News

Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that the Composite CPI (109.25) for January 2017 increased by 1.76% year-on-year, up by 0.32 percentage points from the 1.44% growth in December 2016. The increment was attributable to significant year-on-year increase in charges for package tours as the Lunar New Year that fell in February last year occurred in January this year; dearer charges for eating out, rising rentals for parking spaces and higher prices of motor cars and gasoline also drove up the index.Among the various sections of goods and services, price indices of Recreation & Culture (+9.03%), Transport (+8.12%) and Education (+7.38%) increased year-on-year; price index of Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages that accounted for the largest share of household expenditure also went up by 1.69%. On the other hand, price indices of Housing & Fuels, Communication and Clothing & Footwear decreased by 1.79%, 1.73% and 0.88% respectively. The CPI-A (109.37) and CPI-B (108.23) rose by 1.64% and 2.78% respectively year-on-year.The Composite CPI for January 2017 rose by 0.36% month-to-month. Soaring charges for package tours during the Lunar New Year period, as well as rising airfares and gasoline prices, pushed up the price indices of Recreation & Culture and Transport by 7.49% and 1.10% respectively. Price index of Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages rose by 0.39% due to higher charges for eating out and dearer prices of fresh fish, seafood and fresh pork, yet receding prices of vegetables tapered off part of the increase. Moreover, price index of Miscellaneous Goods & Services increased by 0.56% owing to higher charges for hairdressing services before the Lunar New Year. On the contrary, seasonal sale of winter clothing caused the price index of Clothing & Footwear to fall by 4.71%. The CPI-A and CPI-B rose by 0.37% and 0.25% respectively month-to-month.For the 12 months ended January 2017, the average Composite CPI went up by 2.20% from the previous period. Price indices of Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco (+19.10%), Education (+8.26%) and Transport (+7.17%) showed marked increase. The average CPI-A and CPI-B rose by 2.11% and 2.97% respectively over the previous period.The Composite CPI reflects the impact of price changes on the general households in Macao. 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.
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Consumer Council conducted its latest ‘Supermarket price survey’ in February on 21 Februay 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 Task Force for Planning and Evaluation under the Talents Development Committee held its first meeting of the year of 2017. It was chaired by Dr. Yeung Tsun Man Eric, Convener of the Task Force. During the meeting, the Committee Secretariat briefed on the progress of the Survey on the Future Talent Needs of Macao’s Finance Industryand the Survey on the Future Talent Needs of Macao’s Construction Industry, summarised the work on the Catalogue of Talent in Short Supply in Five Key Industries and discussed the five-year action plan Medium- and Long-Term Talent Training Programme.The Committee Secretariat reported that it had commissioned Macao’s higher education institutions to conduct the surveys, which were delivering survey questionnaires to the entity representatives of the industries concerned, expecting results within this year. Representatives of the City University of Macau, one of the commissioned institutions, were present in the meeting to introduce the work concerned and offer details of its implementation.The surveys will be conducted by quantitative and qualitative methods in the form of questionnaires, panel meetings, interviews, scientific analyses of sectoral economic development and so on, with six local major construction associations being the main questionnaire targets, and local construction worker unions on the waiting list. According to the representatives, their research team comprises veterans from relevant industries, enabling them to better co-ordinate with industry members to produce more effective surveys, and currently have received active responses from the industries.Meanwhile, the meeting addressed the follow-up work of the five-year action plan Medium- and Long-Term Talent Training Programme, which the Committee expected to review in the next meeting.In addition, the Committee Secretariat summarised that it had completed and released the Lists of Talent Demands of Five Key Economic Sectorsand the Catalogue of Talents in Short Supply in Key Areas last year, in order that the community could have a comprehensive understanding of the talent demands in the key areas in Macao.The requirements for the positions in short supply are converted into indices, including jobs’ educational qualifications, work experience, professional skills and capabilities, as well as monthly salaries, which help residents learn about the most wanted positions in Macao’s key sectors at present, with information of the basic skills required and salary levels. The catalogue provides information for job promotion and transfer within the five said sectors, and serves as references for personal advancement and career development. Moreover, the catalogue facilitates the formulation of talent development policies. For more information, please visit the Committee’s website http://www.scdt.gov.mo/supplydemand.html.Committee members presented at the meeting were: Yeung Tsun Man, Leong Lai, Chan Chi Fong, Liang Liu, Lao Chi Ngai, Tai Wa Hou, Van Iat Kio, Sou Chio Fai, Leong Sin Man, and the representatives of the City University of Macau including Khong Yueng Wah, Manuel Ma and Zhang Jing Qi.
