News

The Infrastructure Development Office announced on Wednesday the establishment of a new dredging site – with the support of the authorities of Guangdong Province – to supply sand for the land reclamation work in Macao relating to the new urban zone known as Area A. The new dredging site is located south of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge. Sand extraction at the new site is however technically more challenging than in the area previously used. The Office said it would strive to develop new solutions in the coming months to ensure a stable supply of sand for the Area A land reclamation project. Land reclamation works for Area A were originally due to be completed by last December. The schedule however was affected by the February 2015 closure of the dredging site that supplied sand for the works. The former dredging site was located north of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge. It was closed due to works related to the bridge’s construction.
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The result of the consumer study award (Year 2015 to 2016) held by Consumer Council has been announced. Two teams from Colegio de Santa Rosa de Lima (English Secondary) are awarded two Outstanding prizes in the senior high section, teams from Pui Ching Middle School and the Affiliated School of the University of Macau are also awarded Outstanding prizes in the junior high section. The Chinese Educators Association of Macau, Macau Catholic Schools Association, Macao New Chinese Youth Association, and Associate Professor of Faculty of Education, University of Macau, Vong Sou Kuan Ph.D. have been invited to form a jury together with the Executive Committee of Consumer Council. The evaluation was conducted on 18 March, Outstanding prizes, Best topic, Best creativity, and Best instructor were selected. The list of winners is available on the Council’s website (www.consumer.gov.mo) and attached. The Consumer Study Award requires participants to inspect, experience, think, analyze, discover, and review on consumer behaviours affecting the society. Participants are asked to prepare a research report and the Council hopes to build up healthy consumer values in teenagers’ minds. The Council indicates that reports submitted cover a variety of topics, motives and psychology of consumers are explored, suggestions and conclusions are also included. The Award is held for the first time but is well-received, the Council will continue to organize the Award to promote consumer education. For enquiry, please call 8988 9315.
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The Government strived for a balance between environmental conservation and development by building Macao a green, low-carbon city, said today the Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On. Mr Chui delivered a keynote speech this morning at the opening ceremony of the 2016 Macao International Environmental Co-operation Forum and Exhibition (MIECF) themed “Green Economy – Opportunities for Waste Management”. Environmental protection was a major policy of Macao, i n order to enhance waste management, the Government had been taking all types of measures, including to implement the “Macao Solid Waste Resource Management Plan” and promote “reduce waste at source; separation for recycling” policy, said the Chief Executive Such measures are in line with the vision of transforming Macao into a city with more favourable conditions for living, tourism, business, travel and recreation, said Mr Chui. One of the goals for Macao’s sustainable development was to achieve significant performance in environmental protection, he stated. The Government would step up efforts to support growth of local green industries, he added. Mr Chui said the Government was in the process of formulating Macao’s first Five-Year Development Plan, with the aim to transform Macao into a world centre of tourism and leisure and a commercial and trade cooperation service platform between China and the Portuguese-speaking countries (collectively known as “Centre and Platform” policies). He also said Macao’s development caused opportunities since the State Council recently released a guideline for promoting closer cooperation within the Pan-Pearl River Delta area. There were also development opportunities arising from the country’s 13th Five-Year Plan and from the nation’s Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st Century Maritime Silk Road (collectively known as “Belt and Road” initiative). Following the demarcation of Macao’s maritime and land boundaries, approved by the State Council on December of 2015, Macao would be provided more space and development opportunities to enhance the city’s long-term sustainability, he said. Mr Chui said the Government was making great efforts to promote industrial integration, further economic development and closer regional cooperation amid the ongoing adjustment period of Macao’s gaming industry. The 2016 MIECF is held in Macao from 31 March to 2 April. It is an annual event since 2008 that gathers specialists and academics to share their experience in promoting green industry and protecting environment. The 9th edition of the Forum is hosted by the Government of Macao Special Administrative Region, with special support from the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Environmental Protection. It is also co-organised by the provincial/regional governments of the Pan-Pearl River Delta, namely Fujian, Jiangxi, Hunan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan and Hong Kong.