News

Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that value of retail sales for the third quarter of 2015 amounted to MOP 14.61 billion, up by 1.3% compared with the revised figure of MOP 14.42 billion in the second quarter. Retail sales of Watches, Clocks & Jewellery (MOP 3.42 billion) accounted for 23.4% of the total, which was followed by retail sales of Goods in Department Stores (15.1%), Adults' Clothing (11.1%), Leather Goods (9.1%), Goods in Supermarkets (7.7%) and Motor Vehicles (5.2%). In comparison with the third quarter of 2014, value of retail sales for the third quarter of 2015 declined by 7.7%, with marked decrease being observed in sales of Leather Goods (-21.0%), Motor Vehicles (-18.2%), Watches, Clocks & Jewellery (-17.5%) and Goods in Department Stores (-12.0%). On the other hand, sales of Cosmetics & Sanitary Articles (+29.1%) and Adults' Clothing (+12.1%) showed notable increase. Value of retail sales for the first three quarters of 2015 totalled MOP 45.32 billion, down by 10.4% year-on-year. After removing the effect of price changes, volume of retail sales for the third quarter of 2015 rose by 0.9% quarter-to-quarter, with marked increase in sales of Adults' Clothing (+21.8%) and Watches, Clocks & Jewellery (+16.9%); on the contrary, sales of Communication Equipment (-29.2%) and Motor Vehicles (-14.5%) showed notable decrease. Meanwhile, volume of retail sales for the third quarter decreased by 5.6% year-on-year, of which sales of Motor Vehicles (-19.5%), Leather Goods (-16.3%), Goods in Department Stores (-11.4%), Watches, Clocks & Jewellery (-10.8%) and Goods in Pharmacies (-10.6%) recorded notable decline; however, sales of Cosmetics & Sanitary Articles and Adults' Clothing increased by 28.9% and 13.6% respectively. Volume of retail sales for the first three quarters of 2015 decreased by 7.9% year-on-year. In respect of the comments of the retailers, about 56.7% stated that sales volume in the third quarter of 2015 decreased over the previous quarter, down by 10.4 percentage points compared with the corresponding figure in the second quarter of 2015; 25.5% reported stable sales volume and 17.8% stated an increase. In terms of the retail prices, about 67.6% reported stable prices, 26.1% noted a decrease and 6.3% stated an increase. Moreover, about 64.2% of the retailers expressed that the stock level remained stable compared with the third quarter of 2014, while 21.8% indicated that the stock level decreased. As regards business outlook for the fourth quarter of 2015, 40.4% of the retailers anticipate that sales volume will decrease from the third quarter, 39.3% expect sales volume to remain stable, while 20.3% expect an increase. Concurrently, 70.6% predict stable retail prices, 22.2% expect a decrease, while 7.2% predict an increase in retail prices.
…

The proceedings of the Second Review of the 2015 Subsidy Programme for Fashion Design on Sample Making of the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC, from the Portuguese acronym), will be held in camera on Sunday, 29 November 2015, at the Mirror Hall of the Dom Pedro V Theatre, with a total of 22 applications received, from which 15 fashion design works were selected for the Second Review, after the first round review. The Mirror Hall of the Dom Pedro V Theatre will therefore be closed from 10 am to 6 pm on the same day while the other facilities of the theatre will remain open to the public. For enquiries, please contact Ms. Lam, staff member of IC through tel. no. 2892 4040, during office hours.
…

