News

The Government is seeking closer partnership with the mainland’s National Health and Family Planning Commission, including the possibility of Macao having access to a special team of medical professionals based on the mainland. Macao medical professionals would be able to liaise with them, and benefit from their knowledge. Such an arrangement would also assist Macao in the development of its own medical facilities. The mainland-based team of medical professionals would be able to provide their fellow professionals in Macao with advice on the latest developments in surgical procedure and with advice on complex cases. They could also share their experience in treating rare diseases. If necessary they could also come to Macao to demonstrate surgical operations and procedures. The Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Mr Tam Chon Weng, mentioned the possibility of such an initiative during a meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, on 23 May with the Minister of National Health and Family Planning Commission, Ms Li Bin. Mr Tam and Government representatives joined China’s delegation in Geneva to attend the 69th World Health Assembly of the World Health Organization (WHO). The Assembly’s agenda included discussions between health ministers from WHO member states on responses to health emergencies, and the latest trends in communicable and non-communicable diseases and the management of such diseases. During the meeting with Ms Li, the Secretary also proposed that medical professionals from Macao’s Health Bureau might receive some training at health institutes on the mainland. Macao would conduct – as planned – exercises to measure the city’s capacity to respond to medical emergency situations. It would also establish certain emergency response mechanisms in order to fulfil an agreement with the mainland authorities on public health emergency issues. Mr Tam also met with the Secretary for Food and Health of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Mr Ko Wing-man. Topics discussed included: the strengthening of medical training; an emergency response mechanism for public health incidents; patient transferral; management of hospitals; and issues relating to bone marrow transplants. As a result of the meeting, the two parties reached consensus on several issues. During his visit to Geneva, the Secretary is also scheduled to meet the Director-General of the World Health Organization, Ms Margaret Chan. The Macao Government delegation included: the Director of the Health Bureau, Mr Lei Chin Ion; the Deputy Director of the Health Bureau and Director of the Conde S. Januário Hospital, Mr Kuok Cheong U; and consultants to the Office of the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture. The World Health Assembly is the supreme decision-making body of the World Health Organization. Its main functions are to stipulate WHO policies, supervise its finances, and review and approve the proposed programme budget. The 69th World Health Assembly, themed “Transforming our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”, is being held from 23 to 28 May in Geneva.
…

Streamlined procedures are now in place for scrutiny of privately-owned light vehicles using the Macao-Hengqin border checkpoint – known as the Lotus Flower Bridge – that links Macao and Hengqin in Zhuhai Prefecture. The new measure means eligible private light vehicles – i.e., those with Macao and Zhuhai licence plates – only need undergo one check per crossing. Prior to the new arrangements, such cross border journeys involved a check of the vehicle on both sides of the border. The mutual recognition – by the two jurisdictions – of vehicle screening results was part of the Government’s effort to speed clearance at checkpoints, said a representative of the Macao Customs Service at a press conference on Tuesday (24 May). It also involved greater cooperation and increased exchange of information with counterpart agencies in Guangdong Province. This could be an important development with regard to Macao-registered vehicles entering Hengqin, the representative added.
…