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that total merchandise export for February 2016 amounted to MOP710 million, up by 3.0% year-on-year; value of re-exports (MOP617 million) grew by 10.2%, while value of domestic exports (MOP93 million) dropped by 28.3%, with that of Non-knitted or non-crocheted garments (MOP0.88 million) falling by 82.4%. Total merchandise import declined by 24.6% year-on-year to MOP4.93 billion, the lowest single-month record since June 2011, of which imports of Mobile phones and Watches decreased by 54.2% and 40.8% respectively. Merchandise trade deficit amounted to MOP4.22 billion. In the first two months of 2016, total value of merchandise export rose by 2.1% year-on-year to MOP1.68 billion, of which value of re-exports (MOP1.45 billion) increased by 9.1%, but that of domestic exports (MOP232 million) decreased by 27.1%. Total value of merchandise import fell by 21.2% to MOP11.86 billion. Merchandise trade deficit widened to MOP10.18 billion for the first two months of 2016. Analysed by destination, merchandise export to Mainland China (MOP234 million) and Hong Kong (MOP1.04 billion) in the first two months of 2016 increased by 2.0% and 1.0% year-on-year, while export to the EU (MOP29 million) and the USA (MOP20 million) decreased by 27.7% and 40.6% respectively. Exports of Non-textiles increased by 1.8% year-on-year to MOP1.55 billion, of which value of Electronic components (MOP152 million) soared by 112.8%, but that of Machines, apparatus & parts (MOP145 million) dropped by 33.9%. Exports of Textiles & garments totalled MOP134 million, up by 6.3%. By place of origin, merchandise import from Mainland China (MOP4.31 billion) and the EU (MOP2.90 billion) in the first two months of 2016 decreased by 25.5% and 19.1% respectively year-on-year. Imports of Consumer goods dropped by 13.7% to MOP7.64 billion, with imports of Watches (MOP758 million) and Motor cars & motorcycles (MOP225 million) decreasing by 36.4% and 38.4% respectively. Moreover, imports of Mobile phones (MOP1.01 billion), Fuels & lubricants (MOP848 million) and Construction materials (MOP336 million) declined by 50.2%, 27.5% and 37.0% respectively. External merchandise trade reached MOP13.55 billion in the first two months of 2016, down by 18.9% compared with MOP16.71 billion a year earlier.
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Macao is seeking further cooperation with cities in the Yangtze River Delta regarding the training of researchers in scientific fields, said the Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, during the second day of his visit to Jiangsu Province. Such cooperation would help advance Macao’s economic competitiveness, he stated. Cooperating with Changzhou Prefecture would help Macao realise its vision for moderate economic diversification as well as bringing major benefits for Changzhou. The two places had complementary strengths, Mr Chui noted. Mr Chui’s comments were made this morning (Wednesday) during a meeting with the Secretary of the Changzhou Municipal Committee of the CPC, Mr Yan Li. Mr Yan said during the meeting that Macao’s connection with other economies, especially with the Portuguese-speaking countries, would be a useful platform to help promote Changzhou’s cooperation with international partners. The Secretary said there were also opportunities to expand partnership regarding tourism between Changzhou and Macao. Changzhou, as an important city of the Yangtze River Delta, received more than 54 million visitors last year, generating income of more than 73 billion yuan. He noted Macao’s favourable conditions for the promotion of mutual cooperation on tourism. They included Macao’s geographical position linking China with the rest of the world, and local people’s language skills, as well as the considerable number of talented local people available to support such cooperation. Services for the elderly, and areas related to medical services and healthcare were other possible fields for cooperation between the two places, Mr Yan added. Later in the afternoon, the Government delegation visited the Changzhou West Taihu Lake Science and Technology Zone, before returning to Macao. The Zone, also known as Jiangsu Wujin Economic Zone, is located near Changzhou’s city centre, and covers an area of 90 square kilometres. The Zone was designed to be a science innovation centre for the whole country, showcasing industries such as those researching and developing new materials, those developing medical equipment, and firms pursuing e-commerce. On Tuesday, the first day of Mr Chui’s visit, the Government of Jiangsu Province and the Government of the Macao Special Administrative Region endorsed a memorandum regarding formation of a joint taskforce for the establishment of a Jiangsu-Macao industrial zone. During Tuesday’s meeting, Mr Chui said the Government would work closely with the Jiangsu Government – via the newly formed taskforce – regarding research into possible fields of cooperation and the positioning of the future zone in the country’s overall development. Integrating Macao’s development efforts within the framework of regional cooperation would also help realise Macao’s “Centre and Platform” policies. The policies were mentioned in the