News

The Government has nearly completed a first phase of restructuring regarding public departments. It involved the integration of Macao Post with the Bureau of Telecommunications Regulation; and the integration of the Security Forces Coordination Office with the Unitary Police Service. The Secretary for Administration and Justice, Ms Chan Hoi Fan, on Friday (5 August) told reporters that the Government was confident the restructuring could be completed as scheduled. The Government had increased the amount of effort it applied to rationalising administrative structures and streamlining public services, Ms Chan said. In addition, the Government would review the licensing process for the catering and hotel sectors, in a bid further to enhance one-stop cross-departmental services. It was expected that such revisions would be completed before year-end, she added. Ms Chan said that the Government would review – in the course of this year and next year – a total of 45 licensing procedures involving cross-departmental cooperation. The Government would also study the possibility of establishing an online system that would allow individual applicants for licences to gain a better understanding of licensing procedures and requirements; and would allow them to check the progress of their respective applications. Ms Chan also stated the Government would strictly control the growth in the number of civil servants. The Government did not expect to expand its administrative workforce: recruitment would focus instead on replacement of people that had resigned or retired.
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The deadline for applications for the 2016 Subsidy Programme for Fashion Design on Sample Making, launched by the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) in June will end on Friday, 26 August, 5pm. All interested parties are welcome to take this chance to apply for the Programme. IC launched the Subsidy Programme for Fashion Design on Sample Making in 2013, as part of the Subsidy Programme for Macao’s Cultural and Creative Industries Series. This programme seeks to encourage local fashion design and creativity, promote fashion designers to draw up feasible and optimised business plans, encourage the industry to be involved in commercial activities or participate in local and international fashion marketing activities, enhance the popularity and market competitiveness of the local industry and carry forward the sustainable development of the local fashion design industry. The maximum quota of the Subsidy Programme is eight beneficiaries. Eligible applicants will be granted subsidies up to a maximum of MOP160,000 each. The Programme’s application rules and forms can be downloaded from IC’s website (www.icm.gov.mo/cn/CCI-Subsidy) and from the Macao Cultural and Creative Industries Website (www.macaucci.com). For enquiries, please contact Ms. Lam, staff member of IC, through tel. no. (853) 2892 4040 during office hours.
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To mark the commencement of the 15-day data collection of the 2016 Population By-census, a kick-off ceremony was held for field enumerators on 7 August at Escola Keang Peng. The ceremony was hosted by the Director of the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) Ieong Meng Chao, Deputy Director Cheng I Wan and Acting Deputy Director Mak Hang Chan. Ieong Meng Chao indicated that the population by-census is one of the largest household surveys in Macao and he called upon the DSEC staff to work together and do their utmost for the 2016 Population By-census. Ieong stressed that all DSEC staff must strictly comply with the regulations of statistical confidentiality and keep all personal information collected in strict confidence. He urged the enumerators to always be safety-minded and conscious of their work surroundings. DSEC stated that enumerators of the 2016 Population By-census will visit the selected housing units to collect information; meanwhile, e-questionnaire is also available for households to complete by themselves. Households in receipt of the notification letter of the 2016 Population By-census may complete the e-questionnaire via the DSEC website www.dsec.gov.mo or the DSEC mobile application by following the instructions on the letter no later than 13 August. DSEC appealed to members of the public to support the 2016 Population By-census and provide accurate information. For assistance in completing the e-questionnaire or to schedule an interview with the enumerator, please contact DSEC by calling the 2016 Population By-census Hotline at 8809 8809.
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Data collection of the 2016 Population By-census will take place from 7 to 21 August, for a period of 15 days. Acting Director of the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) Cheng I Wan stated that the 2016 Population By-census aims to obtain up-to-date information for updating the population statistics of Macao, prior to the next round of population census, in order to keep track of the changes in population. By-census data are essential source of information for government policy formulation as well as for business and academic researches. The 2016 Population By-census adopts a sampling fraction of one-seventh to select about 33,000 housing units in Macao for enumeration. Information on demographic, social and economic characteristics will be collected from members of the households living in these housing units. Notification letters have been sent by DSEC to the selected housing units in early August. Households may complete the e-questionnaire via the Internet or the DSEC mobile application, or provide information through face-to-face interview with the visiting enumerators. All enumerators will wear a yellow uniform of the 2016 Population By-census, carry a 2016 Population By-census identity badge that bears the name and photo of the enumerator, and a black satchel of the 2016 Population By-census. Enumerators, who conduct household interviews in pairs, will introduce themselves to the household upon arrival, present their identity badge and verify the address of the household. The 2016 Population By-census adopts a paperless data collection approach, and enumerators will use mobile phones to collect information. Meanwhile, DSEC has set up the 2016 Population By-census Hotline 8809 8809 to provide households with a convenient way to make enquiries relating to the By-census, to schedule face-to-face interview appointment and to verify the identity of the enumerators. DSEC appealed to members of the public to support the Population By-census and provide accurate information. They stressed that all information collected will be kept in strict confidence and used solely for statistical purposes. Data will be processed and published in aggregate form only, and no information pertaining to individual persons or households shall be disclosed. Moreover, to raise public awareness of the Population By-census, DSEC and the General Union of Neighbourhood Associations of Macau co-organized the 2016 Population By-census FUN Show on 6 August at the leisure area of Edf. Lok Yeong Fa Yuen in Fai Chi Kei. The event, which attracted nearly 1,000 people, included drama, magic performance, singing and dancing, as well as game booths and lucky draw, offering a chance for the public to have fun and to learn more about the 2016 Population By-census.
