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The University of Macau (UM) today (19 March) held an opening ceremony in its Lotus Square to kick off celebrations of its 35th anniversary. Many guests, students, faculty, staff, and alumni attended the ceremony to celebrate the important milestone in the university’s history. 35 local secondary schools donated trees to UM to celebrate the anniversary. Officiating guests at the ceremony included Edmund Ho Hau Wah, vice chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee; Tam Chon Weng, secretary for social affairs and culture and representative of the chief executive of the Macao SAR; Sun Da, deputy director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in Macao SAR; Cai Si Ping, deputy commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the PRC in Macao SAR; Lam Kam Seng, chair of the UM University Council; Wei Zhao, rector of UM; Kot Man Kam, director general of the UM Alumni Association; and Vitor Wong, director general of the UM Students' Union. In his speech, Tam Chon Weng said that UM is an important institution of higher education firmly grounded in Macao, and under the leadership of former and current rectors, the university has made steady progress over the years, with sound educational ethos and a culturally diverse and intellectually stimulating learning environment. He added that through 35 years of development, UM has now become a comprehensive university with a high degree of internationalisation and growing recognition from society. He promised that the Macao SAR government will continue to provide complete support to UM in the future. Rector Wei Zhao also gave a speech at the ceremony. Rector Zhao said that UM has made good progress in recent years, which would not have been possible without the great support of the government; the wise leadership of former and current chancellors, University Council members, and rectors; as well as the joint efforts of UM faculty, staff, students, alumni, and prominent members of the community. He added that building on the university’s rich legacy and a spirit of innovation, UM members will continue to work towards the goal of building a first-rate university, and produce more outstanding graduates to serve Macao, China, and beyond. After the opening ceremony, principals from 35 local secondary schools and other guests participated in a tree planting ceremony, which signified UM’s commitment to producing outstanding graduates for Macao in collaboration with other local educational institutions.
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The Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, today laid down five paths to help Macao better integrate its development with the national development aims laid out in the country’s 13th Five-Year Plan, in bids to lead Macao to strengthen its economic competitiveness. With the concerted effort of the local community, Macao could take advantage of its special functions and advantages as established under the nation’s “One country, two systems” policy. In doing so, Macao could enhance its own contributions to the country’s economic and social development during the next five years, Mr Chui added. Mr Chui made the comments this afternoon in Macao at a briefing session sharing new policies and aspirations that had been set out in the recently concluded sessions respectively of the National People's Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), collectively known as the “Two Sessions”. It was important to take note of the aspirations expressed and the guidance given by the Central Government for the long-term sustainability and prosperity of Macao. This was of particular importance during the year marking the start of both the country’s 13th Five-Year Plan and Macao’s Five-Year Development Plan, which both cover the period from 2016 to 2020, he stated. The Chief Executive outlined the five paths designed to enable Macao to consolidate its unique position and to help it become a growing part of the country’s development story. The paths included: 1) Full compliance with the country’s constitution and Macao’s Basic Law; 2) The coordination of the city’s Five-Year Development Plan with the major policy direction of the country; 3) To expedite Macao’s “Centre and Platform” policies; 4) To support the social development of young people and improve social welfare; 5) To strengthen the effectiveness of governance to promote Macao’s economic development. The “Centre and Platform” policies refer to the strategy of transforming Macao into a world centre of tourism and leisure, and making it a commercial and trade cooperation service platform between China and the Portuguese-speaking Countries. The Government would also make better use of Macao's 85 square kilometres of coastal waters as recently demarcated and develop the maritime economy, while also protecting the marine environment, said Mr Chui. He additionally stated the nation’s supportive policies and supportive economic strategies regarding Macao would lead the city toward further development opportunities and help maintain Macao’s sustainability. The Government would continue optimising the quality of local education and initiate more services designed to support entrepreneurship among young people. The recently launched “Thousand Talents Programme” is also part of the Government’s efforts to boost exchanges between young people from the mainland and from Macao. Mr Chui said the Government needed to speed the pace at which it carried out administrative reforms; to press ahead with anti-corruption efforts; to rationalise the Government team; to promote better innovation in public services; and to promote stronger cross-departmental cooperation. Such measures would assist the all round development of Macao. Also present at the briefing session was the Vice Chairman of the CPPCC, Mr Ho Hau Wa. He reiterated that Macao could push forward its development in the coming five years by taking advantage of the principle “One country, two systems” and the opportunities arising from the country’s 13th Five-Year Plan. Mr Ho additionally said Macao’s first Five-Year Development Plan would promote a better quality of life and tackle long-standing challenges, helping the city to achieve its goal of moderate economic diversification. The Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao SAR, Mr Li Gang, said the community’s support for the governance of the Chief Executive and the Government – a governance done according to the law – would help overcome any challenges and difficulties, and facilitate the establishment of the “Centre and Platform” policies. Mr Li also said that adhering to the principle of “One country, two systems”, and making use of the advantages available under that principle, would reinforce Macao’s position and functions in relation to the country’s economic development and opening up policy.
