News

The Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) released results of the Survey on Manpower Needs and Wages of the Gaming Sector for the fourth quarter of 2009. Survey coverage excluded junket promoters and junket associates. At the end of the fourth quarter of 2009, the Gaming Sector had 44,020 employees, up slightly by 0.4% year-on-year. Analyzed by occupations that are directly related to betting services, 18,274 were dealers, up slightly by 0.4% year-on-year; 12,040 were hard & soft count clerks, cage cashiers, pit bosses, casino floorpersons, betting service operators, etc., up by 1.4%. Meanwhile, 5,283 were casino & slot machine attendants, security guards, surveillance room operators, etc., up by 4.4% from a year earlier. In December 2009, average earnings (excluding bonuses and allowances) for full-time employees dropped by 3.4% year-on-year to MOP 15,100. The average earnings for dealers fell by 4.9% over December 2008 to MOP 13,270, and that for hard & soft count clerks, cage cashiers, pit bosses, casino floorpersons, betting service operators, etc. stood at MOP 18,400, down by 5.7%. The average earnings for casino & slot machine attendants, security guards, surveillance room operators, etc. registered a year-on-year increase of 4.7% to MOP 10,060. At the end of December 2009, number of vacancies of the Gaming Sector increased by 48.1% year-on-year to 382, with 114 for dealers, 57 for hard & soft count clerks, cage cashiers, pit bosses, casino floorpersons, betting service operators, etc. and 66 for casino & slot machine attendants, security guards, surveillance room operators, etc. As regards recruitment prerequisites, 69.9% of the vacancies required no working experience; 52.4% required senior secondary education or higher. Other preferred language skills were Mandarin (55.0%) and English (51.0%). With respect to the indicators that measure the inflow and outflow of human resources, as well as staffing needs of the sector, the employee turnover rate and recruitment rate of the Gaming Sector were 4.1% and 4.9% respectively in the fourth quarter of 2009, while the job vacancy rate was 0.9%.
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The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China and Chinese Embassy in Thailand had issued a travel notice to Chinese citizens as recent news stories indicated that some local organizations would engage in large-scale protest activities in Thailand on 27 March. On 23 March, the Cabinet Meeting of the Thai Government authorized the extension of the enforcement of Internal Security Act (ISA) in Bangkok, Samut Prakan and Nonthaburi until 30 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 remain cautious for personal safety. In case of any emergency, please report to the local police and contact the Chinese Embassy in Thailand - Chinese Embassy in Bangkok (Tel: (66) 2-2457044). Macao residents may also call the Macau Tourism Hotline: (853) 28333000 for assistance. Mainland residents and compatriots from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan may also contact the Centre for Consular Assistance and Protection of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs for assistance（Tel: (86)10-65964086）.
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Tourism Event Management and Heritage Management major Second Year Students of the Institute For Tourism Studies (IFT), is organising “Macao Slow Food 2010 – Food Heritage of The Macanese” at IFT on 14 May, 2010 (Friday). All profits generated from the event will be donated to charity. Macao Slow Food events have been organised by Tourism Event Management Students in the past 3 years. This year is the first time to have the participation of the Heritage Management Students for enriching the content of the slow food movement.
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In order to raise the staff and students awareness to fire safety on campus, the Institute For Tourism Studies (IFT) organised a fire drill in Taipa Campus on 19 March. As a higher education institution, IFT believes that it is important for the public and all industries to be aware of fire hazards to minimise the loss of life and properties and give our visitors peace of mind. IFT has strategically started the occupational safety and health scheme on campus since 2000. The Occupational Safety & Health and Environmental Committee has invited Macau Red Cross deliver first aid courses for staff and organised fire precaution seminar at the Fire Services Department. With the assistance of the Fire Services Department (by advising on firefighting equipment and examining the campus surrounding to lay down the evacuation routes), an emergency plan was drafted to give staff, students and guests at the training units clear instructions of evacuation in case of fire. IFT organises fire drills every year and this time it took place at the new Taipa Campus, which began operation in September 2009. 380 staff and students completed the drill in 7 minutes, which was less than the “golden 8 minutes” suggested by the Fire Services Department. The drill required the participants to put together all the skills learnt in first aids, fire control and emergency evacuation. IFT has invited the Fire Services Department to observe the drill and gave valuable comment to improve the whole process. In addition to the regular fire drill, IFT also concerns the occupational health and safety and working environmental of the staff. Until 2010, more than 80 staff have joined fire precaution seminars and trainings on the use of fire extinguishers. Safety of travelers has great impact on the development of our tourism industry. Therefore, it is important to enhance our students’ knowledge on fire precaution which when they join the tourism industry, to build up a positive image of Macao as a beautiful and safe travel destination.