Organised by the Macao Museum under the auspices of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, the exhibition “The Enchanting Red Boat – An Episode of the Cantonese Opera Culture” will be officially open to the public with the opening ceremony to be held tomorrow, 26th May. This exhibition features the most representative artefacts related to Cantonese Opera of the Macao Museum, and other materials, photographs and collections provided by Cantonese Opera associations and organisations. A series of activities will also be launched in order to promote the art of Cantonese Opera and allow the public to have a better understanding about the customs of Cantonese Opera. Admission is free. A thematic talk entitled “The Enchanting Red Boat” will be held on Saturday, 4th June, from 3pm to 5pm, conducted by experienced Cantonese Opera artists and performers, Tang Yick Sang and Tang Va Chio, introducing the history of Cantonese Opera from the origin of the red boat, ‘Opera in the Bamboo Theatre’ and ‘Opera for Deities’, traditional stage facilities, to the transformation of Cantonese Opera performance and costumes; a workshop by the Macao Lai Chon Chinese Opera Association will be held on Saturday, 11th June, from 10am to 1pm, presenting the costumes and helmets of modern Cantonese Opera. In this workshop, specialists will demonstrate how to make hairpieces using human hair, and teach participants the basic skills of Cantonese Opera. The abovementioned activities, conducted in Cantonese, will be held at the Macao Museum Auditorium. Admission is free. Seats are limited and subject to availability. For registration and enquiries, please call Ms. Wu through tel. no. 8394 1210 during office hours. In addition, a “Balloon Modelling Family Workshop” will be held on 17th and 31st July and 14th August (Sundays), at 2:45pm and 4pm, at the Auditorium of the Macao Museum. Instructors will teach participants to twist balloons into creative shapes based on hats and weapons used in Cantonese Opera. Admission is free and registration can be made on-site. Seats are limited and available on a first-come, first served basis. There will also be Crosswords Prizes. All interested patrons can obtain a registration form on site or download it at the Macao Museum website (www.macaumuseum.gov.mo), and return it to the “Crosswords Collection Box” on the third floor of the Macao Museum during the exhibition period. The Macao Museum will announce the list of winners and prize redemption procedures on 25th October on its website. For enquiries about the “Balloon Modelling Family Workshop” and the “Crosswords Prizes”, please call Ms. Shi through tel. no. 8394 1234. As part of the programme of the 27th Macao Arts Festival, the exhibition “The Enchanting Red Boat – An Episode of the Cantonese Opera Culture” is open until 9th October. For more information on the exhibition and relevant activities, please visit the Macao Museum website www.macaumuseum.gov.mo or call 2835 7911 during office hours.
…

Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that value of retail sales for the first quarter of 2016 amounted to MOP 14.73 billion, down by 11.2% year-on-year and by 5.8% compared with the revised figure of MOP 15.64 billion in the fourth quarter of 2015. Retail sales of Watches, Clocks & Jewellery accounted for 20.8% of the total, followed by sales of Goods in Department Stores (15.2%), Adults' Clothing (13.2%), Leather Goods (11.1%) and Goods in Supermarkets (7.7%). As regards year-on-year change, value of retail sales of Motor Vehicles (-48.4%), Motorcycles, Parts & Accessories (-44.3%), Communication Equipment (-22.7%), Footwear (-19.0%) and Watches, Clocks & Jewellery (-18.3%) recorded notable decrease, while that of Chinese Food Products (+11.1%), Cosmetics & Sanitary Articles (+8.4%) and Adults' Clothing (+5.6%) showed increase. After removing the effect of price changes, volume of retail sales for the first quarter of 2016 declined by 4.1% quarter-to-quarter. Sales volume of Motor Vehicles (-58.3%) and Motorcycles, Parts & Accessories (-50.8%) decreased substantially, while that of Communication Equipment (+22.9%), Footwear (+18.7%) and Leather Goods (+11.8%) increased. Volume of retail sales decreased by 8.7% year-on-year in the first quarter. Similarly, notable decrease was observed in the sales volume of Motor Vehicles (-50.6%) and Motorcycles, Parts & Accessories (-46.5%), while that of Footwear (-15.1%), Watches, Clocks & Jewellery (-12.3%) and Household Appliances (-11.1%) also declined. On the other hand, sales volume of Cosmetics & Sanitary Articles (+8.7%), Chinese Food Products (+8.4%) and Adults' Clothing (+8.1%) recorded year-on-year increase. In respect of retailers’ comments, 55.9% of the retailers anticipate that the sales volume in the second quarter of 2016 will decrease compared with the same quarter of 2015, 30.8% expect sales volume to remain stable, while 13.3% expect an increase. Meanwhile, 66.7% anticipate stable retail prices in the second quarter of 2016 compared to the same quarter of 2015, 23.2% expect a decrease, while 10.1% expect an increase. Moreover, 50.8% of the retailers anticipate the business will worsen in the second quarter of 2016 compared with the first quarter, 32.3% expect the business to remain stable, while 16.9% expect an improvement.
…

