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Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that the total land area of Macao measured 30.4 km2 in 2015. The population density went up from 20,500 persons per km2 in 2014 to 21,100 persons per km2. The annual mean air temperature rose by 0.5 ºC year-on-year to 23.2 ºC, the highest mean temperature since records began in 1952. Total precipitation was 1,341 mm, down by 242.8 mm year-on-year. Total duration of sunshine or insolation time was 1,696.9 hours, down by 174.2 hours year-on-year. As regards air quality, the four monitoring stations in Macao Peninsula and Taipa recorded year-on-year increase in the number of "Good" air quality days. The air quality at the roadside of Rua do Campo showed notable improvement, with the number of "Good" air quality days (221) rising by 87 year-on-year and that of "Poor" air quality days falling by 34. However, the number of "Poor" air quality days recorded in Taipa and Coloane increased year-on-year. There was only one day of "Very Poor" air quality in 2015, recorded in January in the high density residential area in Northern District. The four monitoring stations in Macao Peninsula and Taipa recorded year-on-year decrease in the number of exceedance days for fine suspended particulates (PM2.5); the number of exceedance days recorded at the monitoring station at the roadside of Rua do Campo reduced significantly by 30 days to 17 days. Meanwhile, acid rain was recorded on 66 days in 2015, down by 11 days year-on-year. Total water consumption was 84,939,000 m3 in 2015, up by 1.7% year-on-year. Water consumption by households (36,324,000 m3) and the business sector (43,145,000 m3) increased by 3.0% and 1.0% respectively, while that by the government sector (5,470,000 m3) decreased by 1.0%. The Waste Water Treatment Plants treated an average of 192,965 m3 of waste water per day, down by 11.0% year-on-year. A total of 229,004 tonnes of domestic waste and 124,537 tonnes of waste from the business sector were collected in 2015, up by 4.6% and 1.3% respectively. The Refuse Incineration Plant treated a total of 509,111 tonnes of solid waste, up by 11.3% year-on-year; volume of renovation and construction waste sent to landfill totalled 4,835 tonnes, up by 10.5%.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that a total of 166,300 households had used the Internet in 2015, accounting for 86.3% of the total households, up by 2.0 percentage points year-on-year. Households using mobile broadband to access the Internet increased by 1.5% year-on-year to 141,400, while those using fibre optic broadband connection doubled, at 36,200. Internet users aged 3 and above totalled 470,800; the Internet penetration rate was 77.6%, up by 7.8 percentage points year-on-year. The penetration rate for population aged 15-24 took the lead at 96.1%, up slightly by 0.2 percentage points year-on-year. Moreover, 94.3% of the Internet users had accessed the Internet daily, up by 0.9 percentage points year-on-year. Regarding purpose of using the Internet, 90.4% of the Internet users used the Internet for communication and 76.8% for web entertainment, up by 3.5 and 1.2 percentage points respectively year-on-year; meanwhile, online shoppers increased by 7.0% to 62,300. Median spending on online shopping was MOP 1,000 in the fourth quarter of 2015, similar to that in the same quarter of 2014; median spending on travel services and electronic products stood at MOP 5,000 and MOP 1,125, up by 53.8% and 127.3% year-on-year. Mobile phone users increased by 0.6% year-on-year to 559,500; the mobile phone penetration rate was 92.2%, similar to that in 2014. With the popularity of smartphones, the proportion of population using mobile phone to access the Internet (91.3%) rose by 11.8 percentage points year-on-year. Owing to the greater variety of functions available on mobile phones and other devices, the proportion of households having computer equipment (152,200) decreased by 2.1 percentage points year-on-year to 79.0%. The computer penetration rate for population aged 3 and above increased by 0.5 percentage points year-on-year to 61.1%. Survey on Information Technology Usage in the Household Sector for 2015 was conducted in the fourth quarter of 2015 through a supplementary questionnaire of the Employment Survey, to collect data on information technology usage among population aged 3 and above.
