News

The 29th Macao International Music Festival (MIMF), organized by the Cultural Affairs Bureau, came to a close on 1 November, featuring, throughout a month, 23 remarkable shows with over 60 performances and outreach activities. 90% of MIMF tickets were sold. This edition of the MIMF used the theme as “Soundmazing” and included shows of all genres, many of which were performed in venues filled to capacity, such as the concert Gustav Mahler - Symphony No. 3, Mozart and Salieri - Opera in 1 Act by Rimsky-Korsakov, the vocal concert Over the Moon, the fado concert by Danças Ocultas and Pedro Moutinho, the classical music concerts Symphony No. 9 “The Great” by Schubert and Enigma Variations by Edward Elgar, the jazz concert Great Ladies of Song, the a capella concert by O-Kai Singers from Taiwan and Charatay from Hong Kong, concerts by the Stradivari Quartett and musician Ólafur Arnalds, the concert Loess Ballads and the opera in five acts Faust. Tickets for all five free admission shows at St. Dominic’s Church were fully distributed. The special concerts Bravo Macao! aimed to offer a stage for local promising musicians and received positive feedback. The MIMF also included an outreach programme divided into six main categories, namely seminars, master classes, workshops, backstage tours, children’s corner and community promotion, which had over thousands of people participated. This outreach programme included four session of backstage tours to “Faust – Opera in 5 Acts by Charles Gounod”, which led participants to the production’s backstage and allowed them to have close contact with scene settings, props and costumes. This increased the participants’ enthusiasm. The Festival further invited local cultural and creative entity GUGUMELO Studio to design a series of ‘Gugumelo x 29FIMM’ illustrated products, namely a tote bag and a pocket notebook, and launched the ‘Postcards to the Future’ free activity at performing venues for the audience to write or draw their wishes for next year's 30th MIMF. This edition of the MIMF is supported by the Macau Government Tourist Office, TDM – Teledifusão de Macao, Air Macau, The Venetian Macao® and the Bank of China (Macao Branch) together with the partnership of four credit cards and seven media partners. In order to promote its shows, the MIMF held promotional activities and set up ticket sales points at the University of Macau, the Institute for Tourism Studies, the Macau Science and Technology University and in gaming entities. Additionally, the Cultural Affairs Bureau organized Festival tour for consuls accredited in Hong Kong and Macao, in order to experience diversified culture in Macao. Media outlets and art critics from Mainland China, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Taiwan were also invited to attend the MIMF’s performances. China National Radio broadcast live excerpts of some concerts and Taiwan CTI TV reported on the Festival, thereby contributing to raise its reputation. For celebrating the 30th edition of the MIMF next year, more high quality performances will be launched and audience should not be missed!
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The police services have always attached great importance to their working relationship with the media, said the Office of the Secretary for Security. The police services will continue seeking ways to optimise their communication methods with the media as part of a new era of cooperation, according to a statement issued by the Office. Since the Secretary for Security, Mr Wong Sio Chak, assumed his current position last December, he has been paying full attention to suggestions and opinions raised by media representatives. Mr Wong always encourages his team to use all possible means to facilitate the work of the press, thus fulfilling – as far as local regulation and legislation will permit – the public’s “right to know”. The cooperation model used by the police services with the media – as enhanced over the past 10 months – has achieved positive results and has been widely recognised as beneficial, the statement added.
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Due to programme changes, the performance "Journey into the World of Music – The Lost Elephant, a Comedy Concert" by the Macao Orchestra, which was originally scheduled to be held at the Macao Cultural Centre Grand Auditorium on 6 December 2015 at 3:00 p.m, is now set to be held at the Macao Tower Auditorium. The content of the performance and ticket prices remain unchanged. Spectators with tickets may change their tickets with priority at Macao Ticketing Network outlets until 9 November. We apologize for any inconvenience caused. The Macao Orchestra, under the auspices of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, will present "Journey into the World of Music – The Lost Elephant, a Comedy Concert" in collaboration with American artist Dan Kamin, who combines mime, fairytales and classical music, in a show that has become popular in the circles of symphony orchestras around the world. Tickets are on sale again starting from 10 November, and are priced at MOP150, with various family discount packages available. Tickets may be purchased at the Macau Ticketing Network outlets or via the Internet. The Macao Ticketing mobile application and the self-service ticket purchasing machines do not yet support the purchasing of discount packages. Booking Hotline: (853) 2855 5555. For more details about the programme of the concert, please visit the Macao Orchestra website: www.icm.gov.mo/om.