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The 30th Portuguese Language Summer Course, organised by the University of Macau (UM) Department of Portuguese, ended with great success today (5 August). This year’s course attracted approximately 400 students from around the world. During the three-week intensive training, participants spent time with over a dozen experienced Portuguese instructors every day and communicated with the instructors in Portuguese. Some participants said the course not only helped them learn more about the Portuguese language and the cultures of Portuguese-speaking countries, but also boosted their confidence when communicating in English. Launched in 1986, the Portuguese Language Summer Course aims to train bilingual students and to promote the Portuguese language and culture, through well-designed courses conducted by experienced instructors, tailor-made to suit the different levels of different students. This year’s course attracted students from the United Kingdom, the United States, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, East Timor, Australia, mainland China, Macao, Hong Kong, and other parts of the world. According to the course coordinator, Prof Ana Nunes, this year’s course was focused on improving the participants’ knowledge of the history and culture of Macao. In addition to the four levels offered in the previous years, namely the beginner’s level, the basic level, the intermediate level, and the advanced level, this year’s course also introduced a new level, the superior level. A class in translation between Chinese and Portuguese was also offered for the first time. Various activities, including visits to local museums and the Historical Centre of Macao, Portuguese folk dance, and choral singing, were organised to help participants learn more about the linguistic, historical, and cultural aspects of Macao and Portugal. Prof Nunes said this year saw the highest satisfaction rate among the participants. At the closing ceremony, students showcased what they had learned from the course, with some delivering a speech in Portuguese and others giving dance and singing performances. Jose Campos, in the beginner’s level class, is a Chinese Portuguese who grew up in a Chinese environment. ‘I participated in the course with the hope of learning the Portuguese language and culture,’ she said. Another participant, Pasky Ho from Hong Kong who was in the intermediate level class, said the course provides a perfect platform to learn the Portuguese language. ‘Earlier I visited Brazil and that experience made me develop a strong interest in the Portuguese language. We don’t really have the kind of language environment in Hong Kong that is conducive to learning Portuguese, so I chose the Portuguese department at UM for further studies,’ he says. ‘The Portuguese Language Summer Course offered by UM is very famous,’ says Amado from East Timor. ‘The course provides a very good opportunity to learn more about the cultures of Macao and Portugal. I’ll definitely recommend this course to my friends.’ Over the past 30 years, the Portuguese Language Summer Course has trained many bilingual professionals for Macao and many other regions and countries. This year’s course received support from government departments, including the Tertiary Education Services Office and the Education and Youth Affairs Bureau, as well as private institutions.
