News

The Health Bureau would cautiously analyse relevant suggestions and results arising from a survey commissioned by the six local gaming operators. It concerned gaming employees’ opinions on, respectively, smoking in casinos and technical standards for casino smoking lounge.The Bureau noted in a press release issued on Monday (13 February) that the six gaming operators had also jointly commissioned air quality tests inside the casinos. The findings of the survey and the results of the air quality tests would be a reference point when the Government formulated relevant policy, stated the Bureau.The Government is committed to a tobacco-smoke-free Macao, as recommended for places worldwide by the World Health Organization. The banning of smoking in all indoor public spaces is a major goal regarding smoking control efforts in Macao.The Government would mull suggestions regarding the possible retention of existing smoking lounges in local casinos and whether new lounges could be established. It would take into account technical standards of smoking lounges in other countries, in order further to protect the health of casino employees.On Monday, the findings of the survey regarding gaming employees’ opinions on smoking in casinos – conducted by the University of Macau – and the results of the air quality tests inside casinos – conducted by the Hong Kong Polytechnic University – were released.The survey regarding gaming employees’ opinions on smoking in casinos showed a total of 55 percent of interviewees were in favour of smoking lounges in casinos. The survey interviewed a total of 14,301 casino employees, 73 percent of them having worked in gaming roles in the six months prior to the survey.The Bureau noted an academic institution conducted the survey; questionnaires seem not to be biased; it had interviewed a representative sample of interviewees; and interviewees participated voluntarily and their respective identities had been kept confidential.In addition, the six gaming operators submitted some suggestions for the design of smoking lounges in casinos. The Bureau noted the suggestions listed requirements additional to those contained in Executive Order 141/2014. The Bureau also noted the suggestions implied the introduction of higher technical standards, and were deemed by the Bureau as feasible.Currently, smoking is banned in major public areas in casinos, including mass gaming floors, under the New Regime on Tobacco Prevention and Control.The New Regime became effective on 1 January 2012, banning smoking in public indoor areas such as schools, health institutes, workplaces and factories, all bars, dance halls, saunas and massage parlours.
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Consumer Council conducted its third ‘Supermarket price survey’ in February on 14 February for the implementation of Section 2b), Article 10, Law 4/95/M of 12 June. Surveyed locations included supermarkets near Iao Hon Market and the Border Gate area (Portas do Cerco ) in N. Sra. de Fátima 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 University of Macau’s (UM) State Key Laboratory of Analog and Mixed-Signal VLSI) (AMS-VLSI Lab) contributed two chapters to the first hardware-oriented book on the Internet of Things: Enabling the Internet of Things - from Integrated Circuits to Integrated Systems, published by Springer International. The book was edited by Prof Massimo Alioto from the National University of Singapore, and was officially inaugurated at the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) International Solid-State Circuits Conference (ISSCC) held in San Francisco, United States. The book covers all the fundamental building blocks and levels of abstraction related to the design of Internet of Things (IoT) devices, from circuits to architectures and systems.The two chapters are Chapter 10, titled ‘Power Management Circuit Design for IoT Nodes’, and Chapter 14, titled ‘Circuit Techniques for IoT-Enabling Short-Range ULP Radios’. As a common thread, all chapters conclude with a prospective view on the foreseeable evolution of the related technologies for IoT. The concepts developed throughout the book are exemplified by two IoT node system demonstrations from industry. Chapter contributions come equally from industry and academia.This book offers the first comprehensive view on integrated circuit and system design for the IoT, and in particular for the tiny nodes at its edge. The authors provide a fresh perspective on how the IoT will evolve based on recent and foreseeable trends in the semiconductor industry, highlighting the key challenges as well as the opportunities for circuit and system innovation to address them. This book describes what the IoT really means from the design point of view, and how the constraints imposed by applications translate into integrated circuit requirements and design guidelines.After providing a system perspective on IoT nodes, this book focuses on state-of-the-art design techniques for IoT applications, encompassing the fundamental sub-systems encountered in Systems on Chip for IoT.