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For the implementation of Section 2b), Article 10, Law 4/95/M of 12 June, Consumer Council on 21 February collects prices of fresh pork from wet markets and supermarkets for consumers’ reference. The mentioned data collected during 15 February to 21 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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Music is present in daily life and classical musical is no longer restricted to concert halls. The Macao Orchestra (OM, from the Portuguese acronym), under the auspices of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, presents concerts in different cultural venues this weekend, namely at the Tap Seac Gallery on Friday, 24 February at 6pm and at the Macao Museum of Art on Sunday, 26 February at 3pm, filling these magnificent venues with classical music and also offering the public an artistic experience simultaneously visual and aural. Admission is free and seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis.The first concert “Music In Tap Seac Gallery” will be held on Friday at the distinctive historic Tap Seac Gallery, featuring two string quartets, namely Mozart’s Divertimento in F Major and Haydn’s String Quartet in B flat Major. On Sunday, OM moves to the Macao Museum of Art to present the concert “Music in the Macao Museum of Art”, featuring Danzi’s Wind Quintet in A Major, Op. 68 No.1 and Ibert’s Three short pieces, offering music aficionados refined chamber music performances. The performances aim to integrate arts with music and promote a cultural ambience in the community.Admission to these two concerts is free. For details and enquiries about the concerts’ programmes, please call IC through tel. no. 2853 0782, during office hours, or visit OM’s webpage at www.om-macau.org.
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The “Macao Special Administrative Region Travel Alert System”, published today (20^th of February) on the Chief Executive Order n.º26/2017, will take effect on the 7^th of March, 2017. It is the responsibility of the Tourism Crisis Management Office (GGCT) to manage the said Alert System.The fundamental content of the Travel Alert System is as follows: Events such as threats of a new type of terrorism, technological accidents and natural catastrophes are some of the examples that showcase the importance that the tourism industry needs to adapt and be prepared to face, at any moment and without prior notice, a crisis situation which may compromise the safety of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) residents who plan to or are travelling abroad.Therefore it is of extreme importance the implementation of a Macao SAR Travel Alert System which allows for an easy and timely dissemination of information about crisis situations, emergencies or catastrophes affecting different parts of the world, in order to raise the awareness of the population and to facilitate their decision when traveling abroad.The Travel Alert System covers 77 countries or travel destinations which are the preferred travel destinations of Macao residents, as shown in Table 1. The categorization is in three different levels and identified by the numbers 1, 2, and 3 as shown in Table 2. Level 1 represents an imminent threat to personal safety. Macao residents planning to travel or already in the destination should be alert and vigilant towards their own safety. It is suggested to exercise caution and monitor developments that might affect their personal safety. Level 2 represents that the threat to personal safety is elevated. Macao residents planning to travel to or already in the destination should reconsider the travel at this time. It is suggested to avoid non-essential travel to the destination. Level 3 represents the presence of an extreme threat to personal safety. Macao residents planning to travel or already in the destination should be aware of the severity of the situation and limits that any official assistance can be provided there. It is advised to avoid travelling to the destination and in certain situations, follow the advice issued by the Tourism Crisis Management Office (GGCT) to leave the destination. (Given the fact that Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan are part of the People's Republic of China, these are not covered by the Travel Alert System).Factors that will be taken into consideration when issuing, cancelling, raising or lowering the levels of the travel alerts are the danger levels of the social-economic fabric, the political frame of the destinations that can constitute simple or complex scenarios (with multiple dangers), the concrete situation, the degree of threat to personal safety, threat duration, whether the affected destination is sought after by Macao residents, or whether the threat is targeted towards tourists as well as any travel alerts issued by Mainland China, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and other neighboring regions.Information to the public regarding the issuing, cancellation, elevation or reduction of the levels of the travel alerts will be disseminated in the form of press releases by the Government Information Bureau and also via the website of the Tourism Crisis Management Office.Although this Travel Alert System was insightfully prepared, it merely serves as an indicator of the emergency status in order to raise the awareness of each individual on the subject of self-protection, and it does not constitute as any form of guarantee for safety. The Travel Alert System