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The Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, is scheduled to attend the opening of Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2016 on 24 March. Mr Chui will lead a delegation to Hainan Province on 23 to 24 March for the forum themed “Asia’s New Future: New Dynamics, New Vision”. Members of the delegation include the Chief-of-Office of the Chief Executive’s Office, Ms O Lam; and the Director of the Government Information Bureau, Mr Chan Chi Ping. The Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China in the Macao Special Administrative Region, Mr Ye Dabo, is invited to join the delegation. While Mr Chui is away, the Secretary for Administration and Justice, Ms Chan Hoi Fan, will be the Acting Chief Executive.
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The Signing Ceremony of the Agreement between the Government of the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China and the Government of the Republic of Belarus on Mutual Exemption of Visa Requirements took place in the Macao SAR Government Headquarters on 18 March 2016. The Government of the Macao SAR was granted the authorization from the Central People’s Government of the People’s Republic of China to conclude the abovementioned Agreement. The Secretary for Administration and Justice, Ms. Chan Hoi Fan, and the Ambassador of the Republic of Belarus in Beijing, Mr. Burya Viktor, representing the Government of the Macao SAR and the Government of the Republic of Belarus respectively, signed the Agreement. After the Agreement enters into force, residents of the Macao SAR holding a valid Macao SAR Passport or a valid Macao SAR Travel Permit will be exempted from visa requirements when entering the Republic of Belarus for a stay of maximum 30 days. The effective date will be later announced. At present, a total of 122 countries or territories have agreed to grant visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to the Macao SAR Passport holders, while 13 countries have agreed to grant to the Macao SAR Travel Permit holders visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to their regions.
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Consumer Council conducted its latest ‘Supermarket price survey’ in March on 17 March for the implementation of Section 2b), Article 10, Law 4/95/M of 12 June. Surveyed locations included supermarkets at Lam Mau, Patane and San Kio areas in Santo António Parish. The latest ‘Supermarket Price Survey’ is now available on Consumer Council’s website (www.consumer.gov.mo), ‘Supermarket Price Information Platform’ iPhone and Android apps, and on the Council’s WeChat account page. 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 seven parishes and the number of supermarkets in each parish, the Council has divided around 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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The UM VIP Day, the first major event to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the University of Macau (UM), will be held this Saturday (19 March). There will be an opening ceremony, a carnival-style Open Day, and the First UM Sports Day. Those who are interested are welcome to visit the UM campus with their families and friends this Saturday to participate in the various fun activities, including an international food festival, booth games, and performances. The opening ceremony to kick off celebrations of the university’s 35th anniversary will be held in the Lotus Square (in front of the Administration Building N6) at 11:00am, while the first-day events of the First UM Sports Day will be held in the afternoon. The various faculties, residential colleges, and laboratories, will be open to the public on the Open Day to give visitors an opportunity to learn more about the university. Academic lectures and fun workshops will also be held, covering a variety of interesting topics such as stem cell transplantation in treating diabetes; the theory, application and science of acupuncture; the basics of robot design; paper plane; and renewable energy. Other activities that are not to be missed include guided campus tours, English stand-up comedy show, and student performances. Those who are interested in visiting the UM campus this Saturday can take bus 71, 73 or 72 to the new campus. Those who drive to the campus can park their cars in Car Park P3 or P5 for free. Five restaurants on the campus serving Chinese and Western food will be open to the public on the VIP Day. For more details, please visit http://reg.umac.mo/umopenday/.