recently published framework of the country’s 13th Five-Year Plan. “Centre and Platform” policies refer to the strategies to transform Macao into a world centre of tourism and leisure, and a commercial and trade service platform between China and the Portuguese-speaking countries. Mr Chui stated on Tuesday that a memorandum signed on that day between Macao and Jiangsu regarding civil servant training was a breakthrough in sought-after regional cooperation. The Government would work closely with its Jiangsu counterparts in several areas, including an arrangement whereby Macao’s civil servants would receive training in Jiangsu. Members of the delegation on the two-day tour included: the Chief-of-Office of the Chief Executive’s Office, Ms O Lam; the Chief-of-Office of the Secretary for Administration and Justice, Ms Iao Man Leng; the Director of the Government Information Bureau, Mr Chan Chi Ping; the President of the Administrative Committee of the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute, Mr Cheong Chou Weng; the Director of the Public Administration and Civil Service Bureau, Mr Kou Peng Kuan; and the Acting Director of the Macao Economic Services, Mr Tai Kin Ip.
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In order to further promote fundamental rights and duties of Macao residents, Nationality Law, consular protection and consular services, the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of People’s Republic of China in the Macao SAR (hereinafter called Office of the Commissioner of MFA), the Identification Services Bureau (hereinafter called DSI), the Legal Affairs Bureau (hereinafter called DSAJ) and the Macao Institute for Tourism Studies (hereinafter called IFT) jointly organized a discussion forum at IFT on 29 March 2016. With the aim of creating relaxing atmosphere for discussion, the forum is conducted in a form of casual gathering for university students to exchange their views with the speakers on issues of fundamental rights and duties of Macao residents, the Nationality Law, consular protection and consular services. This forum is an extended activity of “Constitution and Basic Law –Fundamental Rights and Duties of Macao Residents, Nationality Law, Consular Protection and Consular Services” thematic seminar held at IFT on 22 March 2016. It aims at providing another channel for university students to explore the above-mentioned issues. Mr. Weng Jinshan and Mr. Huang Jianbin, representatives of the Office of the Commissioner of MFA, Ms. Wong Pou Ieng, Head of Department of Residents Identification, Mr. Ng Chi Meng, Head of Department of Travel Documents of DSI, Ms. Lao Un Cheng, Acting Head of Public Relations Division of DSAJ, and Mr. Chu Chan Weng, Head of Technical and Academic Support Division of IFT, have participated this forum and had close interactions and exchanges of views with more than twenty IFT students. Some students who had studied or worked abroad took the opportunity to consult the speakers about some frequently encountered problems when travelling abroad. Right after listening to the students’ questions, the speakers answered them in detail, making that the students deepen their knowledge on consular protection and consular services further. In addition, the speakers shared some true cases regarding the consular protection and services and cases of Macao residents requesting assistance in emergency overseas, which left deep impression to the students. The organizer will continuously organize different kinds of promotion activities to enrich the knowledge of Macao residents on the Constitution and the Basic Law, as well as consular protection and consular services.
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The Monetary Authority of Macao (AMCM) organized a seminar on promotion of integrity for its staff on 18th March in order to strengthen and further instill in them the knowledge and awareness for integrity and righteous conducts. Mr. Clement Chow, Head of Research Department of the Commission Against Corruption of Macao, was invited to be the speaker of this seminar. On the part of AMCM, Ms. Esther Lei and Ms. Luíza Man, both Members of the Board of Directors, Mr. Cary Lei, Deputy Director of the Internal Audit Department and also acting as the Coordinator of the working group on “Integrity Awareness Training Programme”, and managerial, as well as operational staff of various departments attended this seminar. During the seminar, Mr. Clement Chow gave an introduction on the proper public procurement procedures and also on the importance of awareness for integrity and law-observance. Mr. Chow also elaborated in details the major applicable legal provisions and basic principles governing public procurement, the obligations, disciplinary liability and criminal liability of public servants, as well as the recusal system that is currently in place. Besides, case studies of corruption and law infringement offences identified in the public sector were also presented with the objective of arousing the awareness for observing integrity at all times by civil servants in the execution of their duties. During the interactive session that followed, participants of the seminar raised questions and also shared their experiences relating to the public procurement process. On the whole, this seminar is informative and its contents are highly relevant to the great benefit of the staff of AMCM.