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In accordance with the policy of the Macao Special Administrative Region to develop electronic government administration and to be in line with the principles of “People-Orientation” and “Strengthening Manpower and Streamlining Administration”, the Public Security Police Force (PSP), the Public Security Forces Affairs Bureau (FSM) and the Identification Services Bureau (DSI) have been collaborating to simplify administrative procedures and proactively introduce various facilitation measures for the public. Starting from 20 April 2016, the three departments provide the self-service for “Certificate of Criminal Record” application at the Immigration Department Office Building in Pac On, Taipa for the convenience of residents of the outlying islands and persons applying for the renewal of Residence Authorization. In order to further expand service channels, realize the spirit of interdepartmental “one-stop-services” of the SAR Government and improve interdepartmental service quality, following the introduction of the self-service for “Certificate of Personal Movement Record” application through integrated kiosks in September 2015, and the addition of identity card application service at counters designated for DSI’s services at the Government Services Centre (Centro de Serviços da RAEM) for persons who have collected the Receipt of Residence Authorization Renewal or the Residence Certificate in November 2015, PSP, FSM and DSI collaborate again to install self-service kiosks at the Immigration Department Office Building in Pac On, Taipa to provide the self-service for “Certificate of Criminal Record” application to Macao citizens, particularly persons who apply for the renewal of Residence Authorization. These applicants can choose to have the certificate sent to PSP directly, without the need to collect the certificate at DSI themselves. Such measure does not only provide greater convenience to residents of the outlying islands, but also make it easier for persons who apply for the renewal of Residence Authorization to go through relevant formalities in the same location, saving the time of paying visit to different government departments. PSP, FSM and DSI will conduct timely review and continuous improvement on the above-mentioned self-service. The three departments will maintain close cooperation and study the feasibility of expanding more services to the self-service platform by following the development direction of the Macao SAR Government on popularizing electronic government administration. For relevant information, please visit the following websites: - Self-service Kiosk for “Certificate of Criminal Record” Application http://www.dsi.gov.mo/eservice_drc_e.jsp - Application for Renewal of Residence Authorization http://www.fsm.gov.mo/psp/cht/psp_top5_9.html
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Consumer Council conducted its third ‘Supermarket price survey’ in April on 15 April for the implementation of Section 2b), Article 10, Law 4/95/M of 12 June. Surveyed locations included 14 supermarkets in Toi San, Ilha Verde and Fai Chi Kei areas 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 63rd Macau Grand Prix will be held from 17th to 20th of November this year, leading to a kick start in its related publicity and promotional campaign. Recently, the Sports Bureau has been invited by the Chinese Formula 1 Grand Prix organisers to conduct promotional activities at the Shanghai International Circuit’s Fountain Plaza during the races. Through maintaining a positive relationship between the Macau Grand Prix and the Shanghai International Circuit, Macao receives regular invitations from the Chinese Formula 1 Grand Prix organisers in the participation of their activities over the years. This year’s Chinese Formula 1 Grand Prix, held from 15th to 17th of April, is one of the most popular global sporting events. With the participation of the world’s finest Formula One drivers including Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg and Sebastian Vettel, who have all raced at the Macau Formula 3 Grand Prix, it once again demonstrates the importance of the Macau Grand Prix in international motorsports. With the invitation of the Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix of Shanghai, the Sports Bureau participated in the event, with an exhibition set up at the venue for promoting the Macau Grand Prix. The theme colour of the promotional booth is black and yellow, the signature colour of the Macau Grand Prix, along with a dynamic design and an exhibition of Grand Prix photos, resulting in an eye catching and colourful exhibition. Moreover, exhibition panels showcased the exciting programme of the 63rd Macau Grand Prix and as well as the history and the notable legends of the event. With the opportunity for promotion during the Chinese Formula 1 Grand Prix at Shanghai, the Sports Bureau aims to enhance the knowledge of Shanghai citizens and international motorsports fans in the Macau Grand Prix, generating a higher audience number attending the event, and at the same time further strengthening ties with the Shanghai track to jointly promote motorsports.
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On the evening of April 14, a 6.5 Richter scale earthquake occurred in Japan Kumamoto, and on the morning of the 16 another 7.3 Richter scale earthquake occurred. The Tourism Crisis Management Office (GGCT) received a request for assistance from two female Macao residents that were staying in the remote area of Aso Kyushu city and in safe conditions. The Consulate of the People's Republic of China in Fukuoka, Japan and the Macao Government Tourist Office Representation Office in Japan have been maintaining in contact with local government offices and police in order to arrange appropriate assistance. The two residents departed this morning to the Oita airport and flew from Oita to Osaka. Tomorrow they will board an Air Macau return flight from Osaka to Macao. Through the Macao Government Tourist Office Representation Office in Japan the GGCT is assisting on transportation arrangements from the domestic airport to the international airport, as well as hotel accommodation. Until the present moment, GGCT received 6 (six) requests for information regarding flight arrangements to speed up return to Macao and 10 (ten) requests for normal information. From information obtained through the Macao travel industry, three Macao tour groups initially scheduled to depart on the 18 and 19 of April to Fukuoka with 100 participants will be canceled. If necessary, Macao residents can call: 24-hour Tourism Hotline (853) 2833 3000; 24 hours duty officer phone of Consulate General of China in Fukuoka: 090-6298-9986 or the Global Emergency Call Center for Consular Protection and Services of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 24-hour hotline: +86 10 12308 for assistance.
