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For the implementation of Section 2b), Article 10, Law 4/95/M of 12 June, Consumer Council collects prices of fresh pork and vegetables from wet markets and supermarkets for consumers’ reference. The mentioned data collected during 31 August to 6 September are used for comparing the selling prices of the same products from Zhuhai and Hong Kong. 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 selling prices of local fresh pork and vegetables, and comparison on the respective selling prices rom Zhuhai, HK, and Macao. Results of specific product price surveys on refrigerated and frozen pork are released The Council also conducted its specific price surveys on refrigerated and frozen pork on 6 September. Price data of the mentioned surveys have been uploaded to the Council’s website (www.consumer.gov.mo). For enquiry, please call 8988 9315.
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In order to help teenagers develop positive consumption attitudes and enhance their knowledge of consumer rights and responsibilities, Consumer Council holds the Consumer Study Award (2016-2017). Participants are requested to first submit proposals on their reports and the deadline for submission is on 20th October. Introductory talks about this Award will be held in September and secondary students are welcome to participate. The Consumer Study Award aims to stimulate students’ interest in exploring various consumption cultures in the society, and encourages students to conduct a report based on what they have learned and discovered. By holding this Award, the Council hopes to build up teenagers’ sense of social awareness and civic responsibility, and this is also a good opportunity for the Council to promote consumer education. This Award provides a chance for the participants to learn the skills and methods in conducting a project-based report. The Award was first held last year and the result was satisfactory. The Council hopes to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of promoting consumer education and thus more support are needed from secondary schools. In order to let schools know more about the aims, purpose and details of the Consumer Study Award, the Council will be holding introductory talks on 17th , 21st and 24th of September to introduce to the interested parties about details of the activity, and participants are welcome to make enquiries. The Council also invite teachers who have participated in last year’s Award to share their experiences. Teachers and students who are interested in this Award are welcome to register for the talks. Details regarding the Award and the registration forms are available on the Council’s website (www.consumer.gov.mo). The Consumer Study Award is an activity targeting junior secondary and senior secondary students. Participants are required to form teams and guided by teachers. Outstanding Award, Best Topic, Best Creativity, and Best Instructor to the respective winners will be awarded from each category (junior secondary and senior secondary). Deadline for proposal submission is on 20th October. Participants whose proposals are chosen will be mentored by the Council’s staff in conducting their study reports. Outstanding reports will be turned into shooting scripts. These short clips will be used by the Council as teaching resources for consumer education. The clips for the Consumer Study Award 2015-2016 have been uploaded and interested parties can browse via the Council’s website. Information and details of the Award are available at the Council’s office. (Av. Horta e Costa, N.º 24-A, Edf. Cheung Heng, R/C). Interested parties can also check with the Council’s official website. The Council encourages secondary students and teachers to participate in the Award. For inquiry, please call 89887316/8988 7352.
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The 5th Ministerial Conference of the Forum for Economic and Trade Co-operation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (Macao) will be held in Macao on 11 and 12 October 2016. Delegations from mainland China and seven Portuguese-speaking countries, namely Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal and East Timor will be in Macao for the Ministerial Conference. The theme for this edition of the Ministerial Conference will be: Working Toward Stronger Sino-Portuguese-speaking Countries’ Trade and Economic Relations – Combining Efforts, Jointly Building a Platform, Sharing Fruits of Development. The Ministerial Conference will highlight the opportunities arising from the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road (known as the “Belt and Road” Initiative). The two-day Ministerial Conference will start with a welcoming banquet and opening ceremony, followed by ministerial meetings and press briefings. There will also be meetings between entrepreneurs from China and those from Portuguese-speaking countries. Delegates representing the participating countries will sign several memorandums of cooperation. They include the Strategic Plan for Economic and Trade Co-operation (2017-2019). It will outline the development vision and direction for cooperation covering those three years. The 5th Ministerial Conference is expected to complement existing cooperation efforts between China and the Portuguese-speaking countries, and to boost among the member countries the impetus for development. The Ministerial Conference will also strengthen Macao’s functions as a commercial and trade cooperation service platform between China and the Portuguese-speaking countries; and will provide a fresh driving force for the diversification of the city’s economy. The Forum for Economic and Trade Co-operation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (Macao) was founded in Macao in October 2003. It was an initiative of the Central Government, with the collaboration of the Macao SAR Government. Forum Macao’s membership includes seven Portuguese-speaking countries: Angola; Brazil; Cape Verde; Guinea-Bissau; Mozambique; Portugal; and East Timor. Forum Macao aims to build multilateral ties between governmental agencies of its various member countries and places, in a bid to facilitate economic and trade cooperation. It is also aims better to promote Macao’s unique bridging role between China and the Portuguese-speaking countries, in order to bolster exchanges in trade services and cultural affairs. Forum Macao has a record of success spanning its 13 years of existence. As well as expanding intergovernmental exchanges, it has also boosted cooperation on: trade; investment; human resources; agricultural and fisheries; and overall economic development. The previous editions of the Forum Macao took place in October 2003; September 2006; November 2010; and November 2013.