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The Monetary Authority of Macao released today the credit card statistics for the third quarter of 2015. The total number of personal credit cards in circulation was 899,763 at the end of September 2015, equivalent to an increase of 3.4% over a quarter earlier. The numbers of Pataca (MOP) cards, Hong Kong Dollar (HKD) cards and Renminbi (RMB) cards were 649,151, 79,793 and 170,819 respectively. MOP cards, HKD cards and RMB cards witnessed respective growth of 3.2%, 1.0% and 5.3% quarter-to-quarter. Compared with a year ago, MOP cards and RMB cards (the majority of which were MOP/RMB dual-currency cards) rose 11.2% and 13.5% respectively whereas HKD cards dropped 6.8%. As at end-September 2015, credit card credit limit granted by banks in Macao reached MOP20.3 billion, up 4.1% from end-June 2015. Credit card receivables amounted to MOP2.1 billion while the rollover amount totalled MOP643.9 million, accounting for 30.5% 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 1.06% at end-June to 1.10% at end-September. For the third quarter of 2015, the credit card turnover grew 3.1% to MOP4.5 billion. The cash advance turnover was MOP221.7 million, accounting for 5.0% of total credit card turnover. Credit card repayments, in which payments for interest and fees are included, went up 8.6% from the previous quarter to MOP4.6 billion.
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Consumer Council conducted its second ‘Supermarket price survey’ in November on 5 November for the implementation of Section 2b), Article 10, Law 4/95/M of 12 June. Surveyed locations included supermarkets near Iao Hon Market and the Border Gate area (Portas do Cerco ) 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. Consumers may also access the resources through WAP channels on their mobile phones. With reference to the local six 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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Given the recent security situation in Maldives, the Consulate of China in Maldives issued a travel security alert to Chinese citizens. Following is the translated version of the full text: “The Government of Maldives has declared on the 4th of November a state of emergency for 30 days, citing a threat to national security. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Maldives declared that the act is to guarantee the security of the country and its citizens. At the moment, the current situation remains stable and normal, without restrictions to travelers." The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China and the Consulate of China in Maldives reminds Chinese citizens who intends to travel to that country to strengthen security precautions, contact the hotel to confirm their reservation before departure and, in case there is not such a necessity, avoid traveling to the Capital Male. Meanwhile, Chinese citizens already in that country are reminded to safeguard their personal safety. Consulate of China in Maldives for Consular Protection and Assistance: 00960-7458160; Global Emergency Call Center for Consular Protection and Services of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China: 0086-10-12308 or 0086-10-59913991.” The Tourism Crisis Management Office (GGCT) will keep monitoring the latest developments and alerts Macao residents who intend to travel to Maldives to follow closely the situation, critically assess the security risks and cautiously consider their travel plans. Macao residents already in Maldives should strengthen security precautions to protect their personal safety. From information gathered through the Macao travel industry there is currently no Macao tour group in Maldives. Until the present moment, GGCT has received 3 requests for 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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The “Parade through Macau, Latin City”, organized by the Cultural Affairs Bureau in celebration of the 16th anniversary of Macao’s handover to China, takes place on 6 December this year. The Parade route is divided into three secret areas, where decorations and creative characters were designed by young local illustrators Eric Fok Hoi Seng, Un Chi Wai and Lam Ieong Kun. This year, the Parade is themed as a treasure hunt and its route is divided into three secret areas which include decorations and creative characters designed by three young local illustrators Fok Hoi Seng, Un Chi Wai and Lam Ieong Kun, presenting a new surge of creativity. “Party Gathering” was created by Eric Fok Hoi Seng and is inspired by the belief that an