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The Transport Bureau has invited bids for 250 new licences covering the operation in each case of a single taxi. The 250 licences will each be valid for eight years, and cannot be transferred or extended, according to the notice published in the 16 March edition of the Macao SAR Gazette. The bidding process, by public tender, is a response to the phased expiration of existing time-limited taxi licences and increasing public demand for taxi services. Bidders must hold a Macao resident identity card or equivalent status. Each bidder can submit only one tender for a maximum of one licence. Individuals or groups of individuals can bid for the licences. The minimum bid price for each licence is 200,000 patacas, and there is an additional 10 percent stamp duty. A bid deposit of 50,000 patacas is required, payable either in cash or via bank draft. The public tender documents are now available at the Transport Bureau’s Public Relations Office, located at Estrada de D. Maria II, No 33, 6th Floor. Any queries regarding the tender documents should be submitted in writing to the Transport Bureau no later than 29 March 2016. All tenders should be submitted to the Transport Bureau Reception Desk – located at Avenida da Praia Grande, China Plaza Building, 3rd Floor – before the deadline of 6pm on 14 April 2016. Submitted tenders will be opened at the IPM Multisport Pavilion, located at Rua do Instituto Politécnico, at 10am on 17 April 2016. Those wishing to pursue their submitted tender are obliged to participate in the opening process that day and must produce their identity documents and the official receipt acknowledging their tender. For general information relating to the tender and bidding process, please visit http://www.dsat.gov.mo or telephone the Transport Bureau on 8866 6363 during office hours.
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“Where the World Heritage Shines – Photography Exhibition of the Historic Centre of Macao”, jointly organized by the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) and the Macao Cultural Heritage Reinventing Studies Association, will be inaugurated on Wednesday, 23 March, at 6:30pm, at the Old Court Building located at Av. da Praia Grande. The exhibition features 100 photographs of the world heritage listed Historic Centre of Macao taken by local photographer Chan Hin Io, revealing the beauty and vitality of Macao’s cultural heritage and showing the charm of this small city through various angles. The launching ceremony of the album Where the World Heritage Shines – Photographs of the Historic Centre of Macao will be held on the same day. A limited number of albums autographed by Chan Hio will be available for purchase, with discount. Chan Hin Io is a senior photographer nationwide and a recognised photographer in Macao. In recent years, he has been devoted to capturing Macao’s customs as well as the city’s landscapes, collecting several photography awards. Among his published works are The Neighbourhood of Macao – Documentary Photographs by Chan Hin Io, Memories of the Old Crafts and Trades in Macao, and Life in Macao 2012 – Photographs by Chan Hin Io. The photography works in this exhibition offer new perspectives of the city’s World Heritage sites, including photographs taken from high altitude and long distance, taken through different angles and shooting times, which allow the public to get to know the Historic Centre of Macao through the eyes of Chan Hio Io and the vicissitudes it went through. “Where the World Heritage Shines – Photography Exhibition of the Historic Centre of Macao” is open to the public from 24 March to 16 April at the Old Court Building located at Av. da Praia Grande. The exhibition is open from 10am to 8pm and is closed on Mondays. Admission is free. For more information, please visit IC’s website at www.icm.gov.mo or the Macao Cultural Heritage Reinventing Studies Association’s webpage www.heritage.mo. For enquiries, please call IC through tel. 8504 0802 during office hours.
