel (6,383) decreasing by 31.8% and 26.5% respectively. In September 2010, average earnings (excluding bonuses and allowances) of full-time employees rose by 15.1% year-on-year to MOP6,480, with Sewing machine operators earning MOP4,140 in average. The Hotels & Restaurants sector took on 49,550 paid employees, up by 4.7% year-on-year, with 32,030 working in hotels. In September, average earnings of full-time employees rose by 2.6% year-on-year to MOP10,220. Earnings of Housekeeping staff amounted to MOP6,100. The Financial sector had 5,651 paid employees, up by 3.2% year-on-year, with 4,791 working in banks. The average earnings of full-time employees in September rose by 4.5% year-on-year to MOP18,250 and that of Bank tellers was MOP10,840. The Electricity, Gas & Water Supply sector had 1,068 paid employees, up slightly by 0.7% year-on-year. The average earnings of full-time employees in September went up by 0.9% year-on-year to MOP22,460. At the end of September 2010, the Manufacturing sector reported 2,071 job vacancies; the Hotels & Restaurants and Financial sectors had 4,630 and 171 vacancies respectively. In terms of recruitment prerequisites, 63.3% of the vacancies in the Manufacturing sector and 55.7% of those in the Financial sector required working experience. As regards educational attainment, 99.4% of the vacancies in the Financial sector and 58.3% of those in the Electricity, Gas & Water Supply sector required senior secondary education or higher. With respect to the indicators that measure inflow and outflow of human resources, as well as staffing needs, the Hotels & Restaurants sector had the highest employee turnover rate and recruitment rate, at 7.8% and 9.3% respectively; meanwhile, job vacancy rate of the Manufacturing sector stood at 13.8%.
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To gradually implement the policy objectives of improving administrative procedures and facilitating the general public, Macau Government Tourist Office actively studies the feasibilities of introducing various kinds of online application services. Recently, MGTO has launched an on-line application service for tour guide card, in line with the development of e-government. Among the application services under the auspices of MGTO, renewal of tour guide card and change of contact information top the list. As such, MGTO has launched the related online application services, with which tour guide card holders can complete the procedures online. Currently, there are 1,479 people with valid tour guide cards, which need to be renewed every three years. MGTO will introduce more online application services and in the next phase, the service will be extended to all tour guide cards applications, including applications for first-time issue of a tour guide card and replacement of a lost card. Applicants can visit MGTO’s industry website http://industry.macautourism.gov.mo/en/index.php to learn more about the online application services for tour guide card.
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The Monetary Authority of Macao released today the credit card statistics for the third quarter of 2010. The total number of personal credit cards in circulation was 402,715 at the end of September 2010, up 5.08% from three months ago. The numbers of Pataca (MOP) cards, Hong Kong Dollar (HKD) cards and Renminbi (RMB) cards were 321,331, 58,518 and 22,866 respectively. MOP cards, HKD cards and RMB cards witnessed respective increases of 4.46%, 2.45% and 23.54% quarter-to-quarter. When compared with the same period last year, RMB cards jumped 60.54% while MOP cards and HKD cards grew 14.10% and 5.32% respectively. As at the end of September 2010, credit card credit limit granted by banks in Macao amounted to MOP7.31 billion, up 6.19% from end-June 2010. Credit card receivables totalled MOP1.15 billion while the rollover amount reached MOP0.43 billion, accounting for 37.36% of credit card receivables. The delinquency ratio, i.e. the ratio of delinquent amount overdue for more than three months to credit card receivables, was 1.26%.
In the third quarter of 2010, the credit card turnover increased by 12.50% quarter-to-quarter to MOP2.0 billion. The cash advance turnover amounted to MOP0.12 billion, accounting for 6.04% of total credit card turnover. Credit card repayments, in which payments for interest and fees are included, went up 17.30% from the previous quarter to MOP2.03 billion.
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