earthly Paradise was hidden on the other side of the ocean. The artist uses fine tip pens to draw ancient European maps, with additional contemporary elements displayed at the Ruins of St. Paul's. Un Chi Wai was inspired by love to create “Mysterious Energy” which, starting from Rua de S. Paulo, will carry love through St. Anthony’s Church and Rua de Sanches de Miranda, spreading it to every corner. On the other hand, Lam Ieong Kun created a series of “crazy” bacteria with different colours, shapes and posture. On the way from Calçada da Igreja de S. Lázaro to Tap Seac Square, VIVA starts a fantastic adventure with those bacteria. The treasure hunt comprises more than 50 local and foreign performing groups in a total of around 1500 participants. Local performing groups actively responded to the call for participating in the Parade, with their performances featuring Cantonese opera, mime, theatre, magic, music, martial arts, folk and oriental dances. French group Plasticiens Volants return to Macao with huge balloons that add colour to the events visual impact; Caretos de Podence from Portugal uses traditional clothing, masks and rattles to create ghostly characters that amuse the audience in an outstanding performance; French troupe Herbert’s Dream presents uncommon marvellous show on stilts whereby five enormous and four-metre high stilt artists participate in a mysterious ceremony held under hypnotising music, mutating into human light bulbs and creating a magical atmosphere; the Luyi Folk Arts Group, hailing from Henan Province, showcase Luyi’s, Laozi’s hometown, Taoist and traditional culture, valuing the lifestyle and culture of co Reyog Moncar Manggala Surakarta from Indonesia brings the traditional dance solo dance and a monumental and unique wardrobe; and the Hong Kong Vigor Marching Band accompanies marching steps with intense and rhythmical music. The Parade includes other extraordinary performances, such as traditional Aztec dances brought by Mexican troupe Danza Azteca, the colourful and rich creole culture by the Caribbean Carnival Group, from Guadeloupe, the sacred dragon from Hong Kong’s Art Home puppet workshop and performances by the students of street mime workshop “Black and White Journey”, led by Sunteck Yao – founder and artistic director of Taiwanese L’Enfant S. Physical Theatre – sharing with the public a joyful afternoon. For more information about the Parade, please access the respective webpages at www.icm.gov.mo/macaoparade and www.facebook.com/macaoparade.
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In celebration of the 16th anniversary of Macao’s handover to China and the 10th Anniversary of the Historic Centre of Macao as World Heritage, the “Parade through Macao, Latin City”, will take place on 6 December, Sunday, with “An Annual Celebration for the Entire City - VIVA” as motto again and “Fantastic VIVA Treasure Hunt Adventure” as theme. VIVA will lead the public into a fantastic adventure, uncovering three mysterious treasures and promoting the ideals of “Peace, Love and Cultural Integration”, celebrating the handover together. Set off from the Ruins of St. Paul's on a fantastic adventure This year's Parade uses a treasure hunt as the story background. VIVA leads the bravest citizens of the town and abroad and follows the clues provided in a treasure map to uncover its secrets and conquer a mysterious energy. The Parade includes new decorations and creative characters in three secret areas: in the “Party Gathering” at the Ruins of St. Paul's, VIVA sets off on his treasure hunt and meets several huge creatures in the ocean kingdom; “Mysterious Energy”, starting from Rua de S. Paulo, where you can find the guidance of the clever “Lord KISS”; and the area between Calçada da Igreja de São Lázaro and Tap Seac Square is the final destination, where thousands of “crazy” bacteria abound. At Tap Seac Square, VIVA finally discovers the hidden treasures of “Peace, Love and Cultural Integration”, celebrating the handover in unison with the audience. The Parade’s opening ceremony takes place at 4pm at Largo da Companhia de Jesus. Together with the performing groups from Latin-speaking countries and other foreign regions, local talents begin an extraordinary treasure hunt journey. The route is same as last year’s, beginning from the Ruins of St. Paul's and proceeding to Rua de S. Paulo, the Travessa da Paixão, Largo de Santo António, Rua de D. Belchior Carneiro, Rua dos Artilheiros, Rua de Sanches de Miranda, Calçada da Igreja de S. Lázaro, Santa Casa da Misericórdia Albergue, Rua de São Roque, Rua Nova de São Lázaro, St. Lazarus Square, Rua