The exhibition of international printmaking exchange entitled “2nd Macao Printmaking Triennial”, jointly organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau and the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau, and co-organised by the Printmaking Research Centre of Macau, the Macao Museum of Art, the Rui Cunha Foundation, the Art for All Society Macau and the Macau Design Centre, will be held at the Macao Museum of Art and will be inaugurated on 28 November (Saturday) at 5pm. A total of 122 awarded and selected works from multiple countries and regions will be exhibited. A series of thematic exhibitions, “2nd Macao Printmaking Triennial – Masters Exhibition” and “Specially Selected Entries for The 2nd Macao Printmaking Triennial”, are presented and collaborated with local art organisations for the first time, in order to present new features of contemporary printmaking. Macao was the first importing center for Western printmaking to China and it was served as a major seaport on the Maritime Silk Road. With the blooming development of trade, printing industry and printmaking art, Macao plays a vital role in the art exchange between Chinese and Western printmaking. In order to benefit from Macao’s role as a stage for printmaking exchange, the Cultural Affairs Bureau is organising the “2nd Macao Printmaking Triennial” following the “1st Macao Printmaking Triennial” in 2012. The themes of selected works are creative and the works cover a wide range of techniques and plates, such as traditional woodcuts, silkscreen and copper etching. New-style prints that use digital printing and waterless lithography can also be seen, showing the diversity of contemporary printmaking creation. The “2nd Macao Printmaking Triennial” is planned by local experienced printmaking artist, Wong Cheng Pou, and is the first time to call for global submission. A total of 560 works from 22 countries and regions were received. Excellent works selected by 9 judges will be displayed together with other selected works on the ground and the first floor at the Macao Museum of Art. Selected works are from Croatia, Canada, India, Indonesia, Brazil, Slovenia, Japan, Belgium, Poland, Thailand, Australia, Portugal, Spain, Korea, Malaysia, Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan. Amongst the works, the copper etching “Macao People” from the local printmaking artist, Cheong Cheng Wa, was awarded with the First Prize. “Gray Snow” from Chinese printmaking artist, Wang Li Xing, was awarded with the Second Prize and “After Rain” from Chinese American printmaking artist, Qing Yu Jian, was awarded with the Third Prize. In addition, “Alter Ego” from Polish printmaking artist, Magda Szplit, and “Friends – M” from Japanese printmaking artist, Tomiyuki Sakuta, were awarded Honorable Mentions respectively. In order to encourage the creativity and exchange of printmaking, “2nd Macao Printmaking Triennial – Masters Exhibition” is specially included this year, with more than 40 works from significant international printmaking artists exhibited on the third floor of the Macao Museum of Art. Due to the high standard of the submitted works, it collaborates with local art organisations to present “Specially Selected Entries for The 2nd Macao Printmaking Triennial” series. Excellent works of printmaking from different regions are selected and displayed in several exhibition spaces, including the “Chinese Printmaking New Scene” at the Tap Seac Gallery, the “European and American Poetic Printmaking” at the Rui Cunha Foundation, the “A Look at Asia” at the Art for All Society Macau as well as the “Hong Kong x Macao x Taiwan” at the Macau Design Centre. The above mentioned exhibitions will be held until 24 February 2016.
…