does not have a prohibitive nature and it is up to each individual to decide or adjust their travel plan according to the information provided.With the implementation of the Travel Alert System, the GGCT advises Macao residents before traveling to purchase comprehensive travel insurance, with coverage option for the Macao SAR Travel Alert System, international emergency medical evacuation coverage, and to also verify with their insurers in case of any doubts regarding the terms and conditions of their insurance coverage.The Travel Alert System is the result of a relatively extended period of analysis and research by various public and private entities, including the Macao Government Tourism Office, the Monetary Authority of Macao, the tourism industry, the insurance industry, the Tourism Crisis Management Office and its members.* Attachment
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The 9th ACM SIGGRAPH Conference and Exhibition on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques in Asia (SIGGRAPH Asia 2016) successfully took place at The Venetian Macao from 5 to 8 December 2016. The 2016 edition was held under the theme “Key to the Future”, with a new Virtual Reality (VR) Showcase being introduced to SIGGRAPH Asia for the first time this year. The four-day event attracted more than 6,000 delegates from more than 50 countries and regions, including industry professionals, academics and technology enthusiasts. Both the organiser and the event manager said they were satisfied with the effectiveness of the event, recognising the importance of the hardware and software of Macao’s convention and exhibition industry, which makes the city well equipped to host international meetings.‘Oscars’ of the computer animation sector held in MacaoThe Conference Chair of SIGGRAPH Asia, Hongbo Fu, said that SIGGRAPH has gained outstanding success in North America since it was first held in 1974. An Asia edition was first held in 2008 and it soon became a renowned platform in the high-quality computer graphics techniques sector, and its awards are now likened to the “Oscars”. The 2016 edition introduced a new Virtual Reality (VR) Showcase to SIGGRAPH Asia for the first time, in order to explore emerging trends and applications in virtual reality, contributing to the ability of the industry to bring new technologies to market.More than 6,000 delegates from over 50 countries and regions attended SIGGRAPH Asia 2016. Mathias Kuepper, the event manager and Managing Director of Koelnmesse Pte Ltd, said he was satisfied with the results of SIGGRAPH Asia 2016. Mr Kuepper added that the organisation for the event had been highly professional throughout the process. He noted that the event would contribute to the growth of the local convention and exhibition industry, as well as showcasing that particular exhibiting sector’s latest creative technology, along with information and research that features the latest trends of the market. The professional organisational support for the event is one of the reasons why the related conferences and seminars recorded a high attendance, facilitating communication and business collaboration among the participants, added Mr Kuepper.Large-scale conventions promote development of various industries in MacaoBoth Mr Fu and Mr Kuepper pointed out that SIGGRAPH Asia is an annual event that rotates around the Asian region. Macao was chosen to host the 9th edition thanks to the city’s favourable policies regarding entry visas. This helps to attract visits from specialists coming from Mainland China, the United States, the United Kingdom and several other Asian countries and regions. According to both Mr Fu and Mr Kuepper, large hotels in Macao are easy to reach, with major ports of entry well connected to local communities via public transport. Such arrangements not only save time, but also make it very suitable for international events, they added. They also noted the city is well served by food and beverage outlets, shops and leisure and entertainment facilities.The hosting of SIGGRAPH Asia in Macao would help promote the development of the city’s tourism industry, as well as create fresh opportunities for various other industries in Macao; particularly for the computer graphics sector and for the convention and exhibition industry to collaborate, enabling them to communicate and learn from overseas institutions, said both Mr Fu and Mr Kuepper. They added that local enterprises could also make use of SIGGRAPH Asia as a platform to explore the available market for their services and try to expand it, including potentially to the international arena.Macao is to host several international, large-scale events in the coming months, starting with the annual prominent event of the environmental sector – the “2017 Macao International Environmental Co-operation Forum & Exhibition” (MIECF). Other events include: the “iGaming Asia Congress 2017” conference and exhibition – an event that covers several segments of the gaming sector and is organised by the Asian gaming industry, social platforms and mobile app companies; the “2nd International Exposition of Intangible Cultural Heritage and Ancient Art Macao - China” – an event that will gather renowned academics and collectors from around the world jointly to explore topics on intangible cultural heritage; and the “39th Asia Pacific Dental Congress 2017” – an event that will host medical professionals from 30 countries and regions. For more information, please visit the official website of MICE at http://www.mice.gov.mo/tc/.
