News

The Government will make use of Macao’s ties with mainland China and the Portuguese-speaking countries to promote the development of the city’s traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) industry. The comments were made on Thursday (14 January) by the Secretary for Economy and Finance, Mr Leong Vai Tac, who was in Beijing to witness the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the Guangdong-Macau Traditional Chinese Medicine Technology Industrial Park Development Co., Ltd. The MOU represents a further step toward strengthening regional cooperation in the TCM field and offering new business opportunities for firms based in the Traditional Chinese Medicine Science and Technology Industrial Park of Cooperation between Guangdong and Macao, located on Hengqin Island, Zhuhai, Mr Leong said. Delivering a speech at the ceremony, Mr Leong said the MOU would create more favourable conditions for the development of Macao’s TCM industry, a key factor in promoting the diversification of economy. Macao’s strategic positioning as a commercial and trade cooperation service platform between China and the Portuguese-speaking countries will help foster the development of TCM in the countries and regions involved in the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road (known as the “Belt and Road” initiative). Mr Wang Guoqiang, Director of the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, also attended the ceremony said he hoped the Traditional Chinese Medicine Science and Technology Industrial Park of Cooperation between Guangdong and Macao could play an active role in promoting TCM internationally, leveraging on the official inclusion of Macao – by the State Council – in the “Belt and Road” initiative. Mr Wang additionally said he expected the Park to play an important role in training TCM professionals and enhancing product and service quality, to help diversify Macao’s economy. Construction of the Park is scheduled to be completed in the first half of 2017. Construction of the headquarters building and of facilities for quality control and research and development is progressing at a good pace. The Park management aims to establish a world-class quality control facility, and for the Park to become an exchange and trade platform for the healthcare sector. In addition, it is initiating discussions with representatives from Portuguese-speaking countries on issues related with international registration of trademarks, and import and export of TCM products. The Guangdong-Macau Traditional Chinese Medicine Technology Industrial Park Development Co., Ltd. is a joint venture between the Macao and Guangdong governments. It was established in 2011. The Park is currently the company’s sole investment project.
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The Monetary Authority of Macao announced today that the preliminary estimate of Macao SAR’s foreign exchange reserves amounted to MOP150.8 billion (USD18.89 billion) at the end of December 2015. The reserves increased by 4.9% from the revised value of MOP143.8 billion (USD18.01 billion) for the previous month. Macao SAR’s foreign exchange reserves at end-December 2015 represented 13 times the currency in circulation or 106.9% of Pataca M2 at end-November 2015. The trade-weighted effective exchange rate index for the pataca rose 0.15 points month-to-month and 5.66 points year-on-year to 107.29 in December 2015, implying that overall speaking, the pataca appreciated against the currencies of Macao’s major trading partners.
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Given the recent security situation in Indonesia, the Embassy of China in Indonesia issued an urgent alert to Chinese citizens. Following is the translated version of the full text: "In the morning of the 14th of January, a series of explosions occurred in Jakarta causing several injuries and fatalities. The Embassy of China in Indonesia reminds Chinese citizens already in Indonesia to strengthen security precautions to protect their personal safety, avoid leaving their residences or going to commercial centers or places where large gatherings of people take place. In case of emergency, they should contact immediately the police, the Embassy of China in Indonesia and the Consulates in Surabaya, Medan and Denpasar. Embassy of China in Indonesia for Consular Protection, 24 hour Telephone: +62-8179838410; Consulate-General in Surabaya for Consular Protection, 24 hour Telephone: + 62-811311148; Consulate-General in Medan for Consular Protection, 24 hour Telephone: + 62-82165631070; Consulate-General in Denpasar for Consular Protection, 24 hour Telephone: + 62-81239169767; Global Emergency Call Center for Consular Protection and Services of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 24-hour hotline: +86 10 12308, +86-10-59913991. Indonesia Police: +62-110, Medical Emergencies: +62-118, Fire Services +62-113." The Tourism Crisis Management Office (GGCT) will keep monitoring the latest developments and alerts Macao residents who intend to travel to Indonesia to follow closely the situation, critically assess the security risks and cautiously consider their travel plans. Macao residents already in Indonesia should strengthen security precautions to protect their personal safety and avoid leaving their residences. From information gathered through the Macao travel industry there is currently no Macao tour group in Jakarta and until the present moment, there is no indication that Macao residents have been affected. Until the present moment, GGCT has not received any request for information or assistance. If necessary, Macao residents can call: 24-hour Tourism Hotline (853) 2833 3000; The Chinese Embassy and consulates or the Global Emergency Call Center for Consular Protection and Services of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 24-hour hotline: +86 10 12308 for assistance.