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Consumer Council conducted its second ‘Supermarket price survey’ in February on 13 February for the implementation of Section 2b), Article 10, Law 4/95/M of 12 June. Surveyed locations included supermarkets near Areia Preta, Mong Há and Avenida de Venceslau de Morais in N. Sra. de Fátima 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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According to statistics released today by the Monetary Authority of Macao, new small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) lending approved by Macao banks expanded in the second half of 2016. The utilisation of SME credit in proportion to the credit limit approved rose when compared with the previous survey period. The outstanding balance of SME delinquent loans recorded an increase.New lending approved In the second half of 2016, new SME credit limit approved by Macao banks totalled MOP13.6 billion, up by 36.8% from the first half of 2016 but down 34.1% from the same period last year. The collateralised ratio, which indicates the proportion of credit limit with tangible assets pledged, was 83.9%, up 2.3 percentage points when compared with the last survey period or 0.2 percentage points when compared with the same period of 2015.Credit utilisationAs at end-December 2016, the outstanding value of total SME loans increased 3.0% from end-June 2016 or 4.5% from a year earlier to MOP69.8 billion. When compared with end-June 2016, SME loans to “restaurants, hotels and similar activities” and “construction and public works” increased at respective rates of 8.3% and 3.0% whereas those to “manufacturing industries”, “transport, warehouse and communications” and “wholesale and retail trade” dropped 16.1%, 3.0% and 2.1% respectively.The utilisation rate, defined as the proportion of outstanding credit balance to the credit limit granted, increased 5.1 percentage points from six months ago to 66.8%.Delinquent loansAt end-December 2016, the outstanding balance of delinquent SME loans rose by 88.7% from six months ago to MOP578.1 million. Compared to a year ago, the balance grew 57.9%. The delinquency ratio, a ratio of delinquent loans outstanding balance to total SME loans outstanding, increased 0.38 percentage points from end-June 2016 or 0.28 percentage points from a year earlier to 0.83%.
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The Japanese Drama Classic “Nodame Cantabile Music Concert”, specially presented by the Macao Orchestra, under the auspices of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, was held successfully on 10 and 11 February, at the Macao Tower Auditorium. As the Japanese drama Nodame Cantabile has been in the 10^th anniversary this year, the concert specially featured the most popular classic works of the story, allowing the audience to enjoy the excellent performance while reminiscing the love story of Nodame Cantabile and Chiaki Shinichi. The concert attracted a lot of music aficionados with companions, where they captured their romantic moments in a “Live photo, Life memory” photography activity under a warm atmosphere.Conductor Yao-Yu Wu, who won the prestigious International Besançon Competition for Young Conductors at the age of 24, in collaboration with the second prize winner at the Internationaler Musikwettbewerb der ARD in 2011, Claire Huang Ci, presented the quintessential piece in the drama, Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No.2 in C minor, and concluded with Beethoven’s romantic Symphony No.7 in A Major. The concert lasted 90 minutes, leaving the audience enchanted and yearning for more.In addition, the Macao Orchestra will also present the master concert “Ning Feng Plays Elgar” on 19 February, Sunday, at 8pm, at St. Dominic’s Church. Renowned violinist Ning Feng will play Elgar’s Violin Concerto, which is regarded as the greatest British romantic violin concerto. Admission is free. Tickets will be distributed at the venue one hour prior to the performance. Distribution is on a first-come, first-served basis and is limited to a maximum of two tickets per person. For details and programme enquiries, please visit the Macao Orchestra’s webpage at www.om-macau.org/.