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A Orquestra de Macau (OM) do Instituto Cultural apresentou no dia 19 de Fevereiro, na Igreja de S. Domingos, o concerto “Ning Feng Interpreta Elgar” integrado no Ciclo Virtuosos Brilhantes da OM. O jovem maestro de Taiwan Tung-Chieh Chuang, vencedor do Concurso Internacional de Regência Nicolai Malko, dirigiu neste concerto o internacionalmente renomado violinista Ning Feng e a OM na interpretação do romântico Concerto para Violino e Orquestra em Si menor de Edward Elgar, uma obra de estilo romântico do compositor britânico dos séculos XIX e XX. Neste seu regresso ao território, Ning Feng ofereceu uma magnífica actuação aos aficionados de música de Macau, orientando ainda pessoalmente a “Hora de Música - Master classde Violino com Ning Feng” no 17 de Fevereiro, no Auditório do Museu de Arte de Macau. Esta actividade atraiu a participação e o intercâmbio de numerosos estudantes e entusiastas de violino.O Concerto para Violino e Orquestra em Si menor de Elgar, com melodias líricas é um concerto considerado de grande dificuldade. Ning Feng interpretou-o com o seu estilo particular, demonstrando virtuosismo com uma perfeita execução tanto no andamento mais lento como nos momentos climáticos do concerto. E na última metade do terceiro andamento, o violinista tocou em pizzicato tremolo, uma técnica particular de pizzicato dos instrumentos de cordas, com acompanhamento de orquestra, que deixou no público a chorar por mais e uma sensação de que os 50 minutos de duração do Concerto se esgotaram num instante. De seguida, o internacionalmente premiado maestro Tung-Chieh Chuang dirigiu a Suite o O Pássaro de Fogo (1919) de Stravinsky, permitindo, graças à sua extraordinária interpretação, o público sentir na pele a determinação do príncipe na luta contra o diabo, e experienciar os estimulantes sons do impressionismo francês presentes nesta peça.Antes do concerto, a OM organizou especialmente a actividade “Hora de Música - Master class de Violino com Ning Feng”, orientada por Ning Feng, a qual veio, assim, alargar os horizontes musicais e experiências de actuação dos participantes. Após a actuação, realizou-se ainda uma sessão de autógrafos com o violinista, muito procurada pelos aficionados.No próximo dia 4 de Março o OM apresenta, pelas 16:00 horas, no Teatro Dom Pedro V, a “Festa Musical de Fim-de-Semana – Música com Pintura de Areia”. Ma Wing Cheung, um artista famoso em pintura na areia originário de Hong Kong, e a OM irão apresentar, aliando música clássica e desenhos na areia, um espectáculo inovador misturando diversas expressões artísticas. Os bilhetes, já em número limitado, estão à venda aos preços de MOP120 e MOP100. Linha directa de reserva de bilhetes: 2855 5555. Para mais informações e detalhes sobre o programa, é favor contactar a OM através do telefone n.º 2853 0782, durante o horário de expediente, ou visite a página electrónica da OM em www.om-macau.org.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that 34% of the interviewed restaurants & similar establishments reported a year-on-year growth in receipts in December 2016, up by 4 percentage points from November owing to an increase in visitors. Among them, 57% of the Chinese Restaurants and 24% of the Local Style Cafes, Congee & Noodle Shops recorded a year-on-year increase in receipts, up by 2 and 8 percentage points respectively from November. Meanwhile, the proportion of interviewed restaurants & similar establishments that reported a year-on-year decline in receipts (44%) dropped by 6 percentage points from November, with the corresponding proportions of Japanese & Korean Restaurants and Local Style Cafes, Congee & Noodle Shops decreasing by 19 and 10 percentage points.As regards retail trade, 42% of the interviewed retailers reported a year-on-year growth in sales in December 2016, up by 3 percentage points from November. All of the interviewed Leather Goods Retailers and 50% of the Department Stores recorded a year-on-year increase in sales, the same proportions as in the previous month.Moreover, 47% of the Watches, Clocks & Jewellery Retailers, 44% of the Supermarkets and 22% of the Motor Vehicle Retailers reported a year-on-year rise in sales, up by 5, 22 and 11 percentage points respectively; meanwhile, the corresponding proportion of Adults' Clothing Retailers went down by 10 percentage points. On the other hand, 49% of the interviewed retailers recorded a year-on-year decrease in sales, down by about 5 percentage points from November, with the corresponding proportions of Supermarkets, Department Stores and