The Coordinated Portfolio Investment Survey (CPIS), jointly conducted by the Monetary Authority of Macao (AMCM) and the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC), is aimed at collecting information on Macao residents’ investment in securities issued by unrelated non-residents, in terms of market value and geographical distribution. The results as at 30 June 2015 are summarised as follows: On 30 June 2015, investment of Macao residents (including individuals, the government and other legal entities but excluding Macao’s foreign exchange reserves) in securities issued by unrelated non-residents reached a record-high of MOP439.0 billion at current market value, up by 10.0% from 31 December 2014 or 5.5% year-on-year. Among various instruments of portfolio investment, equity securities, long-term debt securities and short-term debt securities were valued at MOP172.7 billion, MOP233.1 billion and MOP33.1 billion respectively. In comparison with end-2014, investment in equity securities, of which mutual funds and investment trust units amounted to MOP39.9 billion, increased by 11.5%. Investment in long-term debt securities and short-term debt securities grew by 1.8% and 117.4% respectively. By geographical distribution, the Asian region still made up the largest share of Macao residents’ external portfolio investment at 66.0%. Investment in the North Atlantic and Caribbean overtook that in Europe for the first time with a share of 12.3%, while investment in Europe constituted 10.4%. The rest was mainly placed in North America (8.0%) and Oceania (2.7%). Investment in securities issued by Mainland Chinese entities, including those securities listed on non-Mainland exchanges, continued to assume the leading position, occupying 44.3% of local residents’ portfolio investment outside Macao. Its market value reached MOP194.6 billion, registering a slight increase of 0.9% from end-2014. The investment consisted of MOP44.2 billion in equity securities, MOP136.9 billion in long-term debt securities and MOP13.4 billion in short-term debt securities, constituting 25.6%, 58.7% and 40.4% of the respective total. On the other hand, the share of investment in securities issued by Hong Kong entities edged up by 0.1 percentage point from end-2014 to 18.4%, with the corresponding market value increasing by 10.3% to MOP80.6 billion, of which equity securities and long-term debt securities amounted to MOP47.7 billion and MOP16.8 billion respectively. Macao residents’ portfolio investment in the North Atlantic and Caribbean achieved its record-high. The market value of investment in securities issued by entities in this region rose by 31.6% from end-2014 to MOP54.2 billion, with its share in the total investment abroad rising to 12.3%. In particular, the market value of portfolio investment in the Cayman Islands, the British Virgin Islands and Bermuda grew by 23.0%, 42.1% and 49.1% to MOP30.8 billion, MOP13.8 billion and MOP9.6 billion respectively. Although the share of investment in European securities dipped by 0.2 percentage points from end-2014 to 10.4%, the corresponding market value increased by 8.3% to MOP45.8 billion. Among European countries, Luxembourg took the largest share with a market value of MOP14.2 billion, a mild contraction of 2.2% from end-2014; investment in the Netherlands also fell by 1.1% in market value. Meanwhile, the market value of Macao residents’ portfolio investment in the United Kingdom picked up by 20.3% from six months ago to MOP10.6 billion. Investment in Ireland and Switzerland also grew by 15.6% and 7.7% respectively in market value. The bulk of investment in North America was placed in the United States. The market value of Macao residents’ investment in US securities surged by 42.2% from end-2014 to MOP32.1 billion, pushing the corresponding share in the total portfolio investment abroad up from 5.7% to 7.3%. Of which, the market value of investment in long-term US debt securities soared by 90.4% to MOP16.9 billion, representing the second largest share in the respective category. As at end-June 2015, Macao residents’ investment in securities issued by Australian entities increased by 30.7% to a market value of MOP11.8 billion, which lifted the share of portfolio investment in Oceania from 2.3% six months ago to 2.7%.
…

To commemorate the “10 Anos do Centro Histórico de Macau como Património Mundial - Desafio para Entrar no Guinness com a Pintura de Postais de Madeira”, Macao Post announces that a Temporary Post Counter will be set up at the Guia Recreation Square, at 10:30 to 13:30 on 28th November 2015 providing the commemorative postmark cancellation service for the “10 Anos do Centro Histórico de Macau como Património Mundial - Desafio para Entrar no Guinness com a Pintura de Postais de Madeira”. A commemorative postcard will be distributed to public. Welcome to visit and collect Macao Stamps.
…

Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that the Composite CPI for October 2015 was 106.94, with the year-on-year growth slowing further to 4.16%. The increment was attributable to higher rentals for dwellings and rising charges for eating out. In comparison with October 2014, notable increase was observed in the price index of Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco, up by 34.29%; price index of Education and Household Goods & Furnishings increased by 8.96% and 6.96% on account of higher tuition fee and rising wages of domestic helpers. On the other contrary, price index of Clothing & Footwear (-1.89%) and Communication (-0.16%) registered decrease. The CPI-A (107.16) and CPI-B (105.03) rose by 4.28% and 3.06% respectively year-on-year. The Composite CPI for October 2015 increased by 0.42% month-to-month. Higher rental for parking spaces, new arrival of winter clothing and rising wages of domestic helpers drove up the price index of Transport, Clothing & Footwear and Household Goods & Furnishings by 1.72%, 1.50% and 1.11%. Moreover, price index of Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages increased by 0.27% owing to dearer charges for eating out and higher prices of vegetables. On the other hand, price index of Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco decreased by 3.84% due to the adjustment of tabacco prices by some retailers. The CPI-A and CPI-B rose by 0.43% and 0.32% respectively month-to-month. For the 12 months ended October 2015, the average Composite CPI increased by 4.91% from the previous period. Price index of Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco (+11.04%) and Housing & Fuels (+9.29%) showed marked increase. The average CPI-A and CPI-B rose by 5.31% and 4.10% respectively over the previous period. The average Composite CPI for the first ten months of 2015 increased by 4.73% year-on-year, with the price index of Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco and Housing & Fuels rising by 13.16% and 8.83% respectively. The average CPI-A and CPI-B increased by 5.09% and 3.84% respectively. The Composite CPI reflects the impact of price changes on the general households. The CPI-A relates to about 50% of the households, which have an average monthly expenditure of MOP10,000 to MOP29,999. The CPI-B relates to about 30% of the households, which have an average monthly expenditure of MOP30,000 to MOP54,999.
…

Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that visitor arrivals totalled 2,637,106 in October 2015, down marginally by 0.6% year-on-year and yet up by 9.2% month-to-month. Same-day visitors totalled 1,414,348 (53.6% of total), down by 3.8% year-on-year; overnight visitors rose by 3.3% to 1,222,758. The average length of stay of visitors increased by 0.1 day year-on-year to 1.1 days; the average stay of same-day visitors (0.2 day) remained unchanged while that of overnight visitors (2.2 days) rose by 0.2 day. Visitors from Mainland China edged down by 0.4% year-on-year to 1,817,212, with those travelling under the Individual Visit Scheme dropping slightly by 0.8% to 791,784. Visitors from Mainland China came primarily from Guangdong Province (780,334), Fujian Province (83,083) and Hunan Province (71,581). Visitors from Japan (22,188), the Philippines (22,037) and Taiwan (83,462) increased by 1.4%, 4.2% and 5.6% respectively year-on-year, while those from Hong Kong (504,981) and the Republic of Korea (42,680) declined by 0.7% and 5.4%. Long-haul visitors from the United States (16,404) registered year-on-year increase, while visitors from Australia (8,164), Canada (6,596) and the United Kingdom (5,606) marked decrease. Analyzed by mode of transport, visitor arrivals by land dropped marginally by 0.6% year-on-year to 1,506,687; visitors arriving via the Border Gate (1,341,831) decreased by 1.9%, while those via the Checkpoint of Cotai (162,660) rose by 12.0%. Visitor arrivals by sea edged down by 0.4% year-on-year to 952,526, with those arriving via the Outer Habour (563,433) dropping by 2.2%, but those via the Provisional Ferry Terminal in Taipa (364,036) rising by 5.7%. Moreover, visitor arrivals by air declined by 2.1% year-on-year to 177,893; those entering via the airport decreased by 1.6% to 176,937, accounting for 99.5% of the total. In the first ten months of 2015, visitor arrivals totalled 25,491,079, down by 2.6% year-on-year; same-day visitors (13,758,665) and overnight visitors (11,732,414) decreased by 1.9% and 3.5% respectively. Visitors from Mainland China (17,027,052) and the Republic of Korea (453,226) decreased by 3.5% and 2.7% respectively, while those from Hong Kong (5,430,687) and Taiwan (818,233) rose by 1.1% and 1.5%. Moreover, long-haul visitors from the United States, Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom recorded year-on-year decrease.
…

This Authority noted the relevant media coverage today regarding the usage of Alipay in Macao and would like to clarify as follows: 1.Residents or companies in Macao may use Alipay accounts to make payments in the Mainland or other places, and such payments are not subject to the financial regulations of Macao. 2.In accordance with Articles 2 and 17 of the Macao Financial System Act approved by Decree-Law no. 32/93/M of 5 July, provision of payment services and issuance and management of payment instruments are subject to prior authorization. Moreover, in accordance with Article 12 of the Foreign Exchange Regime approved by Decree-Law no. 39/97/M of 15 September, any fund transfers from or to other places for trade settlement or for other funding activities should only be carried out by authorized credit institutions in Macao. 3.Overseas payment services companies can apply for authorization to establish an institution to carry out payment activities in Macao. On the other hand, authorized financial institutions in Macao, upon obtaining approval of this Authority, can cooperate with overseas payment services companies to launch overseas payment services or products in the local market, and such services or products are provided directly by those authorized financial institutions to their customers. Under such circumstances, the overseas payment services companies cooperating with authorized financial institutions in Macao are not required to obtain authorization by themselves. 4.Although the reported payment services company (i.e. Alipay) is not an authorized institution to engage in payment activities in Macao, it is currently cooperating with an authorized financial institution in Macao for launch of its payment services to merchants. Their cooperation has been duly approved by this Authority and does not violate any regulations in Macao. Upon launch of such services, it is legal for residents or institutions in Macao to use Alipay accounts for payments in these merchants.
…