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A University of Macau (UM) team from the State Key Laboratory of Analog and Mixed-Signal VLSI (AMS-VLSI Lab) and Faculty of Science and Technology won a second prize at the National University Integrated Circuit Design Contest (NUICDC), one of the most influential and prestigious contests in the field in China. Led by Prof Lu Yan, the InPoCit team consisted of master’s students Luo Ziyang and Huang Yuanqing, and one PhD student Mao Fangyu. Their design and presentation received positive comments from the panel of judges comprised of both industry experts and academics. Co-organised by the Beijing Education Committee and the Beijing Electronic Association, the contest attracted more than 300 teams from 55 universities in China, including Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Sun Yat-sen University, and Wuhan University.
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Organized for the first time by Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO), coordinated by Macau Travel Agency Association and supported by China National Tourism Administration (CNTA), the 4th Macao International Travel (Industry) Expo (“MITE”) adjourned with great success on 4 September. The Expo presented the “China – Portugal Tourism Seminar & Networking” as a new program highlight this year and invited keynote speakers to present major topics such as the new trends of Free Independent Travel (FIT) in the Asia-Pacific region and smart tourism. The Expo served as an effective platform for industry delegates from around the world to build connections and forge partnerships with each other. The event attracted a multitude of exhibitors, industry professionals and travel enthusiasts with expected results achieved. With its 4th edition held, MITE is a significant annual gathering for tourism professionals dedicated to offering a platform for delegates from tourism and other related sectors at home and abroad to jointly explore business opportunities and boost visitation. Held at Hall D, Cotai Expo of the Venetian Macao from 2 to 4 September, the Expo covered an area of 6,800 square meters and featured a total of 370 booths run by nearly 200 enterprises and entities from 28 countries and regions. The exhibitors came from the tourism industry in countries and regions across Asia, Europe, North America, Africa and Oceania. Tourism authorities of over 70 Mainland municipalities also took part in the Expo. The three-day Expo not only covered six key elements of the tourism industry — dining, accommodation, transportation, entertainment, sightseeing and shopping, but also featured travel-related service, travel media, tourism electronic commerce and technology in tourism among other aspects. The Expo also presented a range of highlights including the China - Portugal Tourism Seminar & Networking, various seminars, a studio showing tourism videos, sales for FIT travel products, as well as folk custom and specialty shows. The Expo attracted around 32,000 visitors, a rise of 6.7% over last year, and over 300 professional buyers from major visitor source markets including the Greater China market (Hong Kong, Mainland and Taiwan), Japan, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and India. The event also welcomed around 50 members of the press from Macao as well as across the region and the world for coverage. The exhibitors expressed their satisfaction with the flow of visitors in the Expo. Under close collaboration between the public and private sectors as well as the support of all participating entities, keynote speakers and collaborative partners, the 4th MITE created an effective platform for exchange and cooperation among industry professionals from around the world. The Expo also facilitated interchanges among members of the trade from the Mainland and Portugal while delivering Macao’s impact as a Sino-Portuguese platform. The special topic seminars gathered a range of insightful perspectives which remarkably enhanced the level of expertise in the Expo and demonstrated Macao’s comprehensive strength as an international travel destination. As a new highlight in the Expo, the “China – Portugal Tourism Seminar & Networking” successfully created a platform for tourism operators from China and Portugal to explore business and cooperation opportunities together. As another highlight in the Expo, an array of seminars were held including “Analysis of New Trends of FIT Travel in Asia-Pacific Region”, “Smart Tourism Development and Internet Application