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The Tourism Crisis Management Office (GGCT) is paying close attention to the earthquake that occurred today in Hokkaido, Japan, and maintaining close contact with the Macao travel industry for further developments. From the preliminary information gathered through the Macao travel industry, currently there are 20 to 30 Macao residents in Hokkaido which after being contacted confirmed that they had not been affected. Until the present moment, GGCT has not received any request for information or assistance. If necessary, Macao residents can call the 24-hour Tourism Hotline (853) 2833 3000. Thanks for your kind assistance and attention!
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The Government has accepted one bid for an on-call taxi service licence, after reviewing the three bids the Government received. The new service is expected to become available next year. The details were announced after a tender opening session on Wednesday (13 January). The accepted bid was from Lai Ou Taxi Service Company and the other two bids had been rejected because they did not fulfil all the tender requirements. The winning bidder will be granted an eight-year licence to operate a service with up to 100 on-call taxis, including a minimum of five wheelchair accessible taxis and 10 large-sized taxis, according to the tender requirements. The proposal submitted by Lai Ou includes three types of special service charges: a calling fee of 15 patacas; a booking fee of 15 patacas; and a no show fee of 5 patacas. The Transport Bureau will now examine in detail the proposal submitted by Lai Ou before making a final decision on the tender for the on-call taxi service licence. According to the tender requirements, the service operator must be a Macao-registered company. In addition, the firm must have a service centre to manage booking requests for taxis. Besides phone, online and mobile phone apps, the operator is required to explore other ways to accept bookings in order to make it easier for people with special needs to use the service. The operator can apply for a special subsidy from the Government to acquire the wheelchair accessible taxis, according to the tender requirements. The Government might subsidise up to 50 percent of the acquisition costs of those vehicles.
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Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) is presenting the grand outdoor celebration event for Chinese New Year, known as the "Parade for Celebration of the Year of the Monkey", on the third day (10 February) and sixth day (13 February) of Lunar New Year. The annual event features fabulous float parade alongside over 1,000 performers, splendid fireworks, local display of floats and so forth. Ready to live broadcast the event through TV channels and on LED screens at a total of nine locations, MGTO hopes to fill the city with festive joy and celebrate Spring Festival with local residents and tourists from around the world. This year, the whole Parade will revolve around a story about the Monkey King, a famous character in a Chinese classical novel. A multimedia opening show will also kick off the Parade for the first time, promising an extravaganza of light and 3D effects. The Tourism Office will also launch an interactive Wechat game this February to give out prizes for any “golden monkey” found, encouraging visitors to celebrate Chinese New Year in Macao and enjoy a stroll along local walking routes themed as “Step Out, Experience Macao’s Communities”. A Story behind the whole Parade To bring out the zodiac sign “Monkey” in the city, the Parade this year revolves around a story about the Monkey King spending a Chinese New Year vacation with the Celestial Court in Macao. As the story begins, the Jade Emperor wishes to visit the earth for fun with his Celestial Court during Chinese New Year. Upon knowing that Macao hosts an annual float parade during Chinese New Year, he commands the Monkey King to visit Macao in advance to plan an exciting trip, before meeting the Celestial Court during the Parade. During the press conference, the Monkey King made a debut with 72 transformed faces featured in the 3D mapping show. A correspondent show will come into the spotlight at the Parade opening on the third day of Lunar New Year, a new highlight not to miss with spectacular effect. The "Parade for Celebration of the Year of the Monkey" is organized by MGTO and co-organized by Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau, Cultural Affairs Bureau and Macao Sports Bureau. The event is also supported by China National Tourism Administration as one of the sponsoring entities. A press conference about the "Parade for Celebration of the Year of the Monkey" was held at the Tourism Activities Centre today (14 