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Consumer Council conducted its latest ‘Supermarket price survey’ in March on 16 March for the implementation of Section 2b), Article 10, Law 4/95/M of 12 June. Surveyed locations included supermarkets near Horte e Costa, Avenida do Ouvidor Arriaga and Rua da Emenda areas in Santo António Parish. The latest ‘Supermarket Price Survey’ is now available on Consumer Council’s website (www.consumer.gov.mo), ‘Supermarket Price Information Platform’ iPhone and Android apps, and on the Council’s WeChat account page. 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 seven parishes and the number of supermarkets in each parish, the Council has divided around 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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The Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, said Macao Special Administrative Region’s Five-Year Development Plan outlined the city’s key aspirations and a set of achievable goals. Its implementation would lead Macao to further social and economic achievements. Mr Chui made the comments on Tuesday (15 March) during a meeting in Macao with the Director of Tsinghua University’s Institute for Contemporary China Studies, Professor Hu Angang. The professor was a member of the commission that drafted the nation’s 13th Five-Year Plan, and is a consultant to Macao’s Five-Year Development Plan. The city’s first master development plan covers the period from 2016 to 2020. In the meeting, Mr Chui said such a blueprint for Macao was a welcome innovation for the process of government. He added that one of the challenges was to develop the guidelines for each stage of the Five-Year Development Plan. Prof. Hu’s advice would be particularly important in relation to Macao’s deployment of resources, its setting of targets and the way the city coordinates its development with that of the whole country, said the Chief Executive. Prof. Hu noted that having a clear development plan spanning several years was crucial for a community and for a country. He said that view was based on his research, which compared the 20 countries in the world that had achieved what he termed the best economic performance over the past three decades. Mr Chui said he was glad to have Prof. Hu’s support and advice when formulating Macao’s Five-Year Development Plan. After the meeting with Mr Chui, Prof. Hu delivered a presentation at a seminar held at the Macao East Asian Games Dome. He outlined some of his ideas regarding Macao’s Five-Year Development Plan and shared more details of the country’s 13th Five-Year Plan. Details included information on the national policy goal of building a moderately prosperous society; the 13th Five-Year Plan’s major targets; and the Central Government’s respective strategies for strengthening the development of Macao and Hong Kong. Prof. Hu said Macao’s special status under China’s “One country, two systems” policy and Macao’s role as a free port were important advantages that the city could draw on to assist the whole country’s development. The city could also draw on the support of other national policies in order to create fresh economic opportunities, the scholar said. In that way, Macao’s prosperity could grow in parallel with the nation’s prosperity. Prof. Hu additionally said the policy of developing Macao as a World Centre of Tourism and Leisure (known as the “Centre” policy) would help optimise the city’s position in relation to the country’s development. In reference to the nation’s 13th Five-Year Plan, Prof. Hu mentioned five key themes: innovation; coordination; green development; opening up; and sharing. Those themes related to the existing national and local policy vision of “putting people first”, he added. Prof. Hu said the 13th Five-Year Plan’s seven major targets, its 22 sub-targets and the benchmarking systems for evaluating their delivery were designed with practicality in mind. Overall they provided a scientific approach to the delivery and measurement of national development. During the seminar session, Prof. Hu said he was impressed by the SAR Government’s work and its support for the people regarding education, health services, employment, social security and housing. Macao has a strong foundation and conditions for further socio-economic development, he added. Officials attending Tuesday’s seminar included: the Secretary for Administration and Justice, Ms Chan Hoi Fan; the Secretary for Security, Mr Wong Sio Chak; the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Mr Tam Chon Weng; the Secretary for Transport and Public Works, Mr Raimundo do Rosário; the Commissioner Against Corruption, Mr Cheong Weng Chon; the Commissioner of Audit, Mr Ho Veng On; the Commissioner-General of the Unitary Police Service, Mr Ma Io Kun; the Director-General of the Macao Customs Service, Mr Vong Iao Lek; and the Public Prosecutor-General, Mr Ip Son Sang.
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