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The Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, will attend the opening of the 5th Session of the 12th National People's Congress (NPC) on 5 March in Beijing.During his visit to the capital, from 3 to 6 March, Mr Chui will also meet with officials of the Ministry of Education and of the General Administration of Sport of China, to exchange views on further cooperation between the Macao Special Administrative Region and the ministries.Officials travelling with Mr Chui on the visit will include: the Chief-of-Office of the Chief Executive’s Office, Ms O Lam; the Director of the Government Information Bureau, Mr Chan Chi Ping; and the Director of the Protocol, Public Relations and External Affairs Office, Mr Fung Sio Weng.During Mr Chui’s absence, the Secretary for Administration and Justice, Ms Chan Hoi Fan, will be the Acting Chief Executive.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that total merchandise export for January 2017 amounted to MOP971 million, down slightly by 0.4% year-on-year; value of re-exports (MOP802 million) dropped by 3.9%, with that of Watches (MOP96 million) falling by 18.0%; meanwhile, value of domestic exports (MOP169 million) increased by 19.7%, with that of Tobacco (MOP43 million) rising by 61.7%. Total merchandise import dropped by 2.9% year-on-year to MOP6.56 billion, of which imports of Garments & footwear and Construction materials declined by 7.1% and 39.6% respectively. Merchandise trade deficit amounted to MOP5.59 billion.Analysed by destination, merchandise export to Mainland China decreased by 19.8% year-on-year to MOP111 million in January 2017, of which exports to the nine provinces of the Pan Pearl River Delta (MOP100 million) fell by 24.1%, while exports to Hong Kong (MOP643 million) rose by 1.4%. Meanwhile, exports to the USA (MOP22 million) and the EU (MOP21 million) grew by 110.2% and 21.6% respectively. Exports of Non-textiles increased by 2.7% year-on-year to MOP927 million, of which value of Diamond & diamond jewellery (MOP146 million) soared by 74.6%, but that of Watches (MOP96 million) dropped by 18.0%. Exports of Textiles & garments totalled MOP44 million, down by 39.3%.By place of origin, merchandise import from Mainland China (MOP2.33 billion) decreased by 13.0% year-on-year in January 2017, whereas import from the EU (MOP1.68 billion) increased by 6.4%. Meanwhile, imports from the Portuguese-speaking Countries (MOP62 million) expanded by 22.8%. Analysed by place of consignment, merchandise import from Mainland China declined by 11.1% to MOP855 million, of which imports from the nine provinces of the Pan Pearl River Delta (MOP822 million) fell by 7.9%. Imports of Consumer goods grew by 6.8% to MOP4.45 billion, with imports of Gold jewellery (MOP721 million) and Watches (MOP457 million) rising by 33.4% and 27.2% respectively. Moreover, value of imports of Construction materials(MOP127 million) and Motor cars & motorcycles (MOP85 million) declined by 39.6% and 20.8% respectively.External merchandise trade totalled MOP7.53 billion in January 2017, down by 2.6% compared with MOP7.73 billion a year earlier.
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For the implementation of Section 2b), Article 10, Law 4/95/M of 12 June, Consumer Council on 28 February collects prices of fresh pork from wet markets and supermarkets for consumers’ reference. The mentioned data collected during 22 February to 28 February are used for comparing the average selling price of the same products from Zhuhai. The relevant data has been uploaded to the Council’s website for consumers’ reference.The specific price surveys on fresh pork and vegetables are now available on the Council’s website (www.consumer.gov.mo), iPhone & Android ‘Supermarket Price Information Platform’ app, and the Council’s WeChat Account page. The relevant surveys include the average selling prices of local fresh pork and vegetables, and comparison on the respective the average selling prices rom Zhuhai and Macao.For enquiry, please call 8988 9315.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that a total of 371MICE events were held in the fourth quarter of 2016, consisting of 352 meetings & conferences, 16 exhibitions and 3 incentive events. Total number of participants and attendees was 490,000. For the whole year of 2016, a total of 1,276 MICE events were held, comprising 1,195 meetings & conferences, 55 exhibitions and 26 incentive events. Total number of participants and attendees was 1,722,000.Number of meetings & conferences held in the fourth quarter increased by 16year-on-year, with number of participants rising by 70.6% to 70,000. Those meetings & conferences with 200 participants or more increased by 14 to 73, and number of participants surged by 103.9% to 54,000 (76.9% of total). Meanwhile, meetings & conferences of 4 hours or more increased by 39 year-on-year to 252 (71.6% of total), and number of participants soared by 121.2% to 55,000; the average duration of these meetings & conferences was 2.0 days, up by 0.1 day year-on-year. The overall average duration of the meetings & conferences