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With the objective of assisting local enterprises to make the best use of the Internet for marketing and business development, Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) reorganizes ‘Macau e-com’ website to further introduce e-commerce support services and to provide more internet resources. Local enterprises can acquire information about IPIM’s e-comemrce support services and general e-commerce knowledge on the website. “Macau e-com” introduces content and application guidelines of ‘E-Commerce Promotion Incentive Measures’, hyperlinks to various e-commerce operators, related regulations and laws, event news and frequently-asked-questions (FAQs), etc. For facilitating applying enterprises, an online application of the above ‘measures’ has also been in service. For the purpose of assisting local enterprises to develop their business by making good use of the Internet, IPIM has introduced ‘E-Commerce Promotion Incentive Measures’ last November to subsidize local enterprises promoting business online, with a cover up to 70% of the publicity expenses and an annual total limit of MOP20,000 for each enterprise. In order to present more IPIM e-commerce resources and services materials, an ‘E-Commerce Demonstration Area’, equipped with touch-screen computers and copies of related materials, has been established at Macao Business Support Center of IPIM. For more information, please log on ‘Macau e-com’ website at: http://ecom.ipim.gov.mo/, or contact IPIM’s SMEC at 28728212.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that the number of visitor and non-resident arrivals totalled 2,443,847 in February 2010. Attributable to the long Lunar New Year holidays, total visitor arrivals surged by 24.4% year-on-year to 2,057,566. Same-day visitors (1,083,981) accounted for 52.7% of the total visitor arrivals, with 612,371 coming from Mainland China. Analyzed by place of residence, visitors from Mainland China soared by 38.1% year-on-year to 1,145,320 (55.7% of total visitor arrivals), with 579,345 travelling to Macao under the Individual Visit Scheme, up by 25.7% from February 2009 (461,061). Visitors from Hong Kong (612,750); Taiwan, China (100,133); and the Republic of Korea (27,608) rose by 13.2%, 9.8% and 74.2% respectively, while those from Japan (28,325) fell by 19.7%. The cumulative visitor arrivals totalled 4,104,122 in the first two months of 2010, up by 15.0% year-on-year. Visitors from Mainland China (2,276,980); Taiwan, China (215,806); and the Republic of Korea (57,910) increased by 27.9%, 10.9% and 68.6% respectively, while those from Hong Kong (1,157,353) and Japan (63,966) decreased by 2.5% and 4.7% respectively. Cumulative number of same-day visitors accounted for 51.8% of the total visitor arrivals, at 2,124,958. Analyzed by mode of transport, visitor arrivals by sea totalled 1,659,827 in the first two months of 2010, up by 11.7% year-on-year. Visitors arriving at the Outer Harbour increased by 6.2% to 1,068,924, with the majority coming from Hong Kong (51.9%) and Mainland China (25.4%); meanwhile, those arriving at the Provisional Ferry Terminal in Taipa went up by 22.9% to 519,386. Visitor arrivals by land increased by 16.7% year-on-year to 2,161,661 in the first two months of 2010; those arriving through the Border Gate totalled 1,971,759 and the majority were visitors from Mainland China (80.7%) and Hong Kong (12.8%). Visitor arrivals by air rose by 21.9% year-on-year to 282,634 in the first two months of 2010. Visitors arriving at the Macao International Airport increased by 22.9% to 278,706, with the majority coming from Taiwan, China (35.6%), Mainland China (32.7%) and Malaysia (6.7%).