January). MGTO Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, President of Macao Sports Bureau, José Tavares, MGTO Deputy Directors Cecilia Tse and Cheng Wai Tong, Head of Department of Civic Affairs and Consultation of Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau, Patsy Ko Pui San, and Head of Arts and Performance Division of Cultural Affairs Bureau, Paula Lei, were present in the press conference together with representatives of the sponsoring entities. Four major themes of performance During her presentation about the Parade, MGTO Director Senna Fernandes remarked that the Parade has developed into one of Macao’s signature festive events. The Parade features four major themes of performance as follow: “Fortune Stars to the World”, “Great Treasures on their way”, “Rhythm of Lucky Blessings” and “Prosperity & Success fills the Year”. This year, the Parade is joined by 14 floats, 28 local groups as well as a total of 9 performance groups from different places including Mainland China, Hong Kong, Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, Portugal, Spain and the United States. The event involves 1,338 performers in total. 475 staff workers and 699 volunteers will assist in the Parade, adding up to 1,174 persons in total. Numerous local singers will join with famous singers Pakho Chau, Alex Fong and Stephy Tang from Hong Kong to make a fantastic show on the third night of Lunar New Year. Being invited to host the show, Hong Kong celebrity hosts Luk Wing and Kitty Yuen are expected to further liven up the ambience on the night. Parade and Fireworks show on the third day of Lunar New Year Along the same route as last year, the Parade on the third day of Lunar New Year will kick off with a launch ceremony in front of Macao Science Center at 7:30 p.m. The procession will wend through Avenida Dr. Sun Yat-Sen in Macao and reach the destination at Sai Van Lake Square in front of Macau Tower. To enable residents and visitors to arrive conveniently for the Parade, MGTO will operate free shuttle bus service around seven routes on Macao Peninsula, Tapia and Coloane, between various districts and designated Parade venues. In addition, the Office will set up spectator seating at four points along the Parade route, where performance teams will halt for show time. The four sets of spectator seating are located at the squares in front of Macao Science Center, Kun Iam Ecumenical Centre and Rua da Torre de Macau as well as at Sai Van Lake Square, with about 2,000 seats in total. To bring out the theme, the four sets of spectator seating are named Mountains of Flowers and Fruit, Waterfall Cave, God of Fortune Palace and Imperial Court. At 7:30 p.m. there will be live broadcast of the Parade on LED screen at Sai Van Lake Square, and stage performances will begin at 8:45 p.m. Part of the parading procession will join the stage performance upon arrival at Sai Van Lake Square as well, followed by a fireworks show at 9:45 p.m. The whole event will come to an end at 10:00 p.m. On the night, MGTO will live broadcast the Parade on LED screens at nine locations as follow: Friendship Square, Macao Science Center Roundabout, Iao Hon Market Garden, Park of Dr. Carlos d'Assumpção, Avenida Panorâmica do Lago Nam Van, Tap Seac Square, Largo dos Bombeiros, Rua de Pedro Nolasco da Silva and Macau Tower so that the audience can enjoy the whole Parade. At the same time, TDM and Macao Cable TV will live broadcast the Parade and record the show for subsequent broadcast; a special program about the Parade will be also broadcasted on TVB Jade channel and High-definition Jade channel in Hong Kong at 10:30 p.m. on 13 February and at 11:00 a.m. on 14 February respectively. In addition, TVB Satellite TV will broadcast the program at different places around the world, including Mainland China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Europe at different time intervals during 14 – 20 February. Parade on the sixth day of Lunar New Year The Parade on the sixth day of Lunar New Year will feature 14 floats as well and start with a kick-off ceremony at Rua Norte do Patane at 8 p.m. The parading procession will march through Avenida do Conselheiro Borja, Estrada do Arco, Rua Quatro do Bairro da Areia Preta until the finishing point at Iao Hon Market Garden, where performers including local singers and Hong Kong artist Vincent Wong will dazzle the stage. To liven up spectators’ spirit, MGTO will give away a total of 24,000 small presents along the Parade routes on the third day and sixth day of Lunar New Year including fluffy monkey toys and hats, illuminated wrist bands and flashlight clappers for the Parade. Float Display 14 splendid floats are presented by China National Tourism Administration, Macao Government Tourism Office, Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau, Cultural