was 1.6 days, up by 0.2 day.There were 16 exhibitions held in the fourth quarter, down by 7 year-on-year; number of attendees decreased by 48.4% to 405,000, with the 15 exhibitions organised by non-government organisations attracting 351,000 attendees. The average duration of the exhibitions was 3.2 days, down by 0.2 day year-on-year, and total floor area used dropped by 16.0% to 155,000 m². Furthermore, 3 incentive events were held, drawing 14,000 participants; the average duration of the events was 2.3 days and total floor area used was 172,000 m².In accordance with information collected from the organisers of 15 exhibitions in the fourth quarter, receipts of these exhibitions amounted to MOP 74.53 million; expenditure totalled MOP 102 million, which was mainly incurred on production, construction & decoration (28.7%), publicity & public relations (14.4%) and rental paid for venue (12.9%). Meanwhile, receipts of the 14 exhibitions organised by non-government organisations amounted to MOP 72.09 million, of which financial support from government or other organisations totalled MOP 56.64 million, a decrease of more than 30.0% year-on-year. Expenditure of these exhibitions totalled MOP 74.44 million, of which production, construction & decoration accounted for 29.4%. The 15 exhibitions together attracted 1,615 exhibitors, with 23.9% coming from Mainland China and 39.5% from Macao; professional visitors totalled 34,000, with those from Macao predominating at 41.6%, followed by Mainland China at 26.1%. As for the exhibitions organised by non-government organisations, number of exhibitors (869) and professional visitors (31,000) mainly came from Macao, constituting 42.0% and 41.1% of the respective total.Information from 396 interviewed exhibitors in the fourth quarter indicated that 98.9% of their receipts were generated from sales of products, while rental paid for exhibition booth accounted for 49.2% of their expenditure. Regarding comments about the MICE venue and services, over 80.0% of the interviewed exhibitors were satisfied with the work efficiency & attitude (81.0%), professionalism (80.5%) and language skills (80.3%) of the venue staff. A relatively low proportion of exhibitors were satisfied with the promotion of the exhibition (56.7%), yet showing an increase of 5.9 percentage points over the previous quarter, while 12.2% considered that improvement was needed, down by 12.0 percentage points. Among the interviewed exhibitors that had used services rendered by local companies, the proportions of those who were satisfied with the services (73.9%) and arrangements (68.5%) of the companies dropped by 10.8 and 15.7 percentage points respectively quarter-to-quarter.For the whole year of 2016, number of meetings & conferences increasedby 32 year-on-year, and total number of participants rose by 49.2% to 176,000. Those meetings & conferences with 200 participants or more went up by 43 to 197, with number of participants surging by 93.5% to 123,000. Meetings & conferences of 4 hours or more decreased by 23 to 788, yet number of participants increased by 57.9% to 132,000. The overall average duration of the meetings & conferences was 1.5 days, down by 0.1 day year-on-year. On the other hand, number of exhibitions decreased by 23 year-on-year, bringing the number of attendees (1,500,000) and total floor area used (309,000 m²) down by 37.3% and 21.8% respectively. There were 49 exhibitions organised by non-government organisations, down by 25 year-on-year, with number of attendees falling by 40.0% to 1,289,000; among them, number of exhibitions with 20,000 attendees or more (23) decreased by 15 and number of attendees (1,141,000) dropped by 37.7%. Moreover, number of incentive events totalled 26, drawing 45,000 participants.In accordance with information collected from the organisers of 54 exhibitions for the whole year of 2016, receipts of these exhibitions amounted to MOP 159 million, with rental of exhibition booths accounting for 55.4% of the total. Expenditure of the exhibitions totalled MOP 220 million, which was mainly incurred on production, construction & decoration (27.7% of total) and publicity & public relations (19.0%). The net amount generated from the 48 exhibitions organised by non-government organisations by deducting the expenditure (MOP 135 million, excluding operating expenses of the organisations) from the receipts (MOP 153 million) was MOP 17.58 million, an improvement from the MOP 1.85 million deficit in 2015.The 54 exhibitions together attracted 4,787 exhibitors in 2016, with 25.8% coming from Mainland China and 36.7% from Macao. Professional visitors totalled 99,000, coming primarily from Mainland China (21.0% of total) and Macao (54.6%). Exhibitors (2,868) attending exhibitions organised by non-government organisations mainly came from Macao (39.3% of total) and Hong Kong (25.0%); professional visitors totalled 90,000 and 55.4% were from Macao. Information from 1,400 interviewed exhibitors in 2016 indicated that 97.5% of their receipts were generated from sales of products, while rental paid for exhibition booth accounted for 56.2% of their expenditure.