Seminar”, “Tourism Destinations along the High-speed Railway Seminar” and “Promotion of Hot Tourist Spots in 2016”. Professional speakers were invited to present the topics concerned and inspire an insightful dialogue actively joined by industry delegates for an exchange of perspectives. During the Expo, MGTO met with the delegations of the following entities including the People’s Government and Tourism Administration of Shaoguan Municipality, Qingyuan Municipal Tourism Bureau, the People’s Government and Tourism Bureau of Xinhui District, Jiangmen, Portuguese Association of Travel and Tourism Agencies and Portuguese trade delegates, as well as Tourism Authority of Thailand (Hong Kong Office). MGTO presented a 144-square-meter Macao pavilion in the Expo. Themed after “Experience Macao Your Own Style”, the booth showcased the destination glamour to industry professionals and visitors from around the world. The motorcycle rode by the champion of the 2003 Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix, Michael Rutter, was on display along with a car-racing simulator for interactive fun, which attracted numerous spectators. This edition of MITE was organized by MGTO for the first time, coordinated by Macau Travel Agency Association and supported by CNTA. The co-organizers include the Macao Chamber of Commerce, Macao Federation of Trade Unions, the General Union of Neighbors Association of Macau, the Women’s General Association of Macau, Association of Returned Overseas Chinese Macau, Travel Industry Council of Macau and Association of Macao Tourist Agents. Teledifusão de Macau, S.A. (TDM) and Macau Asia Satellite Television Company, Limited (MASTV) are the media partners for the 4th MITE. In the future, MGTO will make continuous efforts to enhance the program of the Macao International Travel (Industry) Expo in a comprehensive way and demonstrate Macao’s dynamic strength as both an international travel destination and a platform between China and Portugal, so as to offer a wider range of opportunities for members of the tourism trade and other related sectors from across the globe. The Office looks forward to forging the Macao International Travel (Industry) Expo into Macao’s signature international tourism fair that supports the city’s development into a World Centre of Tourism and Leisure.
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The Government respects the rights of those that joined a demonstration held on Sunday (4 September), in order to express – in a legal and reasonable manner – views regarding transportation services offered via a mobile communications application. The Government noted however that such passenger transportation services were unlicensed and were deemed illegal for operation in Macao. Some of the opinions expressed during the demonstration did not appear to take account of Macao’s existing legislation on passenger transportation services. In addition, this type of car hailing service – via mobile application – had already been deemed as either unauthorised or illegal in several places around the world, including in some European countries and some states in the United States of America. In some cases fines had been imposed on such service operators by various authorities. While the authorities in some places and some countries had accepted this type of car hailing service, typically a set of strict regulations were applied to service operators. Passenger transportation services could not be operated in Macao without proper regulation by the competent authorities. The Government also noted that Macao had its own rules regarding the business and operational models for transportation services; and these did not necessarily equate to rules in other places. The Public Security Police Force and the Transport Bureau – the authorities responsible for supervising Macao’s transportation services – had no comment regarding news reports and rumours about the withdrawal of a private car hailing service offered by a company based outside Macao. The Public Security Police Force and the Transport Bureau would step up enforcement action against any unlicensed transportation services in the city, in order properly to protect the rights of local residents and visitors. The Government had previously announced it would issue a total of 100 special licences for taxi services; including for vehicles that can be ordered either online or via telephone. It was part of the Government’s efforts to regulate public transportation services and to protect properly the rights and safety of passengers.
