News

The Macao Orchestra, under the auspices of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, presented the annual “Starry Vienna - New Year Concert” on 8 January 2017, at the Macao Cultural Centre Grand Auditorium, and invited the conductor Bruno Weil, who has been active in Austria, to bring the traditional New Year Concert in Viennese style. All tickets were sold out. The concert featured festive decorations and photography activity in a joyful atmosphere.
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The Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, issued a letter of condolence to express his profound condolences regarding the death of former president of the Portuguese Republic Mr Mário Soares.
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The Secretary for Security, Mr Wong Sio Chak, said today the police would take enforcement action with greater consideration for the motoring public; while still fulfilling their legal responsibilities in this regard.
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For the implementation of Section 2b), Article 10, Law 4/95/M of 12 June, Consumer Council conducted its specific price surveys on refrigerated and frozen pork on 6 January. Result of the mentioned survey has been uploaded to the Council’s website (www.consumer.gov.mo).
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On 5 January afternoon, Correctional Services Bureau held the inauguration ceremony for two Heads of Division. Under the witness of Deputy Director Loi Kam Wan and the heads, Ho Fai In and Ng Iok Wong took an oath, administered by Director Cheng Fong Meng, to respectively assume the post of Head of Legal Support Division and Head of Repair and Maintenance Division.
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According to statistics released today by the Monetary Authority of Macao, broad money supply continued to grow in November. As total deposits increased whereas total loans decreased, the overall loan-to-deposit ratio of the banking sector dropped from a month ago. Concurrently, the non-performing loan ratio, an indicator for bank asset quality, remained virtually unchanged.
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The Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, today said the Government would use further measures to support the development of local media, in order to enhance relations between the Government, the media sector and the public.
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The updated price list for Transport Bureau services, and the increases in charges for removing and storing vehicles improperly parked in public parking spaces, will assist in improving access to public parking facilities.
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Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) announced the results of its tracking study on family hostels today (5 January).Following the feasibility study on family hostels in 2014, MGTO commissioned a research institute last year to carry out a tracking study on family hostels from 28 July to 29 August 2016 to learn more about residents’ latest stance on opening of family hostels in Macao. The findings of the tracking study indicate that with scattered opinions, the society has not reached a thorough consensus on operation of family hostels in local communities. In the future, MGTO will stay tuned to social changes and continually pay attention to the development of the issue.In the tracking study, data were collected through online questionnaires and a face-to-face survey conducted in various districts across Macao, targeting residents at age of 18 or above and living in Macao for the previous 12 months. A total of 2,146 responses were collected through the face-to-face survey and online questionnaires, including 2,102 and 44 responses respectively.The latest study reveals a lower degree of concern and support The degree of concern and support from the surveyed residents towards the idea of family hostels both declined in 2016. The proportion of respondents who had heard about the topic of family hostels dropped from 58% in 2014 to 55% in 2016. The proportion of supporters among respondents also decreased slightly from over 62% in 2014 to 61% in 2016. On the other hand, the proportion of neutral responses went up from 42% in 2014 to 84% in 2016.Criteria for opening family hostels and forms of development In terms of criteria for opening family hostels and forms of development, the proportion of neutral responses went up from the last survey, mirroring the downturn in the degree of public concern nowadays compared with two years ago.With regard to land use, respondents expressed a relatively low degree of support towards the idea of allowing “reconstruction of urban lands or premises designated for residential purposes” and use of “urban lands or premises designated for non-hotel purposes” for establishment of family hostels in both studies. Less than half of the surveyed residents (48% in 2014 and 42% in 2016) agreed that family hostels can be built in reconstructed residential premises or upon urban lands designated for residential purposes, suggesting the general concern about change of land use.Opting for development in other neighborhoods In terms of family hostel development in one’s own neighborhood, the tracking study in 2016 shows that only the respondents living in Taipa and the Cathedral Parish preferred family hostels to be opened in their own neighborhoods, though merely 60% of them supported the idea. In 2014, only the respondents living in the Cathedral Parish and Coloane preferred family hostels to run in their own neighborhoods. In summary, both studies reveal that residents tended to choose other neighborhoods rather than their own as locations for family hostels. In other words, it has not yet become a mainstream in the society to support development of family hostels in one’s own neighborhood. Respondents in general were concerned about different issues such as public safety, environmental hygiene, traffic conditions and so on.ConclusionIn summary of both studies, around 60% of the surveyed residents favored the idea of family hostels as revealed by both public opinion surveys. However, the tracking study indicates a slight decline in the degree of support as well as a lower level of concern towards the topic of family hostels. Similar to the situation in 2014, respondents in the tracking study expressed that more details should be taken into consideration before enforcing the idea of family hostels. In comparison with the particulars of the study in 2014, the tracking study in 2016 indicates that residents laid more stress on the necessity of governmental regulation (28% in 2014 and 41% in 2016), followed by the importance of governmental planning before family hostel development (32% in 2014 and 22% in 2016). The results of the tracking study suggest that it has not yet become a mainstream in the society for residents to support development of family hostels in their own neighborhoods.
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The Institute for Tourism Studies, Macao (IFT) starts receiving applications for Daytime Degree Programmes from 4 to 20 January. Six English-taught degree programmes are open for applications, namely Culinary Arts Management, Heritage Management, Hotel Management, Tourism Business Management, Tourism Event Management, and Tourism Retails and Marketing Management.
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