Consumer Council conducted its latest ‘Supermarket price survey’ in May on 24 May for the implementation of Section 2b), Article 10, Law 4/95/M of 12 June. Surveyed locations included supermarkets near Horte e Costa, Avenida do Ouvidor Arriaga and Rua da Emenda areas in Santo António 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.
…

For the implementation of Section 2b), Article 10, Law 4/95/M of 12 June, Consumer Council conducted its specific price survey on fresh pork from wet markets and supermarkets on 24 May. Prices of different types of pork, including pork chop, ribs, pork belly, lean meat, etc. were collected. The specific product price survey on fresh pork can be found on the Council’s website (www.consumer.gov.mo), ‘Supermarket Price Information Platform’ iPhone & Android apps, and the Council’s official WeChat account. Meanwhile, the Council also compares local fresh pork prices with those in Zhuhai for the past week, a spreadsheet is prepared for consumers’ reference and to enhance transparency of the fresh food market. For enquiry, please call 8988 9315.
…

Judicial independence – a widely recognised value in Macao – has been and will continue to be the cornerstone for the city’s development, said the Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On. The Government respects the spirit of the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary, as stipulated in the Basic Law. The Government also strives to provide the resources necessary to sustain the effective operation of Macao’s judiciary. Mr Chui made the comments in a meeting at Santa Sancha Palace on Monday (23 May) with the President of the Supreme Court of the Portuguese Republic, Mr António Gaspar. Mr Chui said the visit of the President of the Supreme Court had great significance: bringing further cooperation opportunities for the judiciary in Macao and Portugal, based on the foundations that have already been laid. The Chief Executive also expressed his gratitude for the support of Portugal’s judiciary regarding Macao’s judicial system. He noted that such support had been made available since the establishment of the Macao Special Administrative Region in 1999. Mr Gaspar said the Supreme Court of the Portuguese Republic had reached some agreements with Macao’s Court of Final Appeal during the current visit to Macao. Judicial cooperation would be extended in the future in a manner deemed appropriate to the competencies and functions of each judicial body, he added. Strengthening cooperation with Macao would bring mutual benefits and would help maintain Macao’s special judicial system within China’s judicial system, said Mr Gaspar. Portugal-Macao cooperation also helped reinforce the fundamental judicial principles of Macao. Macao was an important platform to facilitate exchanges between judicial bodies in Portugal and in China, Mr Gaspar added. Mr Chui said the Government was glad to facilitate exchanges between judicial bodies in Portugal and in China. Macao officials present at the meeting included: the President of the Court of Final Appeal, Mr Sam Hou Fai; the Secretary for Administration and Justice, Ms Chan Hoi Fan; the Public Prosecutor-General of the Public Prosecutions Office, Mr Ip Son Sang; Judge of the Court of Final Appeal, Mr Viriato Lima; and the Acting Chief-of-Cabinet of the Court of Final Appeal, Ms Chan Iok Lin. Portugal’s representatives at Monday’s meeting included: the Consul-General of Portugal in Macao and Hong Kong, Mr Vítor Sereno; the Vice President of the Supreme Court, José Fernando Abrantes; the Chairman of the Fifth Section (Criminal) of the Supreme Court, Mr José Vaz dos Santos Carvalho; the Chairman of the Second Section (Civil) of the Supreme Court, Mr Carlos Bettencourt de Faria; the Chairman of the Fourth Section (Social) of the Supreme Court, Mr Manuel Pinto Hespanhol; and the Chief of Cabinet of the Supreme Court, Mr Luís Filipe Lameiras.
…

Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that the Composite CPI for April 2016 increased by 3.02% year-on-year to 108.03, down by 0.29 percentage points from the 3.31% growth in March. The year-on-year increment was attributable to higher rentals for parking spaces, rising charges for eating out, as well as dearer prices of motor cars and tobacco. In comparison with April 2015, increases in tobacco tax, tuition fees, rentals for parking spaces and prices of motor cars drove up the price index of Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco, Education and Transport by 37.15%, 8.98% and 7.60% respectively. Meanwhile, price index of Clothing & Footwear and Communication decreased by 3.48% and 0.93%. The CPI-A (108.14) and CPI-B (107.05) rose by 2.95% and 3.62% respectively year-on-year. The Composite CPI for April 2016 edged up by 0.03% month-to-month. Price index of Clothing & Footwear and Transport increased by 2.18% and 0.58% on account of new arrival of women’s summer clothing and footwear, and higher prices of gasoline and motor cars. On the other hand, lower rentals for dwellings and reduced charges for electricity and package tours pushed down the price index of Housing & Fuels and Recreation & Culture by 0.47% and 0.29% month-to-month. Meanwhile, receding prices of vegetables and fresh fish offset the rise in prices of fresh pork and charges for eating out, bringing down the price index of Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages by 0.22%. The CPI-A dropped by 0.01% month-to-month while the CPI-B rose by 0.32%. For the 12 months ended April 2016, the average Composite CPI increased by 4.09% from the previous period. Price index of Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco (+30.07%) and Education (+6.95%) showed marked increase. The average CPI-A and CPI-B went up by 4.28% and 3.36% respectively over the previous period. The average Composite CPI for the first four months of 2016 increased by 3.50% year-on-year, with the price index of Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco, Education and Transport rising by 38.20%, 8.94% and 6.95% respectively. The average CPI-A and CPI-B rose by 3.53% and 3.29% respectively. The Composite CPI reflects the impact of price changes on the general households. The CPI-A relates to about 50% of the households, which have an average monthly expenditure of MOP10,000 to MOP29,999. The CPI-B relates to about 30% of the households, which have an average monthly expenditure of MOP30,000 to MOP54,999.
…

Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) is conducting public consultation on the "Macao Tourism Industry Development Master Plan” from 23 May to 22 July to publicize the Consultation Paper and solicit public input through a variety of means and channels. MGTO held a press conference at the Tourism Activities Centre today (23 May) to unveil its arrangements and publicity measures for public consultation on the "Macao Tourism Industry Development Master Plan”. MGTO Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, Deputy Director Cecilia Tse and Cheng Wai Tong were present in the press conference among others. Public consultation and exchange sessions The public consultation process on the Master Plan will span two months with public consultation and exchange sessions arranged by MGTO. Two public consultation sessions will be hosted on 28 May and 11 June on the 2nd floor of the Tourism Activities Centre, followed by two exchange sessions on 18 June and 9 July, targeting members of local trade and associations. During the consultation period, the Office will host special sessions to collect feedback from relevant advisory committees as well. In addition, the public can voice their opinions to MGTO by post, phone, fax, email or on the thematic website. Alternatively, they can also submit their written views in person to MGTO’s office. MGTO’s address and contact are as follows: Alameda Dr. Carlos d'Assumpção, No. 335-341, "Hot Line" Building, 12th floor, Macao; Tel: 2831 5566; Fax: 2837 2446; e-mail: masterplan@macaotourism.gov.mo; thematic website: http://masterplan.macaotourism.gov.mo. Public is welcome to obtain Consultation Paper The Consultation Paper is now available for download on the thematic website: http://masterplan.macaotourism.gov.mo and also in printed copies at the following locations: MGTO’s office at Alameda Dr. Carlos d'Assumpção, No. 335-341, "Hot Line" Building, 12th floor; MGTO’s Tourist Information counters at different locations including Ritz Building at Senado Square, Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal, Barrier Gate, Macau International Airport and Taipa Temporary Ferry Terminal; Service Centre of the Macao SAR at Rua Nova da Areia Preta, No. 52; Public Information Centre at Rua do Campo, No. 188-198, Vicky Plaza, 2nd floor; as well as all public libraries in Macao. Publicity via various channels During the consultation period, MGTO will publicize the relevant message and the Consultation Paper via a variety of publicity channels for the public’s awareness about the ongoing consultation. The publicity channels include promotional video on television, radio broadcast, thematic website, WeChat, newspaper advertisement, outdoor/street banner, street pole banner, bus advertisement, poster, brochure, outdoor road show, etc. An array of road shows will be rolled out at Senado Square, the open area adjacent to Garden of Flower City in Taipa (Rua de Seng Tou), Iao Hon Market Garden, Tap Seac Square, Leisure Area at Rotunda de Carlos da Maia and Friendship Square. The Consultation Paper of the “Macao Tourism Industry Development Master Plan” will be presented to the public on display boards with text and photo illustrations at the aforementioned locations. Master Plan preparation proceeds along three stages MGTO began studying and drafting the Macao Tourism Industry Development Master Plan in 2015, aiming to develop a comprehensive plan for Macao’s tourism industry, lay the foundation and set the direction for its future development in the next 15 years. The Macao Tourism Industry Development Master Plan will be formulated under the goals and guidance given by the “Draft of the Macao SAR’s Five-Year Development Plan (2016 – 2020)”. The tasks for formulation of the Master Plan are divided into three stages. The first stage consists of data collection for current situation analysis and drafting of a preliminary Master Plan. At the second stage, the Office will devise an in-depth version of the Master Plan and conduct public consultation. Following that, the final Master Plan will be formulated at the third stage. MGTO has completed the first-stage tasks for the Master Plan formulation in November 2015 and prepared a preliminary draft of the Master Plan. The second stage has now begun for public consultation. Opinions will be solicited from the public and later be applied, adopted or further interpreted during the Master Plan studies. The third-stage tasks will commence this coming September, to revise and finalize the ultimate Master Plan. It is expected that the final Macao Tourism Industry Development Master Plan will be ready by mid-2017. In early 2015, MGTO invited public tenders for the "Macao Tourism Industry Development Master Plan Service Provision”, to propose an inclusive development plan for Macao’s tourism industry in the short, medium and long term in order to develop a comprehensive “Macao Tourism Industry Development Master Plan”. By doing the related work, the Office aims to foster the sustainable development of Macao’s tourism industry in line with the SAR Government’s vision to build the city into a World Centre of Tourism and Leisure.
…