The Government expects to invite tenders for the construction of the light rail transit depot in the second quarter next year, said the Secretary for Transport and Public Works, Mr Raimundo do Rosário. The Secretary told reporters on 19 November that he would disclose further details of a cancellation agreement reached between the Government and the current contractor on the depot project, when he introduces his portfolio’s policy programme for 2016 at the Legislative Assembly on 9 and 10 December. Mr Rosário also briefed reporters regarding the construction of the Islands District Medical Complex, which will have seven buildings in total. Construction has began on the foundations for two of the buildings. Foundation work for a further two might be initiated this year or early next year, he said. Regarding a proposal for a fourth cross-harbour passage between Macao and Taipa, the Secretary said his team would disclose more information later; including data supporting the case for a bridge rather than for an alternative structure.
…

The Government has announced today Decorations, Medals and Certificates of Merit awarded for 2015 by the Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR). They go to 63 individuals and organisations in recognition of their achievements, outstanding contributions and distinguished services. It follows recommendations from the Committee of Nomination of Medals and Honorary Titles. The awards for Decorations of Honour include the Decoration of Honour – Grand Lotus; the Decoration of Honour – Golden Lotus; and the Decoration of Honour – Silver Lotus. Such awards are for individuals or entities that have made outstanding contributions to the image and reputation of the MSAR. The recipients for such awards are: Decoration of Honour – Golden Lotus Florinda da Rosa Silva Chan Tam Pak Yuen Cheong Kuoc Va José Proença Branco Decoration of Honour – Silver Lotus José Lai Sin Wai Hang Chan Meng Kam Chan Kam Meng Seven types of Medals of Merit are awarded, covering the fields of: 1. Professions; 2. Industry and Commerce; 3. Tourism; 4. Education; 5. Culture; 6. Philanthropy; and 7. Sports. Each of the awards in these categories is for individuals or entities that have made major or excellent contributions in their respective fields. The recipients for such awards are: Medal of Merit – Professions Vitória Alice Maria da Conceição João Batista Manuel Leão Manuel Trigo Members of the Psychiatric Department of Conde S. Januário Hospital Medal of Merit – Industry and Commerce Ho Heng Macau Association of Banks Nam Kwong (Group) Company Limited Ho Weng Cheong Medal of Merit – Tourism Macau International Airport Company Limited Plaza Restaurant Federal Restaurant O Hoi Fan Medal of Merit – Education Union of Catholic Schools of Macau (Associação das Escolas Católicas de Macau) Alice Yuen Mei Fun Ao U Hong Kuok Ut Kam Medal of Merit – Culture Ao Peng Lin Ka Sang Xiao Chun Yuan (Siu Pei Tak) Chan Hou Seng Medal of Merit – Philanthropy Lam Un Mui Man Hon Kong Tong Fok Veng Meng Tak Charity Association Macao Tong Chai Charity Association Medal of Merit – Sports Macau Lo Leong Sport General Association Che Kuong Hon Wong Meng Cheong Wong Un Un Sou Cho Man Macao Synchronised Swimming Team Medals for Distinguished Services are awarded to public entities, organisations or their staff for outstanding performance in their duties or community service. The recipients for such awards are: Medal for Distinguished Service – Medal for Dedication Rita Botelho dos Santos Kong Chio Wa Lam Wai Leng Ng Lai Seong Fernanda Cardoso Lei Hok Meng Medal for Distinguished Service – Medal for Community Service Chan Sok Tin Hellen Mary Sou Iok Lin Wong Man I Ng Lun Mang Cheang Lam Chong Lai Wa Certificates of Merit, including the Honorific Title – Prestige; and the Honorific Title – Merit; commend Macao SAR residents or others that have made major contributions to the reputation, development or social progress of the Macao SAR. The recipients for such awards are: Honorific Title – Prestige Hospital Authority of Hong Kong SAR Honorific Title – Merit Loi Im Lan Chau Hou Tin Chao Ka Hei Ma Ieng Zhang Qingwen Cheong Sio In Sou Ka Fong Cai Jia Qi Macao delegates to the American Regions Mathematics League Underwater Robot Team of the Pui Ching Middle School Swimming Team of the University of Macau The award ceremony for the recipients will be held in early December.
…