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The applications for the “Academic Research Grants”, launched by the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC, from the Portuguese acronym), will be open from 1 March to 31 May, 2017.The “Academic Research Grants” aim at encouraging original academic research on the culture of Macao and on the cultural exchange between Macao, Mainland China and other countries. Local or overseas doctorate degree holders with proven academic research experience, and local or overseas individuals with sufficient research experience and recognized academic production are eligible to apply and submit the duly filled out application form and research project plan to IC by double registered mail or in person. Applicants must also submit their curriculum vitae and certified copies of educational qualification certificates; incomplete applications or applications that fail to comply with the above will not be accepted. The grants, in the amount of MOP280,000.00 and MOP250,000.00, will be awarded according to the applicant’s academic background and to the content of the project and are subject to IC’s decision under proposal of the Selection Panel.The “Academic Research Grant Regulations”, application forms and research project plan are available for reference and download on IC’s webpage www.icm.gov.mo. Applications must be submitted before the deadline otherwise they will not be accepted. For more information, please contact Ms. Silvia Kuan, staff member of the Division of Research and Publications of IC, through tel. no. 2836 6866 during office hours, or by email to silviak@icm.gov.mo.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that visitors on package tours totalled 532,000 in January 2017, down by 6.7% year-on-year and 25.4% month-to-month. Package tour visitors from Mainland China (402,000) dropped by 9.0% year-on-year, while those from the Republic of Korea (43,000) and Taiwan (33,000) rose by 21.3% and 4.7% respectively.As the Lunar New Year that fell in February last year took place in January this year, outbound residents using services of travel agencies increased by 14.8% year-on-year to 117,000. Residents travelling on package tours went up by 25.6% year-on-year to 50,000, with 32,000 of them going to Mainland China (+11.2%), and those to the Republic of Korea (8,100), Japan (2,600) and Thailand (2,300) surging by 120.2%, 272.8% and 221.2% respectively.There were 107 hotels & guesthouses operating at the end of January 2017, providing 36,000 guest rooms, of which 5-star hotels accounted for 60.1%. Number of guest rooms increased by 12.9% year-on-year, with that of 3-star hotels soaring by 116.7%.Number of guests in hotels & guesthouses totalled 1,041,000 in January 2017, up by 15.6% year-on-year. Guests from Mainland China (679,000), the Republic of Korea (38,000) and Hong Kong (127,000) recorded double-digit growth, up by 17.1%, 35.9% and 12.9% respectively; meanwhile, those from Taiwan dropped by 1.3% to 40,000. The average length of stay of guests was 1.4 nights, same as in January 2016. The average occupancy rate of hotels & guesthouses stood at 81.6%, up by 4.4 percentage points year-on-year; the rates of 5-star (83.5%) and 4-star hotels (82.3%) exceeded 80.0%, up by 5.0 and 3.4 percentage points respectively. Visitor-guests accounted for 71.7% of the total overnight visitors, down by 2.5 percentage points year-on-year.
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The number of suspected crime cases reported in Macao in 2016 saw a 5.4 percent increase year-on-year, to 14,387 cases. Instances of the most serious forms of crime continued to be either non-existent, or extremely low in number.The rise in the number of reported cases was mainly due to enhanced enforcement efforts against those temporary stay permit holders that failed to report to the police on a regular basis as required, said the Secretary for Security, Mr Wong Sio Chak, during today’s press conference on the 2016 crime figures.The security authorities would continue their scientific and progressive approach to maintaining law and order in Macao and would constantly analyse any possible impact on law and order following the adjustment period of the city’s gaming industry, he said.Suspected crimes against property and reported crimes against the person accounted for, respectively, 53.2 percent and 20.2 percent of all the suspected criminal cases reported in 2016.There were 840 cases of suspected violent crime in 2016, an increase of 11.3 percent from 2015. The increase was mainly due to a rise in allegations relating to false imprisonment. However, the pace of year-on-year increase in the number of suspected violent crimes during 2016 slowed during the course of the 12 months: from a 24 percent year-on-year increase in the first quarter, to an average year-on-year increase of 11.3 percent by year end.Instances of other serious suspected crimes, such as murder, kidnap, and grievous assault, remained at zero or a very low level. Instances of suspected robbery dropped by 13.3 percent, to 98 cases compared to the 2015 data. The decline showed Macao to be a secure and safe city, said Mr Wong.In addition, the police had taken effective measures to prevent and combat crimes relating to people’s material well-being, such as burglary, fraud, and arson. Burglary decreased to 53 cases in 2016 from 189 cases in 2014; and telephone fraud fell to 29 cases from 282 cases in 2014.The number of suspected illegal immigrants and overstayers apprehended during 2016 totalled 28,061, representing an 8-percent year-on-year decline. The reduction in the number was a result of the implementation – with effect from October 2015 – of anti-smuggling arrangements with neighbouring authorities, Mr Wong said.The number of reported drug-related cases was basically the same as in 2015, the Secretary said. Mr Wong added that the police would remain vigilant regarding trends in suspected drug-related crime, via further, effective, intelligence gathering and closer cooperation with international and regional police authorities.Regarding suspected gaming-related crimes, false imprisonment rose 22.9 percent year-on-year, to 504 cases, while suspect cases of usury went up 32.5 percent, to 469 cases.Mr Wong said the security authorities had not found evidence that the city’s gaming industry had had any negative influence on community security. The police were nonetheless paying close attention to the development of the sector and adjusting their enforcement strategies as necessary.Additionally, reported infractions relating to taxi services totalled 4,152 instances: complaints of surcharging went up 38.9 percent year-on-year, to 1,713 cases; while complaints of alleged refusals to take passengers declined by 24.6 percent compared to 2015, to 1,413 cases.Full-year data indicated that reported infractions relating to unlicensed transportation services totalled 1,287 cases. Of these, 1,078 related to services accessed via mobile device applications, said Mr Wong.The Secretary concluded by saying that the work of Macao’s security authorities in the past year had won wide positive recognition from the community. By promoting close police-community cooperation, the police would step up efforts in preventing and combating crime, in order to maintain a stable and secure environment in Macao and protect the legitimate rights of both residents and visitors.