Prof Mario Capecchi, a co-recipient of the 2007 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, today (23 May) was awarded a Doctor of Science honoris causa degree by the University of Macau (UM), in recognition of his contributions to the development of gene targeting and biomedical treatment for cancer. Following the ceremony, Prof Capecchi presented a Doctor honoris causa Lecture, in which he discussed different kinds of gene mutation technologies and how the murine models derived from these technologies can be used to treat cancer. Dr Lam Kam Seng, chair of UM’s University Council, officiated at the ceremony in the company of UM Rector Wei Zhao. Prof Chuxia Deng, dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, delivered the citation for Prof Capecchi. Prof Deng noted in the citation that Prof Capecchi’s achievement of excellence ‘beckons and inspires young scientists’. Prof Deng added that Prof Capecchi was mentored by two Nobel laureates, Prof James Watson and Prof Walter Gilbert, and later published a ground-breaking paper on gene targeting in mice, which awed the scientists in the field and was hailed as the second ‘Giant Leap’ after the human landing on the moon. ‘The murine model derived from the gene targeting technology has contributed immensely to research in developmental biology, immunology, neurobiology, oncology, physiology, metabolism and human diseases,’ read the citation. During the lecture, Prof Capecchi noted that gene targeting has become a widely used technology in the study of gene functions in mammals. The technology gives scientists virtually complete freedom to manipulate the DNA sequences in the genome of living mice, and to choose which genes to mutate and how to mutate them. This allows scientists to study some of the most complicated biological processes, such as how an animal grow, learn and behave, and what causes the onset of a disease. The traditional gene knockout technology was mainly used to create knockout mice by blocking a certain gene expression in the reproductive system of the mice. However, in traditional gene knockout embryonic death from a gene mutation can occur and this prevents scientists from studying the gene in adults. Conditional gene knockout, on the other hand, targets specific genes at specific times rather than eliminating the genes from the beginning of the animal’s life. Prof Capecchi discussed how gene targeting and conditional gene knockout technologies can be used to create mouse models to facilitate research on human diseases, including cancer and neuropsychiatric disorders. The lecture attracted hundreds of experts, scholars, researchers, and UM faculty and students. Participants had an in-depth discussion with Prof Capecchi on gene targeting and how the technology can be used to treat human diseases. Following the lecture, Prof Capecchi participated in the Third Macao Symposium on Biomedical Sciences, organised by UM’s Faculty of Health Sciences, where he exchanged ideas with biomedical scientists from around the world.
…