do Volong, Rua do Tap Siac, Rua de Afonso de Albuquerque, and coming to final destination at 5:30pm at Tap Seac Square to celebrate the handover with a festive and carnival atmosphere. This year, the organizer will set up two ascending seating areas at Tap Seac Square for the audience, so the public can watch the performances clearly and comfortably. At Rua de D. Belchior Carneiro and Rua de Sanches de Miranda “face painting workshops” will be set up for the public to get their faces painted, thereby contributing to an even greater festive atmosphere. Live broadcast of excerpts of the Parade and related activities The parade is one of the major events in celebration of Macao’s handover to China and has already become one of the city’s trademark festive events since its first edition in 2011. Excerpts of the event are broadcast on TV channels from Hong Kong, thereby increasing reputation of the Parade. TDM, Teledifusão de Macau S.A., will have the live broadcast of the entire event and outdoor screens will be installed at several locations – Senado Square, Rotunda de Carlos da Maia, Areia Preta Garden and Rua de D. Belchior Carneiro. The popular Hong Kong TVB programme ‘Scoop’ will feature a foretaste of the event on 4 and 14 December , as well as a Parade Special Programme dedicated to the event’s highlights, to be broadcasted on 15 December. The Parade further features a series of related activities, including a photography contest and social media games with prizes. They will be progressively announced and will be open for the public to participate. On Parade day, crowd entry and exit control mechanisms will be implemented and some streets will be temporarily closed to traffic. The public is thus advised to walk to the parade venues on foot or use public transportation. In order to ensure public safety, use of unmanned aerial devices will not be refrained. The Parade is organized by the Cultural Affairs Bureau and is co-organized by the Macao Government Tourist Office, the Macao Sport Development Board, the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau, the Public Security Police Force, the Transport Bureau, the Fire Services Bureau, the Education and Youth Affairs Bureau of Macao and the Macao Association for the Promotion of Exchange between Asia-Pacific and Latin America. The Cultural Affairs Bureau also receives the support from the Macao General Union of Neighbourhood Associations, the Macao Sam Pa Mun Residents Mutual Aid Association, the Macao Soi Ho Cheok Residents Mutual Aid Association, as well as VIVA Ambassadors supporters, namely the Bank of China Macau Branch Volunteers Association, the Macau Flying Eagles Association, the Macao Community Youth Volunteers Development Association, General Volunteers Association of Macao, the Scout Association of Macau, and the Association of Volunteers Social Service Macao. In addition, this edition is also fully supported by Air Macau Co, Ltd. In addition, TDM - Teledifusão de Macau S.A. is serving as the designated television broadcaster. The Press Conference of the “Parade through Macao, Latin City” was held by the Cultural Affairs Bureau on 5 November, 3pm, at Tourism Activities Centre, 2nd floor, Congress Hall. The Press Conference was attended by the President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Ung Vai Meng; Vice President of the Macao Sport Development Board, Lau Cho Un; Vice-Presidents of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Leung Hio Ming and Chan Peng Fai; Head of the Tourism Product and Events Department of the Macau Government Tourism Office, Doris Leong; Head of the Department of Cultural Activities and Recreation of the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau, Choi Chi Hong; Chief of the Department of Youth of the Education and Youth Affairs Bureau, Un Hoi Cheng; Principal Chief of the Fire Services Bureau, Wong Kin; President of the Macao Association for the Promotion of Exchange Between Asia-Pacific and Latin America, Gary Ngai Mei Cheong; Chief of the Cultural Activities Department of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Kent Ieong Chi Kin; Acting Chief of the Department for the Promotion of Cultural and Creative Industries of Cultural Affairs Bureau, Frankie Ho Ka Weng; Head of the Operations and Communication Division of the Public Security Police Force, Cheong Ieng Son; Head of the Coordination Division of the Transport Bureau, Mok Soi Tou; Chief of the Special Projects Division of Cultural Affairs Bureau, Boyce Lam Chon Keong; General Manager of the Public Relations Division of Air Macau Co. Ltd, Zhao Hong; Manager of the Social, Cultural and Economic Programming Division of TDM - Teledifusão de Macau S.A., Yip Kuok Va; Vice-President of the Macao General Union of Neighborhoods Association, Lei Cheok Kuan; President of the Macao Soi Ho Cheok Residents Mutual Aid Association, Lei Vai Man; President of the Macao Sam Pa Mun Residents Mutual Aid Association, Che Mei Leng, together with two local illustrators Eric Fok Hoi Seng and Un Chi Wai, and the representatives of participating groups in the parade this year.