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According to a press release published by Fitch Ratings today, the international rating agency affirms Macao SAR’s credit ratings (long-term foreign and local currency issuer default ratings) at “AA-” with a “stable” outlook.Despite three consecutive years of economic contraction, the rating agency points out that Macao SAR’s exceptionally strong fiscal and external financial position, zero government debt, prudent public expenditure management and credible policy framework are key factors supporting its high credit ratings and “stable” outlook.According to Fitch’s rating definitions, ratings in the “AA” category indicate a very strong fiscal position for payment of financial commitments and the capacity is not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events. Therefore, the expectations of default risk are very low.
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The Macao Museum of Art (MAM), under the Cultural Affairs Bureau, presents the latest edition of its ‘Macao Arts Window’exhibition series ‘Untitled Travel - Works of Lin Ge’at 6:30pm on 1 March（Wednesday）on the 3^rd floor of MAM, with a sharing session in Cantonese hosted by the artist. Admission is free and all are welcome.The MAM has been organising the ‘Macao Arts Window’ since 2012, striving to provide an open and diverse exhibition space and exchange platform, and encourage local artists to explore and express concepts and forms of contemporary art.Lin Ge, from the 1980’s generation, was born and raised in Macao. With a Bachelor’s degree in Design from the Polytechnic Institute and a Master’s degree in Cultural Industries Management from the City University of Macau, Lin has participated in several exhibitions, including the ‘Fresh Artists’ – Art Exhibition of Young Artists from Mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao, in 2009; the Illustration Exhibition ‘Walk with Picture Books’ in 2013; and the ‘Macao x San Francisco Art of Illustration Exhibition’ in 2016. His illustration works and articles are published in various Macao newspapers and magazines.This exhibition features a total of 30 illustration works, mainly themed around a few places in Macao that are about to disappear or have already disappeared. According to Lin Ge, there are certain landscapes that we would not like to forget and that, even if we thought we would forget them, they would eventually spring to our minds at unexpected moments. The author hopes to record the transformations of the city through his works, in which unforgettable landscapes can allow the public to trigger off their memories while appreciating the works.This exhibition will run until 14 May, 2017. The Macao Art Museum, located in Avenida Xian Xing Hai, is open daily from 10am to 7pm, including on public holidays (no admittance after 6:30pm; closed on Mondays). Admission is free. For more information about the exhibition, please visit www.MAM.gov.mo
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The Board of Administrators of the Association of Portuguese Speaking Universities (AULP) held a meeting at its headquarters in Lisbon. The meeting was attended by ten tertiary institutions from Portuguese-speaking countries and Macao, which serve as the president or members of the Board of Administrators, Board of Supervisors, and Secretariat General.Vice Rector Rui Martins chaired the meeting on behalf of the University of Macau, which is the president of the AULP. Participants discussed the headquarters’ activities in the past six months and summarised the key points of the 26th annual meeting held in East Timor.Other main items on the meeting’s agenda included: launching the 2017 Fernão Mendes Pinto Award, releasing the minutes of the 26th annual meeting of the AULP (which was focused on academic mobility and globalisation within the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP) and Macao), and publishing RILP (Volume 3, Issue 28/29, 2015, and Volume 3, Issue 30, 2016). Participants also discussed matters related to the preparation for the 27th annual meeting of the AULP, which will be held from 10 July to 12 July in Campinas, Brazil. The meeting is now open for registrations.At the AULP’s 24th annual meeting held in Macao, UM was elected president of the association, for a three-year term (from 2014 to 2017). With members consisting of over 140 universities and other research and educational institutions from CPLP countries and Macao, the AULP takes as its mission to promote the communication between its members as well as the development of education and the Portuguese language worldwide.
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