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Consumer Council conducted itsfirst ‘Supermarket price survey’ in February on 10 February 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 seven 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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The Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) hosted “Spring Luncheon of the Year of the Rooster and Introduction of the Cultural Affairs Bureau Works for 2017” on Friday, 10 February, at the Grand Lisboa Hotel, inviting members of the Cultural Consultative Committee, of the Cultural Heritage Committee, and the local media in the Chinese, Portuguese and English languages, as well as representatives of news agencies in Macao.Members of the Cultural Consultative Committee and of the Cultural Heritage Committee; representatives of the territory’s mass media; the President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Ung Vai Meng and the Vice-Presidents, Leung Hio Ming and Chan Peng Fai, as well as the heads of department of IC were present and interchanged ideas in this joyful luncheon.The President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Ung Vai Meng, addressed in his speech that the Cultural Affairs Bureau, following the reorganization last year, smoothly incorporated several departments from the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau, seamlessly joining cultural facilities and services and it has already successfully merged a unified management system. The Cultural Affairs Bureau, after an overall integration of software and hardware resources, will continue to adequately protect cultural heritage, foster cultural talents, support cultural and creative industries, disseminate artistic training and encourage cultural exchanges, among other tasks, and strive to build a city-wide cultural life network and continue to move towards its goal to establish a “culturally sustainable city”.The luncheon was intercalated with a new promotional video entitled “Through the cultural forces, sustain the cultural roots eternally”. The video, divided in six parts, presents IC’s projects for 2017, bringing about the concept of culture being the city’s soul and the strongest pillar in the sustainable development of the society. In addition, the luncheon featured the performance by the cappella group Water Singers, presenting a number of cappella music pieces and showcasing the study results and capability of the local music talents, so as to promote the diverse culture of local music.IC took the opportunity to express its gratitude to the members of the Cultural Consultative Committee, of the Cultural Heritage Committee and the media for their contribution to cultural affairs, and listened to their opinions regarding IC’s works for the forthcoming year. Under its new organizational structure, IC will continue to promote the city’s valuable cultural resources, casting the city’s soul with culture in order to achieve the objective of establishing Macao as a “Culturally Sustainable City”.
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Consumer Council is concerned about the impact on consumers after Air Macau announced the cancellation of its Macau-Fukuoka flights during 17 February to 15 March 2017. The Council met with representatives from Air Macau today (10 Jan), and requested Air Macau to respond to consumers’ needs to lower the influences of the cancellation of the flights.Air Macau explained its arrangement details to the Council at the meeting, including the arrangement of transferring consumers to other destinations, meanwhile, cases from the Council had already been received and being processed.Consumer Council indicated that the cancellation of flights involve a large amount of consumers and affected their planned itineraries, therefore, Air Macau should consider the situation and respond to their requests, and make appropriate arrangements. The Council has received quite a number of inquiries from consumers about the arrangement of flights after 15 March, and suggested Air Macau to announce more detailed information as soon as possible to ease consumers’ worries.The Council will keep in touch with the Civil Aviation Authority (AACM), stay up-to-date regarding the development of this incident, and provide assistance to the affected consumers. For inquiry, please call 8988 9315.
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The Secretary for Economy and Finance, Mr Leong Vai Tac, today said the Government was confident the city’s economy would register modest growth this year.Speaking to reporters this morning, Mr Leong said the Government’s forecast was subject to a number of domestic and external factors; the latter including possible changes to currency exchange rates that might have an impact on export markets around the world.Reviewing Macao’s 2016 economic performance, he said the first half had continued a downward trend seen in 2015, while the second half had recorded a relatively stable performance, narrowing 2016’s overall year-on-year decline.The Secretary praised the economic effort of the business sector and of the community as a whole, particularly during the adjustment period of the gaming industry from the second half of 2014 to the first half of 2016. Such effort had helped enhance Macao’s overall competitiveness and the city’s ability to face challenges, Mr Leong added.When asked to comment on reported year-on-year decreases in the number of gaming workers, Mr Leong said change in human resource requirements in integrated resorts was a normal phenomenon. This applied in particular during the adjustment period of the gaming industry in the first half of 2016, and following the launch of more non-gaming elements in local resorts.The Government had stepped up efforts to maintain the current high employment rate, encouraging local resorts to improve employees’ opportunities for horizontal mobility – i.e., reassignment – thus improving career planning procedures relating to local employees.
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