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Organized by the Cultural Affairs Bureau, the 30th Macao International Music Festival (MIMF) will be held from 1 October to 30 October, offering a total of 20 programmes and 27 excellent performances. Tickets will be on sale from 10am this Sunday, 7 August, at the Macau Ticketing Network; telephone and online bookings will be available from 12pm on the same day. On the first day of ticket sales, sales are limited to 10 tickets per performance and per person and to 2 tickets per person for free admission performances. The Cultural Affairs Bureau will distribute queuing vouchers at the Macau Ticketing Network starting from 9am on the first day of ticket sales. Purchasers can buy tickets according to the respective queuing vouchers. In celebration of the Pearl Jubilee of the MIMF, top-level musicians and ensembles from all over the world will gather in Macao. This edition of the MIMF, under the theme “Glorious 30 . The Sinophone Rhapsodies”, specially presents several works that demonstrate the charm of the Chinese culture. The vast programme includes the opening performance, Puccini’s opera in three acts, Turandot, the closing programme Chaplin Once More! with the collaboration of the Macao Orchestra, the world famous Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra (Russia), the brilliant jazz trumpeter Roy Hargrove, the chamber opera A Dream of Fragrancy created by local artists, the “Queen of Pipa” Zhang Hong Yan, the well-known huqin master, Xu Ke, the superb Mongolian State Morin Khuur Ensemble, Portugal’s new rising fado star Carminho, as well as a performance by the first Artistic Director of the MIMF and outstanding Portuguese pianist, Adriano Jordão. In addition, the concerts Bravo Macao! will be held on 29 September and 30 September, allowing local musicians to showcase their talent. Several early bird discounts are available on ticket purchases between 7 and 14 August, a 30% discount is available for ticket purchases for 4 or more different performances, of 10 or more tickets for the same performance, and for valid full-time Student Card or Teacher Card holders. Macao Senior Citizen Card or Disability Assessment Registration Card holders can enjoy 50% discount on ticket purchases (one discounted ticket per performance per card holder). Holders of BOC Multi-Currency Credit Card or BOC Card may also enjoy 30% discount on tickets for Turandot, A Dream of Fragrancy, From Russia with Classics and The Russian Legends. Besides, a 20% discount will be offered on the purchase of any 30th MIMF tickets for holders of BOC Multi-Currency Credit Card or BOC Card, as well as holders of ICBC Bank, BCM Bank, OCBC Wing Hang Bank’s MasterCard, VISA or UnionPay cards. For more details on the 30th MIMF’s programmes, please visit the Festival website at www.icm.gov.mo/fimm. For any inquiries, please call IC through tel. 8399 6699 during office hours. 24-hour ticketing hotline: 2855 5555. Ticketing website: www.macauticket.com.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that a total of 1,141 new companies were incorporated in the second quarter of 2016, a decrease of 153 year-on-year. Total value of registered capital dropped by 61.8% year-on-year to MOP140 million, attributable to a decrease in capital of new companies registered with capital of MOP1,000,000 or over. Analysed by industry, there were 400 new incorporations operating in Wholesale & Retail and 277 in Business Services. Companies in dissolution totalled 228 in the second quarter, and the value of registered capital of companies in dissolution amounted to MOP58 million. Analysed by size of registered capital, there were 786 new companies (68.9% of total) registered with capital under MOP50,000, and the total value of capital was MOP20 million. On the other hand, there were 24 new companies registered with capital of MOP1,000,000 or over, and the total value of capital amounted to MOP77 million (54.8% of total). As regards origin of capital, the majority of the capital came from Macao (MOP77 million) and Mainland China (MOP30 million). Capital from the 9 Provinces of the Pan-Pearl River Delta Region totalled MOP21 million (93.1% from Guangdong province), of which companies operating in Wholesale & Retail Trade and Information & Related Activities accounted for 52.2% and 24.3% respectively. Analysed by combination of shareholders, there were 778 new companies established solely by Macao shareholders, and 128 joint ventures between shareholders from Macao and other countries or regions. In the first half year of 2016, a total of 2,258 new companies were incorporated, down by 17.9% year-on-year; total value of registered capital decreased by 49.9% to MOP263 million. Number of companies in dissolution totalled 424, and the value of registered capital of companies in dissolution amounted to MOP111 million. At the end of the second quarter of 2016, number of registered companies totalled 54,892, an increase of 3,789 from a year earlier.
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According to statistics released today by the Monetary Authority of Macao, the total number of personal credit cards in circulation continued to grow in the second quarter of 2016. The credit card turnover rebounded from a quarter ago and the credit card repayments dropped mildly. Circulation The total number of personal credit cards in circulation was 1,009,590 at the end of June 2016, equivalent to an increase of 3.3% over a quarter earlier. The numbers of Pataca (MOP) cards, Hong Kong Dollar (HKD) cards and Renminbi (RMB) cards were 715,147, 85,968 and 208,475 respectively. MOP cards, HKD cards and RMB cards witnessed respective growth of 3.0%, 2.6% and 4.8% quarter-to-quarter. Compared with a year ago, MOP cards and HKD cards rose 13.7% and 8.8% respectively, while RMB cards, the majority of which were MOP/RMB dual-currency cards, rose even faster by 28.5%. Credit limit granted and delinquency As at end-June 2016, credit card credit limit granted by banks in Macao reached MOP23.7 billion, up 4.2% from end-March 2016. Credit card receivables amounted to MOP2.3 billion while the rollover amount totalled MOP704.9 million, accounting for 30.4% of credit card receivables. The delinquency ratio, i.e. the ratio of delinquent amount overdue for more than three months to credit card receivables, edged up from 1.35% at end-March 2016 to 1.46% at end-June 2016. Turnover and repayment For the second quarter of 2016, the credit card turnover grew 2.3% quarter-to-quarter to MOP4.5 billion. The cash advance turnover was MOP230.8 million, accounting for 5.1% of total credit card turnover. Credit card repayments, in which payments for interest and fees are included, dropped 5.6% from the previous quarter to MOP4.4 billion.