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Given the situation of another earthquake occurred at daybreak in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China and the Consulate General of China in Fukuoka issued a travel security alert to Chinese citizens. Following is the translated version of the full text: “(The alert is valid until 16th May, 2016) Aftershocks continued after a 6.5 scale earthquake occurred in Kumamoto Prefecture on the evening of the 14th of April. At daybreak of the 16th, another 7.3 scale earthquake occurred which was strongly felt in various areas involving Oita, Fukuoka, Nagasaki, Miyazaki, Kagoshima and other large areas of Kyushu. At the moment, the Kyushu Shinkansen Line is suspended, some highways are closed, and water and electricity supplies are interrupted in some areas. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China and the Consulate General of China in Fukuoka alert Chinese citizens to cautiously consider their travel plans to Kyushu area and not to travel to Kumamoto Prefecture. In case of emergency, they should contact immediately the police. Consulate General of China in Fukuoka, 24 hours duty officer phone: 090-6298-9986; Global Emergency Call Center for Consular Protection and Services of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 24-hour hotline: +86 10 12308, +86-10-59913991.” The Tourism Crisis Management Office (GGCT) will keep monitoring the latest developments and alerts Macao residents to cautiously consider their travel plans to Kyushu area and not to travel to Kumamoto Prefecture. From the information gathered through the Macao travel industry, currently there are 2 Macao tour groups with approximately 45 people in Fukuoka, and there is no indication that their security have been affected. A Macao tour group of approximately 25 people with supposed departure to Fukuoka on the 18th of April will be cancelled. Until the present moment, GGCT received 6 (six) requests for information regarding flight arrangements to speed up their return to Macau and 7 (seven) requests for normal information. If necessary, Macao residents can call: 24-hour Tourism Hotline (853) 2833 3000; The Chinese Embassy and consulates or the Global Emergency Call Center for Consular Protection and Services of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 24-hour hotline: +86 10 12308 for assistance.
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Cecília Chan Kit Ieng and Liu Ziyi, students from the University of Macau (UM) Department of Portuguese, won first prize (advanced level) and second prize (intermediate level) respectively, at a national Portuguese poetry recitation contest held yesterday (14 April). Co-organised by Macao Polytechnic Institute (IPM) and the Tertiary Education Services Office, the contest aims to promote the Portuguese language and culture and to stimulate participants’ interest in Portuguese poetry. This year’s contest attracted 32 students, compared to 16 last year. They are from the Communication University of China, Jilin Huaqiao University of Foreign Languages, Xi’an International Studies University, Sichuan International Studies University, Harbin Normal University, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, Sun Yat-sen University’s Zhuhai Campus, UM, IPM, Macau University of Science and Technology, and the University of Saint Joseph. Rui Cunha, chairman of Rui Cunha Foundation, served as the chair of the panel of judges. Other members of the panel included Miguel de Senna Fernandes, a local lawyer and the president of the Association of Macanese (ADM); Carlos Morais José, director of Hoje Macau; Ana Paula Cleto Godinho, coordinator of Oriental Foundation (Fundação Oriente) in Macau; Ana Paula, advisor and senior technician of the Language Promotion Centre of the Education and Youth Affairs Bureau.
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Given the earthquake situation occurred in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan on the 14th of April, the Consulate General of China in Fukuoka issued a travel security alert to Chinese citizens. Following is the translated version of the full text: “On the evening of 14th of April, at 9:26 pm, a 6.5 scale earthquake occurred in the town of Mashiki, Kumamoto Prefecture, at a depth of 10 km for which no tsunami alert was issued. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency’s prediction, aftershocks will last for around a week. The Consulate General of China in Fukuoka reminds Chinese citizens, overseas students, and Chinese institutions’ staff and citizens who intend to travel to Kyushu, to pay attention to relevant information, strengthen security precautions and ensure personal and property safety. In case of emergency, contact the Consulate General of China in Fukuoka, 24 hours duty officer phone: 090-6298-9986.” The Tourism Crisis Management Office (GGCT) will keep monitoring the latest developments and alerts Macao residents who intend to travel to Kumamoto Prefecture to follow closely relevant information and critically assess the security risks. Macao residents already in Kumamoto Prefecture should strengthen security precautions to protect their personal safety. From the information gathered through the Macao travel industry, currently there are 3 Macao tour groups with approximately 95 people in Fukuoka, and there is no indication that their security have been affected. There will be 2 more Macao tour groups traveling today and the next few days to Fukuoka. Until the present moment, GGCT received 1 (one) request for information regarding flight arrangements to speed up their return to Macau. If necessary, Macao residents can call: 24-hour Tourism Hotline (853) 2833 3000; The Chinese Embassy and consulates or the Global Emergency Call Center for Consular Protection and Services of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 24-hour hotline: +86 10 12308 for assistance.
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The Monetary Authority of Macao announced today that the preliminary estimate of Macao SAR’s foreign exchange reserves amounted to MOP152.5 billion (USD19.09 billion) at the end of March 2016. The reserves decreased by 0.5% from the revised value of MOP153.2 billion (USD19.13 billion) for the previous month. Macao SAR’s foreign exchange reserves at end-March 2016 represented 12 times the currency in circulation or 105.7% of Pataca M2 at end-February 2016. The trade-weighted effective exchange rate index for the pataca dropped 0.48 points month-to-month but rose 0.74 points year-on-year to 105.93 in March 2016, implying that overall speaking, the pataca depreciated against the currencies of Macao’s major trading partners on a monthly basis but appreciated on an annual basis.
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