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that a total of 1,226 new companies were incorporated in the third quarter of 2015, a decrease of 149 year-on-year. Total value of registered capital increased significantly by 87.4% to MOP377 million, of which registered capital of Business Services (MOP293 million) surged by 260.1%. Analysed by industry, there were 447 new incorporations operating in Wholesale & Retail and 302 in Business Services. In the third quarter of 2015, companies in dissolution totalled 150, and the value of registered capital of companies in dissolution amounted to MOP127 million. Analysed by size of registered capital, there were 881 new companies (71.9% of total) registered with capital under MOP50,000, and the total value of capital was MOP23 million. On the other hand, there were 22 new companies registered with capital of MOP1,000,000 or over, and the total value of capital amounted to MOP316 million (83.8% of total). In the third quarter of 2015, capital of the new companies came mainly from Mainland China (MOP181 million) and Macao (MOP77 million), including MOP95 million from the 9 Provinces of the Pan-Pearl River Delta Region, with that from Guangdong province sharing MOP94 million. Analysed by combination of shareholders, there were 834 new companies established solely by Macao shareholders, and 126 joint ventures between shareholders from Macao and other countries or regions. In the first three quarters of 2015, a total of 3,975 new companies were incorporated, up slightly by 20 year-on-year; total value of registered capital decreased by 41.2% to MOP901 million. Number of companies in dissolution totalled 424, and the value of registered capital of companies in dissolution amounted to MOP164 million. At the end of the third quarter of 2015, number of registered companies totalled 52,179, an increase of 4,862 from a year earlier.
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The Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, today issued a letter of condolence to express his deepest sorrow regarding the death of the Director General of the Macao Customs Service, Ms Lai Man Wa. In the letter, Mr Chui said Ms Lai had been an outstanding member of the Government and a good colleague and friend to him for many years. He spoke both on behalf of the Macao SAR Government, and in a personal capacity, expressing the most sincere condolences to her family and friends. Mr Chui said Ms Lai was widely known for her kindness, sincerity, self-discipline and support for local young talent. Mr Chui recalled he first met Ms Lai 16 years ago, prior to the establishment of the Macao SAR. Since that first acquaintance they had experienced a pleasant and cooperative working relationship, sharing as they did, a similar vision for serving Macao and the country, Mr Chui added. It was an occasion of great sadness to lose Ms Lai; not only because it meant losing a prominent member of the Government but also a great and like-minded friend, he said. Mr Chui urged everyone to remember Ms Lai for her love for the country and for Macao, for her dedication to her responsibilities and duties, for her professional integrity, her work efficiency and her excellent leadership. Ms Lai had held the post of Deputy Director General of Macao Customs Service since its establishment. At the formation of the Macao SAR’s fourth government in 2014, she was promoted to Director General of the service. Under her leadership and the concerted efforts of her team, the Macao Customs Service had been steadily performing its duties in facilitating and supervising external trade; safeguarding intellectual property; and promoting efficient customs clearance processes, Mr Chui said. Ms Lai had made significant contributions in the process of advancing the work of of the Macao Customs Service, he said. He added he was confident that the members of the Macao Customs Service would be able to overcome the sorrow occasioned by Ms Lai’s death in order to perform their duties. Ms Lai Man Wa’s name will be always remembered, the Chief Executive stated.
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