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The Institute For Tourism Studies (IFT), Macao organized the “Joint Workshop on Macao Heritage Integration” with Jiangnan University, Jiangsu PRC on 15-19 March. 11 students from the School of Design and Architecture of Jiangnan University, led by Dr. Zhu Rong and Dr. Wu Yao, joined the IFT Hotel Management Bachelor Degree Programme Year 3 and some of Heritage Management Year 4 students, led by IFT facilitators, Dr. Francisco Pinheiro and Ong Chin Ee at the workshop, to research on possible preservation and revitalization strategies for Macao cultural heritage. Research areas include:
l Adaptive reuse of Mandarin House and the yellow houses in Lilao Square
l Preservation and reuse of industrial heritage: Yec Long Firecrackers Factory
l Preservation and improvement of urban public spaces and streetscape: Camoes Square to 5th October Avenue and Hong Kong Miu Temple The workshop,an academic exercise for the students in the Facilities and Properties Management course of Hotel Management, intends to analyze several aspects and relations between hospitality facilities quality experience and their contribution for increasing the tourism carrying capacity of Macao in harmony with local communities needs and expectations. In the 5-day joint workshop, the students from the two institutions, divided into different groups, visited the sites for in-depth field appreciation and thorough study of the heritage places. Photos and video images were taken and dimensions carefully measured for SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats). They also had a chance to interview the tourists and residents in the area to find out their prospects for the development of these heritage sites. From the data collected, the students worked out the possible strategies on sustainable development of these heritage sites in terms of preservation and area revitalization. The students proposed their designs and concepts on the last day of the workshop. It is generally believed that in order to achieve sustainable development, public involvement and more cultural interaction is essential. To meet this goal, transportation network and parking facilities have to be improved. It was proposed to pedestrianise the 5th October Avenue and put up signage to form a zone for walking tours, linking the Ruins of St. Paul, Camoes Square and Hong Kong Miu Temple. This measure is hoped to bring economic resurgence to the inner harbor area. For revitalization policies on Mandarin House and Yec Long Firecrackers Factory, the students summarized suggestions from interviews with local residents and came out with various renovation plans. Besides converting the buildings to cultural heritage museums, policy makers can consider reserving rooms for recreation, performance arts and creative industry. Suggested value adding facilities include library, exhibition hall, performing house for Chinese opera and rest place for residents and tourists. Other facilities, such as bookstores, cafeterias and themed restaurants can generate fund for the upkeep of the buildings. Based on these exploratory and preliminary proposals, it is hoped that more research and consultation can be done to help elaboratedifferent possible scenarios for heritage conservation. The joint workshop helped the participants to visualize design concepts in the unique heritage environment of Macao and provided good opportunities for them to interact and learn from each other. A participant of the workshop, Zhou Yang (Year 4 student, Jiangnan University), said that she treasured this exchange opportunity with students from IFT. After the workshop, she realized that heritage conservation is not only about restoring the structure of the buildings, but also how to integrate the heritage to local community and how to be economically sustainable. The workshop opens up opportunities for idea for heritage management and cultural tourism to converge and signifies another successful collaboration between IFT and higher institutions in the Mainland. Aiming to benefit Macao and the Mainland through rigorous training of heritage and tourism professionals, IFT looks forward to future collaborations with other higher institutions around the world.