Affairs Bureau, Macao Sports Bureau, Galaxy Entertainment Group, Sociedade de Jogos de Macao, S.A., Wynn Macau, Sands Resorts Cotai Strip Macao, Suncity Group, Melco Crown Entertainment, Exmoo News, MGM Macau and Multinational Holdings Group. Cotai Water Jet and Tung Cheng Yuen Buddhist Association are the sponsoring entities for performances. Other sponsoring entities include Macau Coca-Cola Beverage Co., Ltd. The 14 floats in the Parade will be showcased at Sai Van Lake Square and Tap Seac Square during 10 – 13 February and 13 – 21 February respectively. The floats will be brightened up with illuminations to allow photo opportunities for local residents and visitors from 6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. during the above periods (adjusted time intervals on 10, 13 and 21 February). Besides the dazzling float parade, MGTO will also roll out a “Macao Hunt” activity to look for the golden monkey from 1 – 28 February, encouraging residents and visitors to complete this interactive fun game on Wechat at four designated “Step Out, Experience Macao’s Communities” walking tour routes. Once completion, they can enter the lucky draw for a chance to win attractive prizes. To add more fun and color to the Parade night, locations are set up near each seating set for spectators to look for the monkey on the third night of Lunar New Year. MGTO has rolled out a range of promotions via television/radio commercials, internet, printed materials, press, posters, flyers, advertising boards and light boxes, bus and street-lamp post advertisements, etc. to promote the event to Macao citizens and visitors. PowerPoint presentation and poster of the Parade, information about the interactive WeChat game “Macao Hunt” as well as MGTO’s TV commercial about 2016 Chinese New Year Festivities can be downloaded from MGTO’s website: http://industry.macaotourism.gov.mo/en/pressroom/
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The planned building for the Health Bureau’s division for treatment of infectious diseases will include several effective infection prevention and control measures to safeguard the health and safety of those living in the vicinity. The Government plans to construct the new building close to the Conde S. Januário Hospital, the city’s main public medical facility. This will allow the Government to act promptly and effectively in case of an outbreak of an infectious disease, and would help to prevent further spread or recurrence, according to the Health Bureau. The decision on the location of the new building was made after a comprehensive consideration of several factors. Given that most infectious disease cases in Macao are reported to the Conde S. Januário Hospital, the risk to public health would be lower if the infected patients were to be transferred to a medical facility nearby for treatment, minimising the risk of exposure to the public, stated the Bureau. In addition, treatment of infected patients also requires support from medical specialist teams from the Hospital. The Government fully understands the concerns expressed by residents on the issue. However, having a division for the treatment of infectious diseases close to major medical facilities, instead of in remote areas, is a widely accepted practice internationally. Macao needs a specialised facility to effectively treat infectious diseases as the world grapples with increasing outbreaks of such diseases. Such facility would be a first line of defence against infectious diseases in Macao. The lack of appropriate facilities to treat those suffering from Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) in the Republic of Korea is believed to have been one of the factors leading to a large MERS outbreak in that Asian country last year. The Government started planning for the construction of a building for the treatment of infectious diseases shortly after the outbreaks of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in neighbouring regions in 2003. In 2008, the Government revised the building’s design to meet new regulations on the protection of cultural heritage. The updated design included lowering the building height to reduce its visual impact on two nearby historical buildings. The planned building for the treatment of infectious diseases will have an area of 5,565 square metres. The 12-storey building will include 120 wards specially equipped for infection control and treatment of patients, and a number of world-class medical facilities.