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Organized by the Cultural Affairs Bureau, the exhibition “Innovative Inspiration – Painting of Mak Kuong Weng Winner of the Best Creation Special Prize of the XXXI Collective Exhibition of Macao Artists” will be inaugurated on Friday, 9th September, at 6pm, at the Chun Chou Tong Pavilion of Lou Lim Ioc Garden, featuring 39 works by Mak Kuong Weng. Mak Kuong Weng has won the Best Creation Special Prize of the “Collective Exhibition of Macau Artists” on four occasions. His upcoming solo exhibition comprises two series, namely the “China landscape” and the “Ink kingdom”, showcasing ink painting in a unique style. The “China landscape” series underline the rhythm and stereoscopic perception of Chinese landscape painting while incorporating modern expression of art. On the other hand, the “Ink kingdom”, inspired by the rhythm of traditional Chinese calligraphy, runs after the spiritual imagery of arts via abstract techniques. The exhibition “Innovative Inspiration – Painting of Mak Kuong Weng Winner of the Best Creation Special Prize of the XXXI Collective Exhibition of Macao Artists” will be open from 10th September to 16th October at the Chun Chou Tong Pavilion of Lou Lim Ioc Garden, located at No. 10, Estrada de Adolfo Loureiro, Macao, and is open daily from 9am to 7pm, including on public holidays. Admission is free. For enquiries about the exhibition, please call IC through tel. no. through 8988 4100, during office hours.
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The XXXII Collective Exhibition of Macao Artists, organized by the Cultural Affairs Bureau, was inaugurated on 2nd September, at 6:00pm, at the IACM Temporary Exhibitions Gallery, featuring 56 selected and awarded works. The opening ceremony was officiated by the President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Ung Vai Meng; the Deputy Director of the Department of Education and Culture of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao S.A.R., Zhao Chuandong; the Director of the School of Arts of the Macao Polytechnic Institute, Hsu Hsiu-Chu; the Director of the Affiliated School of the University of Macau, Lou Lan Heng; Director of Hou Kong Middle School, Iao Tun Ieong; and the Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Macao Daily News, Lio Chi Heng. The XXXII Collective Exhibition of Macao Artists is divided into three categories, namely Chinese Painting, Western Painting and Chinese Calligraphy, with a total of 260 works received. Assessment by the six juries was held in July and a total of 56 works were selected and awarded, including 19 Chinese paintings, 19 Western paintings and 18 Chinese calligraphy works. Lam Wun Keng was awarded the “Best Creation Special Prize” as well as the “Best Work - Western Painting” for her triptych on the Mandarin’s House, Rua dos Ervanários and Estoril Hotel titled “1. Mandarin's House inside the windows, the ‘Golden Age Prophecy’ Outside the windows; 2. Behind Rua dos Ervanarios, life remains the same; 3. Estoril, who are you?”, conveying the artist’s expectations about Macao’s old buildings and way of life. Tam Chon Kit participates in the XXXII Collective Exhibition of Macao Artists every year and is highly active in Macao’s artistic circles; this time he conquered the “Award for Best Work - Chinese Painting” with his work “Private talks at Lou Lim Ieoc Garden”; “Fantasy” by Leong Lampo, Professor at the University of Missouri in Columbia, was awarded “Best Work - Chinese Calligraphy Prize”. By using 2 simple Chinese characters in the name of the artwork, he brings out the contracts and rhythm which express the limits of fantasy and in pursuit of the strong and broad spiritual sense of Laozi’s and Zhuangzi’s philosophies .In addition, with the “New Talent Prizes” in each category the Organizer hopes to encourage young artists to pursue their creative vein. This year, two young artists were awarded the “New Talent Prize” in the Chinese Calligraphy category for the first time, wherefore a total of four artists were awarded in the three categories, namely Chan Chong Hei in the category of Chinese Painting, Chan In Iong in the category of Western Painting, and Un Ka Ian and Guan Seng Lok, both in the Chinese Calligraphy category. The XXXII Collective Exhibition of Macao Artists is held from 3rd September to 30th October at the IACM Temporary Exhibitions Gallery, located at No. 163, Av. Almeida Ribeiro, Macao, and is open daily from 9:00am to 9:00pm, including public holidays. Admission is free. For enquiries about guided tours and the exhibition, please call IC through tel. no. through 8988 4100, during office hours.