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The exhibition “One Century of Austrian Art 1860-1960” hosted by the Macao Museum of Art (MAM), under the auspices of the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC), will be coming to an end this Sunday (3 April). Featuring 89 masterpieces by pivotal Austrian artists of the 19th and 20th centuries, the exhibition depicts a hundred year of the most stunning progress of Austrian painting, which enables viewers to appreciate iconic works by big names in the history of European art. A trilingual exhibition guide APP is available for free. The evolution of the Art Nouveau movement highly popularized across Europe and North America at the end of the 19th century is considered the most influential large-scale artistic revolution after the Renaissance. Vienna Secession is one the most important streams of the movement, which has engraved a fascinating chapter on the art history of the period. Founding members of the Secession included outstanding Austrian artists such as Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele and Koloman Moser, amongst others, The exhibition focuses exactly on this eventful century, with artists becoming narrators and their work the epitome of that special era. This exhibition brings together a trove of masterpieces by 54 prominent figures selected from the collections of 34 institutions and connoisseurs across Austria, including masterpieces by core members of the Vienna Secession, revealing various phases of the movement, as well as the mutual influences between its distinctive style and other arts. This exhibition is co-organised by the MAM under IC, the Beijing World Art Museum and the Chinese-Austrian Academy of Fine Arts. The MAM is located at Av. Xian Xing Hai, and is open from 10am to 7pm (no admittance after 6:30pm; closed on Mondays). The admission fee is MOP5.00, and admission is free on Sundays and Macao public holidays. For enquiries, please call MAM at 8791 9814, during office hours, or visit its webpage at www.MAM.gov.mo.
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The Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, today said the establishment of a joint Jiangsu-Macao taskforce – to study options for building an industrial zone – would raise ties between the two places to a new level. Mr Chui, who is on a two-day visit in Jiangsu Province, made the comments this evening (Tuesday) during a meeting with the Secretary of the CPC Jiangsu Provincial Committee, Mr Luo Zhijun. The joint taskforce aimed to study the positioning and possible fields of cooperation of the proposed industrial zone, before the two governments take further steps, Mr Chui said. The Chief Executive said strong cooperation with Jiangsu had already been supportive to Macao’s economic development and would further help to develop and maintain the sustainability of the city’s economy in the long run. Strengthening regional cooperation was one of the particular strategies that would help transform Macao into a world centre of tourism and leisure and a commercial and trade cooperation service platform between China and the Portuguese-speaking countries (collectively known as “Centre and Platform” policies), said Mr Chui. The Centre and Platform policies were mentioned in the country’s 13th Five-Year Plan. The Centre and Platform policies would bring Macao new opportunities. Such opportunities would include special roles in helping to advance the nation’s Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st Century Maritime Silk Road strategies (collectively known as “Belt and Road” initiative), said Mr Chui. During the meeting, Mr Luo said Macao was an effective platform to link Jiangsu and the Portuguese-speaking countries. For future cooperation, Jiangsu would draw on Macao’s advantages in education, science and technical knowledge, finance and cultural affairs. Macao would draw on Jiangsu’s strengths in economic development and technology, said Mr Luo. Following the meeting, the Government of Jiangsu Province and the Government of the Macao Special Administrative Region jointly endorsed two memorandums of understanding. A memorandum regarding formation of a joint taskforce for the establishment of a Jiangsu-Macao industrial zone was signed by the Chief-of-Office of the Chief Executive’s Office, Ms O Lam, and the Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of Jiangsu Province, Mr Fei Shaoyun. A memorandum between the two places regarding civil servant training was endorsed by the Chief-of-Office of the Secretary for Administration and Justice, Ms Iao Man Leng, and by Mr Fei. Earlier in the afternoon, Mr Chui visited the Nanjing Jiangning High-Tech Industrial Park to learn about the latest economic developments in the Province and its successful development of industrial zones. Nanjing Jiangning High-Tech Industrial Park was established in 1997 and covers an area of 195 square kilometres. The Park is the only nationally approved zone containing high-tech industries, higher education facilities and tourism attractions. Officials accompanying Mr Chui in Jiangsu Province included: the Director of the Government Information Bureau, Mr Chan Chi Ping; the President of the Administrative Committee of the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute, Mr Cheong Chou Weng; the Director of the Public Administration and Civil Service Bureau, Mr Kou Peng Kuan; and the Acting Director of the Macao Economic Services, Mr Tai Kin Ip.