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that the average Tourist Price Index (TPI) for the whole year of 2015 (138.39) decreased by 0.86% year-on-year, the first annual decline recorded since the index was first published. Price index of Accommodation dropped by 7.08% year-on-year, while that of Food, Alcoholic Drinks & Tobacco; Entertainment & Cultural Activities; and Restaurant Services increased by 4.53%, 4.22% and 4.02% respectively. TPI for the fourth quarter of 2015 (141.29) decreased by 3.03% year-on-year, attributable to lower charges for hotel accommodation and reduced prices of clothing. Notable decrease was observed in the price index of Accommodation (-10.34%), Clothing & Footwear (-4.18%) and Transport & Communications (-2.08%); on the contrary, price index of Food, Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco and Entertainment & Cultural Activities increased by 3.86% and 2.89% respectively. TPI for the fourth quarter of 2015 increased by 7.48% quarter-to-quarter. Price index of Accommodation and Clothing & Footwear rose by 25.19% and 9.50% respectively due to higher hotel room rates during the National Day holidays, the Macao Grand Prix and Christmas holidays, as well as new arrival of winter clothing. Meanwhile, lower airfare to/from Southeast Asia drove down the price index of Transport & Communications by 0.60% quarter-to-quarter. TPI reflects the price change of goods and services purchased by visitors. Sections of TPI goods and services are selected according to the consumption pattern of visitors, namely Food, Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco; Clothing & Footwear; Accommodation; Restaurant Services; Transport & Communications; Medicine & Personal Goods; Entertainment & Cultural Activities; and Miscellaneous Goods.
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A University of Macau (UM) student recently won the championship at the First Macao Interpreting Contest. Another UM student and a Macao Polytechnic Institute (IPM) student won the two second prizes. The three students will represent Macao in the final of the Sixth Cross-Strait Interpreting Contest to be held in Taipei in April 2016. Hosted by UM’s Department of English, the interpreting contest consisted of three rounds. In the first round, contestants were required to interpret a 90-second-long speech from English to Mandarin with the help of notes. In the second round, contestants were required to deliver the main ideas of a 60-second-long Mandarin speech in English in 45 seconds without taking notes. In the third round, contestants were required to do consecutive interpreting of a conversation between a Mandarin speaker and an English speaker with the help of notes. The panel of judges included Zhang Meifang, Li Defeng, Vincent Wang, Victoria Lei, Hari Venkatesan, and Lily Lim, who are all members of the Federation of Translators and Interpreters of Macau. Stephanie Zhang Xiaoping, a master’s student of translation studies from UM, won the championship. Anita Chao Kit I, another master’s student of translation studies from UM, and Zhang Jingyi, an undergraduate student of Chinese-English translation and interpretation from IPM, won the two second prizes. All three third prizes went to students from UM’s master’s degree programme in translation studies, namely Ether Ouyang Xingyi, Dianne Wu Kai I, and Vicky Ma Yue Cheng. The Cross-Strait Interpreting Contest is an influential annual event jointly organised by Xiamen University and the Taiwan Association of Translation and Interpretation, with the support of the Ministry of Education and the Taiwan Affairs Office. Since its launch in 2009, the contest has attracted more than 10,000 contestants from over 800 universities in mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. This will be the first time that university students from Macao will participate in the contest. Past events of the contest were covered in mainstream media, including China Central Television (CCTV), China Daily, Television Broadcasts (TVB), Eastern Broadcasting Co (EBC), and Phoenix Satellite Television.
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Consumer Council conducted its ‘Supermarket price survey’ on 13 January for the implementation of Section 2b), Article 10, Law 4/95/M of 12 June. Surveyed locations included 12 supermarkets in Taipa and Coloane area. The latest ‘Supermarket Price Survey’ is now available on Consumer Council’s website (www.consumer.gov.mo), and the ‘Supermarket Price Information Platform’ iPhone and Android apps. The survey is also available free of charge at the offices of Consumer Council, IACM’s Iao Hon and S. Domingos Markets, bookstores and libraries. With reference to the local six parishes and the number of supermarkets in each parish, the Council has divided over 100 supermarkets into 8 areas for price collection. The Council collects prices from these supermarkets for the provision of a more comprehensive database for consumers to check price discrepancies and make price comparisons according to their desired locations. For inquiry, please call 8988 9315.
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