Motor Vehicle Retailers falling by 22, 13 and 11 percentage points respectively.The interviewed restaurants & similar establishments were relatively optimistic about their business prospects in January 2017 when the Lunar New Year took place, with 30% anticipating a year-on-year rise in receipts, up by 10 percentage points when compared to December 2016. By contrast, 37% of the restaurants & similar establishments predicted a decline in receipts, down by about 4 percentage points from the previous month. Among the various types of restaurants, 57% of the interviewed Chinese Restaurants anticipated a year-on-year rise in receipts, up notably by 27 percentage points from the preceding month; meanwhile, the proportion of Western Restaurants that expected a decrease in receipts rose by 15 percentage points from the previous month to 50%.Retailers expected a slight improvement in their business in January 2017. The proportion of interviewed retailers that anticipated a year-on-year increase in sales in January rose by 2 percentage points to 25% when compared to December 2016. Leather Goods Retailers were more optimistic, of which 80% expected their sales to increase year-on-year; moreover, 40% of the Cosmetics & Sanitary Articles Retailers, 38% of the Adults' Clothing Retailers and 38% of the Department Stores anticipated a year-on-year growth in sales. Meanwhile, the proportion of retailers that anticipated a decline in sales decreased by 3 percentage points to 38%, with the corresponding proportions of Department Stores and Cosmetics & Sanitary Articles Retailers dropping by 25 and 20 percentage points respectively.The sample of the Business Climate Survey on Restaurants & Similar Establishments and Retail Trade was selected based on the receipts of the establishments, comprising 167 restaurants & similar establishments (accounting for 53% of the industry’s receipts) and 135 retailers (accounting for 70% of the industry’s receipts). The Survey results reflect only the business performance and expectations of the sample restaurants and retailers, where no extrapolation of results has been conducted.
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A team of faculty members and students from the University of Macau’s (UM) State-Key Laboratory of Analog and Mixed-Signal VLSI (AMS-VLSI Lab) presented their research findings at the 64^thIEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) International Solid-State Circuits Conference (ISSCC) held in San Francisco, the United States. Six papers from UM were accepted at this year’s conference, making the university one of the top institutions with the most papers presented at the 64^th ISSCC. This shows international recognition of UM’s leading position in the field in Asia.A total of 208 papers were accepted at this year’s conference. Among them 11 are from the Greater China region, with 6 from UM, 4 from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and 1 from Analog Devices Inc. The papers deal with five broad subjects, namely wireless communication, RF circuits, digital structure and system, data transformation, and analogue circuits.Lei Kameng, a doctor of microelectronics and Macao Fellow at UM, received the Pre-doctoral Achievement Award from the IEEE Solid-State Circuits Society at the conference, in recognition of his outstanding research in the field. Two other PhD students from the lab were invited to make presentations in the Student Research Previews sectionUM professors U Seng-Pan and Mak Pui-In, deputy director and associate director (research) of the lab, have been invited to serve as members of the Technical Programme Committee of the ISSCC, which has four members from mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao. The other two members are from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and Fudan University, respectively. In addition, Prof U is currently the China Representative of the ISSCC Technical Programme Committee, responsible for the coordination of ISSCC activities in China.Organised by the IEEE Solid-State Circuits Society and internationally recognised as the Chip Olympics, the ISSCC is the most prestigious international conference in the field of semiconductor integrated circuits, with a rigorous paper selection process. It is also the world’s largest and highest-level conference on solid-state circuits, representing the latest trends in global solid-state circuit research and development. This year’s conference attracted more than 3,000 chip designers from around the world.
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