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The Government would form a taskforce with the authorities of Jiangsu Province, to study the establishment of a planned Jiangsu-Macao industrial zone, said the Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On. Mr Chui made the comments this morning (Tuesday) before he flew to Jiangsu Province for a two-day visit. The trip would explore further cooperation opportunities with Jiangsu Province and help Macao officials gain a better understanding of the economic development achieved by the Province via its industrial zones, Mr Chui told reporters. The Chief Executive disclosed that the two governments had not yet decided on the location of the proposed Jiangsu-Macao industrial zone and what forms such cooperation might take. Forming a taskforce would allow for scientific study of such issues before further moves were made, he added. Both governments were working closely in order to strengthen mutual cooperation, including via enhancement of existing cooperation mechanisms, Mr Chui said. Jiangsu occupies a leading position in the country’s development of industrial zones. Mr Chui gave as an example Jiangsu’s successful development of the China-Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park. Jiangsu-Macao cooperation would advance Macao’s efforts to achieve the goal of moderate economic diversification, he said. It would also help Macao to integrate further in the whole country’s development, by making use of Macao’s special role and advantages. With the support from the Central Government and regional authorities across the country, Macao would deepen regional cooperation, including that relating to Guangdong and Macao, and to development opportunities arising from the Pan-Pearl River Delta region. Mr Chui also commented on the recent proposal by the State Council to optimise the facilitated individual travel scheme, whereby visitors from the mainland are able to travel independently to Macao and Hong Kong. He said maintaining the quality of life of the residents and maintaining for tourists a pleasant experience while they are visiting in Macao were key principles of the Government’s tourism policy. The Government had been conducting an annual review of the city’s capacity to accommodate tourists, so as to improve the application of such tourism policy principles, said Mr Chui. The Government would coordinate resources for the long-term development of Macao’s tourism sector, rather than pursuing short-term growth of visitor numbers, he stressed. Regarding other matters, Mr Chui said the Government was working closely with the authorities in Guangdong in seeking a solution to a shortage of sand for construction. Since 20 March, supply of such material to Macao from the mainland had been suspended. This suspension was in order to maintain sufficient supplies for the construction of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge. The Government would strive to cope with any delay to land reclamation work in Macao related to the sand supply issue for the new urban zone known as Area A, he said. The Chief Executive was asked by reporters about the Government’s plan for a centre to monitor and control infectious diseases in order further to protect public health. He said the building housing the centre would have facilities in line with the World Health Organization’s standards. He added the Government was considering inviting experts and scholars from overseas to provide the public with more information regarding the equipment and measures used in similar centres around the world, and that have proved effective elsewhere in containing and controlling diseases and viruses. Such information sharing would be a way to ease concerns among those people living near the new building. Mr Chui additionally said the Government was now working on an update to the mechanisms used to calculate cash premiums payable for Government-issued land concessions. This update process was in accordance with the terms of the new Land Law, which came into force on 1 March, 2014. It requires such mechanisms to be reviewed and updated every two years. Regarding the work of Macao’s Urban Renewal Committee, the Chief Executive said he would suggest a summary of proceedings be issued to the public after each meeting, as a way to help local people better understand the work of the Committee.
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