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The Government was pleased to see the growth in Macao’s casino gross gaming revenue had entered positive territory in August; following a narrowing in year-on-year monthly declines – a trend that began in the first quarter of 2016 – noted the Secretary for Economy and Finance, Mr Leong Vai Tac. August casino gaming revenue totalled 18.836 billion patacas, representing a 1.1 percent year-on-year growth for that month. Mr Leong note that data from previous years had shown September casino gaming revenue was typically lower in aggregate terms than that for August: historically the contraction amount had been in the range of 1.5 billion patacas to 3.5 billion patacas. The Government would closely monitor September casino gaming revenue, in order to make a scientific analysis of the sector, Mr Leong told reporters in comments on Saturday (3 September). In addition, the Secretary said the Government had authorised the Parisian Macao integrated resort on Cotai to operate a total of 150 new-to-market live-dealer gaming tables and a total of 1,600 electronic gaming machines. The new tables – all for the mass market – would be allocated in batches: a first batch of 100 gaming tables would be made available to the resort for its scheduled opening in mid-September. The remaining 50 new-to-market gaming tables would become available in two separate phases: 25 tables on 1 January 2017; and the remaining 25 tables on 1 January 2018, said Mr Leong. The Government would take into consideration the following criteria when reviewing applications for new-to-market gaming tables: whether a new project would contribute to the transformation of Macao to a world centre of tourism and leisure; and whether the project would help Macao enhance its overall competitiveness internationally. Mr Leong stated that – when assessing applications for gaming tables – the Government would strictly follow the principle of allowing a compound annual growth rate in new-to-market tables of no more than 3 percent over a 10-year period, from 1 January 2013.
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According to statistics released today by the Monetary Authority of Macao, money supply continued to grow in July. As total loans decreased at a faster pace than total deposits, the overall loan-to-deposit ratio of the banking sector dropped slightly from a month earlier. Concurrently, the non-performing loan ratio, an indicator for bank asset quality, kept virtually stable. Money supply Currency in circulation and demand deposits grew 3.2% and 3.6% respectively. M1 thus increased 3.5% from one month earlier. Meanwhile, quasi-monetary liabilities rose 2.5%. The sum of these two items, i.e. M2, increased 2.6% to MOP491.3 billion. On an annual basis, M1 and M2 grew 7.6% and 1.2% respectively. The shares of Pataca (MOP), Hong Kong Dollar (HKD), Chinese Yuan (CNY) and United States Dollar (USD) in M2 were 30.7%, 52.0%, 6.1% and 8.8% respectively. Deposits Resident deposits increased 2.6% from the preceding month to MOP478.0 billion while non-resident deposits dropped 5.8% to MOP275.6 billion. Concurrently, public sector deposits with the banking sector increased 1.5% to MOP157.0 billion. As a result, total deposits with the banking sector decreased 0.3% from a month earlier to MOP910.7 billion. The shares of MOP, HKD, CNY and USD in total deposits were 20.9%, 47.4%, 8.7% and 20.2% respectively. Loans Domestic loans to the private sector decreased 0.3% from a month ago to MOP402.0 billion. Among which, MOP117.9 billion was MOP-denominated, MOP260.8 billion was denominated in HKD, MOP2.3 billion was denominated in CNY and MOP18.2 billion was denominated in USD, representing 29.3%, 64.9%, 0.6% and 4.5% of the total respectively. External loans dropped 0.5% to MOP369.1 billion; of which, loans denominated in MOP, HKD, CNY and USD accounted for 2.0% (MOP7.5 billion), 26.8% (MOP98.8 billion), 13.8% (MOP51.1 billion) and 50.7% (MOP187.2 billion) respectively. Operating ratios At end-July, the loan-to-deposit ratio for the resident sector shrank 1.7 percentage points from the previous month to 63.3%. The ratio for both the resident and non-resident sectors dropped 0.1 percentage point to 84.7%. The one-month and three-month current assets to liabilities ratios stayed at relatively high levels of 59.2% and 57.8% respectively. Furthermore, the non-performing loan ratio was 0.2%, virtually unchanged from one month earlier but up slightly by 0.1 percentage point from one year ago.
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