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Organized by the Cultural Affairs Bureau, the 30th Macao International Music Festival (MIMF) will kick off on 1st October 2016, bringing together outstanding musicians and ensembles from Russia, the United States of America, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Mongolia, Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao. A total of 27 extraordinary performances from 20 programmes will be presented in this grand annual musical event. MIMF, which is set to celebrate its 30th Anniversary Pearl Jubilee, held its first press conference today (4th August 2016) in Guangdong Province. The Mainland China edition of ‘Official WeChat Account of the Cultural Affairs Bureau’ has been activated for the occasion, in order to bring the charm of Macao culture to the audiences in the Mainland China. This is the first-ever press conference of MIMF held in Guangdong Province. As it coincides with the 30th Anniversary of MIMF, the organizer had specially prepared a birthday cake to welcome the grand musical annual event with the audiences in the Mainland China. MIMF will cooperate with Guangdong media extensively, and promote its programmes and share information of the festivities through its media partner, Music FM Radio Guangdong and therefore enhance its influence in Mainland China. To facilitate the delivery of information of arts and cultural activities of Macao to the audience in Mainland China, the organiser has specially activated the Mainland China edition of ‘Official WeChat Account of the Cultural Affairs Bureau’, which features the ‘30th MIMF Prize Game’ supported by The Venetian Macao. Users who subscribe to the WeChat account from today to 31st August 2016 will be eligible to participate in the game and enjoy the chance to enter the lucky draw session. The grand prize (three places) is free accommodation in a luxury suite at the Venetian Macao; the second prize (five places) is two free tickets to the opening performance of MIMF, Turandot, and the third prize (five places) is two free tickets to the closing performance of MIMF, Chaplin Once More!. Winners will be announced on 12th September via the official WeChat account. This edition of the MIMF is themed “Glorious 30 ‧ The Sinophone Rhapsodies”. Aside from the usual renowned classics, this year the MIMF specially presents several works of ethnic appeal. The 30th MIMF also features the “Macao International Music Festival Forum” and the 30th Macao International Music Festival Special Commemorative Edition will be launched on this occasion. The Festival kicks off with its own production, joining hands with internationally renowned Italian stage director Giancarlo del Monaco and acclaimed set and costume designer William Orlandi to present Giacomo Puccini’s opera in three acts Turandot, which narrates the story of the romance of life and death between Chinese Princess Turandot and Prince Calaf of Tartary. Renowned American conductor Timothy Brock leads the Macao Orchestra on the live accompaniment of the silent films “City Lights” and “The Gold Rush” by comedy genius Charlie Chaplin, bringing to a close the MIMF’s pearl jubilee at Park of Dr. Carlos d’Assumpção under a starry sky. In order to mark the 400th anniversary of the death of the great playwright, Tang Xianzu, the Festival has specially produced the chamber opera A Dream of Fragrancy, created local professionals, an adaptation of Tang Xianzu’s travelling experience to Macao in 1591. Mongolian State Morin Khuur Ensemble accompanies the morin khuur with the throat singing technique khoomei, whereby one singer produces two notes simultaneously, introducing the music of this traditional instrument, classified as national intangible cultural heritage. Outstanding musicians from the Macao Chinese Orchestra, the Guangdong National Orchestra, the Taipei Youth Chinese Orchestra and the Hong Kong Yao Yuen Chinese Music Association take to the stage to jointly present the concert Joyous Harmony, allowing the audience to enjoy the beauty of national music. Brilliant classical music conductor Valery Gergiev leads the world famous Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra in the performance of Russian masters Prokofiev and Shostakovitch’s classical works. British group Colin Currie Group makes its debut in Asia with a minimalist concert featuring percussion works by iconic composer Steve Reich. The Mount Fortress hosts the hypnotising fado of Portugal’s new rising star Carminho; brilliant contemporary jazz trumpeter Roy Hargrove will play several works by jazz giant Miles Davis. In order to encourage the local talents, this year’s MIMF continues to host the concerts Bravo Macao! for local musicians to showcase their performance. Tickets will be on sale from 10am on 7 August 2016 (Sunday) at the Macau Ticketing Network and telephone and online bookings are available from 12pm on the same day. On the first day of ticket sales, ticket purchases are limited to a maximum of 10 tickets per performance per