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The opening ceremony of the second EU-Macao Co-operation Programme in the Legal Field will take place tomorrow, March 23rd (Tuesday), at 3.30pm, in the auditorium of the Legal and Judicial Training Centre (Luso-International Bank Building, 18th floor). Presided by the Secretary for Administration and Justice, Florinda Chan, the opening ceremony marks the beginning of the new Co-operation Programme with the European Union, which will last until December 2012. With a budget total of 1.500.000 euros (approximately 16.500.000 patacas), this programme is co-financed by the European Union and the Macao Foundation, with the remaining costs supported by the MSAR’s budget. Jozsef Molnar and Rainer Schierhorst, representatives from the European’s Commission Directorate-General for External Relations, who are in charge of the new Co-operation Programme in Brussels, will also attend the ceremony. The Secretary for Administration and Justice, Florinda Chan, will be delivering the inaugural speech, followed by Jozsef Molnar’s speech on behalf of the European Commission. At 5pm, after the conclusion of the opening ceremony, the first activity of the second Co-operation Programme will be initiated. Luís Filipe Colaço Antunes, President of the Scientific Council of the Faculty of Law, University of Porto, Portugal, will be giving a seminar on “Town Planning, Urban Reconstruction and World Heritage Protection”. This seminar will last until March 25th. On the following day, March 26th, he will be giving another seminar on the “Revocation of the Administrative Act” that will take place at the auditorium of the Public Administration Building. Both these seminars, organized by the Legal and Judicial Training Centre and are expecting a total audience of approximately 200 participants. The second EU-Macao Co-operation Programme in the Legal Field has the “Consolidation of the Macao Legal System” as its main objective. It is divided into six sub-programmes, with a total of 71 activities to take place over a period of three years. The implementation of this Co-operation Programme is coordinated by the International Law Office (GADI), with participation of several other MSAR’s entities and public departments, namely, the Legal and Judicial Training Centre (CFJJ), the Legal Affairs Bureau (DSAJ), the Economic Services (DSE), the Financial Services Bureau (DSF) and the Institute of European Studies of Macau (IEEM).
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service indicated that the Composite CPI (103.27) for February 2010 increased notably by 2.57% year-on-year since the Lunar New Year fell in January 2009 as against February this year; the increment was attributable to the price increase of the Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages. Price indices of Recreation & Culture; Transport; Clothing & Footwear; Miscellaneous Goods & Services; and Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages rose by 8.64%, 7.87%, 7.84%, 7.33% and 4.82% respectively, on account of soaring charges for outbound package tours, meal brought away from home and hairdressing services, rising prices of gasoline, gold jewellery, clothings, vegetables, fresh fish and seafood during the Lunar New Year period. On the contrary, apart from the 9.81% decrease of the price index of Education, reduced charges for mobile phone services and lower rentals for housing drove the price indices of Communication; and Housing & Fuels down by 3.33% and 1.47% respectively. The CPI-A (103.0) and CPI-B (103.28) for February 2010 increased by 1.99% and 2.62% year-on-year respectively. The Composite CPI for February 2010 increased by 1.11% month-to-month, of which the price indices of Recreation & Culture; Miscellaneous Goods & Services; and Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages rose by 6.28%, 2.69% and 1.66% respectively, attributable to soaring charges for outbound package tours, rising prices of gold jewellery, hairdressing services, fresh fish and seafood, and vegetables during the Lunar New Year period. However, price index of Clothing & Footwear dropped by 2.71% on account of seasonal sale of clothing. The average Composite CPI for the first two months of 2010 increased by 1.34% year-on-year. For the 12 months ended February 2010, the average Composite CPI rose by 0.78% over the preceding period. The 2008/2009-based Composite CPI reflects the impact of price changes on the general population. The CPI-A relates to about 50% of the households, which have an average monthly expenditure of MOP6,000 to MOP18,999. The CPI-B relates to about 30% of the households, which have an average monthly expenditure of MOP19,000 to MOP34,999.
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The Monetary Authority of Macao announced today that the preliminary estimate of Macao SAR’s foreign exchange reserves amounted to MOP149.8 billion (USD18.73 billion) at the end of February 2010. The reserves rose by 1.5% from MOP147.5 billion (USD18.43 billion) for the previous month. When compared with a year earlier, the reserves increased by MOP18.2 billion or 13.8%. Macao SAR’s foreign exchange reserves at end-February 2010 represented 30 times the currency in circulation or 242.1% of Pataca M2 at end-January 2010. The trade-weighted effective exchange rate index for the pataca, a gauge of the domestic currency’s exchange rates against the currencies of Macao’s major trading partners, rose by 0.85 points month-to-month but fell by 2.97 points year-on-year to 90.28 in February 2010. For enquiry, please contact:
Research and Statistics Department, Monetary Authority of Macao (Tel: 83952532; Fax: 28353042) 發放日期 / Data de divulgação / Release Date: 22/3/2010
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