person. Early bird discounts of 30% will be offered when buying tickets between 7 and 14 August, and a 20% discount will be offered when buying tickets between 15 and 21 August. Holders of BOC Multi-Currency Credit Card or BOC Card may also enjoy a 30% discounts on tickets for Turandot - Opera in Three Acts by Puccini, A Dream of Fragrancy - Chamber Opera Premiere, From Russia, with Classics - Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra or The Russian Legends - Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra . A 20% discount will be offered in the purchase of tickets for all other shows for holders of the designated credit card or bank card. A 50% discount will be offered for holders of Macao Senior Citizen Card or Disability Assessment Registration Card (each card holder is allowed to purchase one discounted ticket per performance only). For every ticket purchase over MOP1,000 (net price calculated after discounts), purchasers will receive a “buy 1 get 1 free” voucher for Cotai Water Jet ferry tickets. For every ticket purchase over MOP500 (net price calculated after discounts), purchasers will receive one 30% F&B coupon which can be redeemed when dining at selected restaurants in The Venetian® Macao. This edition of the MIMF counts with the support of the Macao Government Tourism Office, TDM – Teledifusão de Macao, Air Macau, Air Macau, The Venetian® Macao, and has Cotai Water Jet as official ferry company. For more details on the programme and offers, please access the Festival’s website at www.icm.gov.mo/fimm. For enquiries, please call IC through tel. no. 8399 6699, during office hours. Ticketing hotlines: 2855 5555 (Macao), 2380 5083 (Hong Kong), 139 269 11111 (Mainland China). Ticketing website: www.macauticket.com. The 30th MIMF Guangdong press conference was held on 4th August 2016 in the International Convetion Hall on the 3/F of the Guangdong Broadcast Centre, Guangdong. Head of the Department for the Development of the Performing Arts of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Kent Ieong Chi Kin; Head of the Division of Performing Arts of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Paula Lei; the deputy director of Guangdong Radio and Television Music FM, Zhao Yimin and others attended the event.
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According to statistics released today by the Monetary Authority of Macao, broad money supply continued to grow in June. As total deposits increased at a faster pace than total loans, the overall loan-to-deposit ratio of the banking sector dropped from a month earlier. Concurrently, the non-performing loan ratio, an indicator for bank asset quality, kept virtually stable. Money supply Currency in circulation grew 1.7% whereas demand deposits dropped 2.8%. M1 thus decreased 1.8% from one month earlier. Concurrently, quasi-monetary liabilities rose 1.2%. The sum of these two items, i.e. M2, increased 0.8% to MOP478.8 billion. On an annual basis, M1 and M2 dropped 9.9% and 2.0% respectively. The shares of Pataca (MOP), Hong Kong Dollar (HKD), Chinese Yuan (CNY) and United States Dollar (USD) in M2 were 30.5%, 51.5%, 6.5% and 9.1% respectively. Deposits Resident deposits increased 0.8% from the preceding month to MOP466.0 billion while non-resident deposits grew 6.7% to MOP292.7 billion. Concurrently, public sector deposits with the banking sector increased 1.2% to MOP154.7 billion. As a result, total deposits with the banking sector increased 2.7% from a month earlier to MOP913.3 billion. The shares of MOP, HKD, CNY and USD in total deposits were 20.1%, 47.4%, 8.9% and 20.7% respectively. Loans Domestic loans to the private sector increased 1.4% from a month ago to MOP403.3 billion. Among which, MOP116.7 billion was MOP-denominated, MOP262.4 billion was denominated in HKD, MOP2.4 billion was denominated in CNY and MOP19.1 billion was denominated in USD, representing 28.9%, 65.1%, 0.6% and 4.7% of the total respectively. Analysed by economic sector, “manufacturing industries”, “non-monetary financial institutions” and “wholesale and retail trade” increased at respective rates of 17.2%, 17.0% and 6.9% compared with a quarter ago, whereas “transport, warehouse and communications” and “education” dropped 8.4% and 2.5% respectively. External loans grew 0.9% to MOP371.0 billion; of which, loans denominated in MOP, HKD, CNY and USD accounted for 2.0% (MOP7.3 billion), 27.0% (MOP100.1 billion), 15.3% (MOP56.7 billion) and 49.1% (MOP182.2 billion) respectively. Operating ratios At end-June, the loan-to-deposit ratio for the resident sector rose 0.3 percentage points from the previous month to 65.0%. The ratio for both the resident and non-resident sectors dropped 1.3 percentage points to 84.8%. The one-month and three-month current assets to liabilities ratios stayed at relatively high levels of 54.4% and 56.9% respectively. Furthermore, the non-performing loan ratio was 0.1%, virtually unchanged from one month earlier and one year ago.
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