News

Published by the Cultural Affairs Bureau and produced by 100 Plus Cultural Creative Development Ltd., C2 launches its latest issue on 2 November. As the cultural and creative products keeps on innovating, this edition with the theme of “Looking for Consumers of Cultural and Creative Products” discusses how the sellers of cultural and creative products find out the consumer preferences and what sort of creative and cultural products the consumers seeking for. This edition of “Feature” invites nine consumers to share their aspects on valuable cultural and creative products. Director of Tealosophy, Justin collaborates with poet Elvis Mok to develop a tearoom that combines the features of tea ceremony and Chinese calligraphy. Justin and Elvis also state that “emotional marketing” should be the strategic marketing for cultural and creative business. With the development of art programmes for years, the Director of Programme and Marketing of Macao Cultural Centre, Pedro Lencastre, shares his perspectives to make purchase on art programmes. “Chit Chat” invites Director of Sun Museum in Hong Kong, Yeung Chun Tong and Chairman of Simon Suen Foundation, Chloe Sun, discuss how a private museum brings a new atmosphere to Hong Kong’s art scene. “Extravaganza” reviews the first edition of Macau Design Week. The activities attracted a number of Macao design talents to join and showcased the abilities of local designers. “Around the Globe” reviews the exhibition of Cheung Po Tsai co-organised by Taipei Palace Museum and the City University of Hong Kong. This helps readers to understand the global trends on multimedia exhibitions. “Blogs” columnists Alvis Sio, Erik Kuong, Rai Mutsu, Cheong Sio Pang, Sisi Chang, Yi-Hsin Lin and Rachel Mok are going to give more perspectives on the development of cultural and creative industries. C2 is a trilingual magazine (in Chinese, Portuguese and English), published online on the first Monday of each month. Readers are welcome to browse or download the magazine at www.c2magazine.mo. The email subscription function is now available. Please simply click the “subscribe” button on the right corner of our webpage and enter your email address to subscribe to our monthly C2 magazine. For the latest updates, you may also visit the magazine’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/c2magazine.macau, or on WeChat, by clicking “add friend” and inputting “c2magazine” in the ID column. For enquiries, please email to c2magazine.macau@gmail.com.
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The authorities have so far detected three cases of unlicensed passenger transportation services requested via a mobile app-based private car hailing service, said the Secretary for Security, Mr Wong Sio Chak. Any unlicensed passenger transportation service is deemed illegal by the authorities, he said. Charges will be filed against those suspected of illegally providing such services and fines applied to those found guilty of such offences. Mr Wong made the remarks while speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a public event on 29 October. He said Uber, a mobile app-based car hailing service provider, is not licensed in Macao, which means that its operations are illegal. The Secretary said the Government would take into consideration the Uber operating model when reviewing the rules on the operation of taxis. He hinted that the revision aimed at tackling difficulties in investigating and prosecuting similar car-hailing services in Macao. The Transport Bureau, the Public Security Police Force and the Macau Government Tourist Office will work together when investigating any suspected case of unlicensed transportation of passengers, said Mr Wong. They will also work together on the revision of related legislation, he added. Mr Wong said the Government would pay close attention to public opinion when considering the legal status of Uber. But he recalled that more than half of the world’s countries do not allow this type of services. In view of the current situation, the Government is likely to bar Uber’s operation in Macao, the Secretary said. Reasons include poor transparency in its operations and the lack of a clear charging policy, he added. Mr Wong stressed the Government would strengthen supervision of regulated taxi services so that the industry is able to meet residents’ demands for better services. The police will spare no efforts in cracking down illegal passenger transportation activities, including within the taxi industry, he added. Evidence of those efforts is seen in the crime statistics, which show an increase in the number of cases detected by the authorities in the first three months of this year compared to a year earlier, Mr Wong said. In the same occasion, the Secretary for Administration and Justice, Ms Chan Hoi Fan, said all vehicles providing passenger transportation services have to be licensed by the authorities according to existing laws. The Government is closely monitoring the development of the situation, she added.
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This year marks the 120 th anniversary of the Macao Central Library and 10th anniversary of the inscription of The Historic Centre of Macao on the World Heritage List. Macao Central Library and Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST) Library have organised an exhibition of antique maps themed Global Mapping of Macao. Its opening ceremony will be held at 6:00pm on Friday 6th November in Sir Robert Ho Tung Library. All are welcome. Ancient maps are the visual representation of human beings’ observation and imagination about the world. Not only do the maps manifest human understanding and delineation of the places they are in, they also embody their contemplation and imagination of the unknown area. An exchange hub of the East and the West, Macao played a crucial role in maritime trade. Nearly 40 reproductions of maps dated before the 18th Century provided by the MUST Library will be showcased. These antique maps are displayed under the themes ‘Oriental Mapping of Macao’, ‘Occidental Mapping of Macao’ and ‘Macao City Map’ to demonstrate Macao’s standing in the world and its own transformation. The original copies of the exhibits are from collections all around the world, including Harvard Library, the National Library of France and the Library of Congress, among others. Through these maps the organisers hope to present the depiction and imagination of Macao and point out Macao’s position in the world. This year also marks the 10th anniversary of the inscription of the ‘Historic Centre of Macao’ on the World Heritage List, thus city maps of Macao of different periods will be displayed. These precious images record the transition, growth and development of Macao throughout years and indicate the comprehensive features of Macao’s architectural arts mingling East and West. The exhibition of antique maps - Global Mapping of Macao - will open from 7th November 2015 to 31st January 2016 in Sir Robert Ho Tung Library. Opening hours are as follows: 10:00am to 7:00pm (Monday to Saturday) and 11:00am to 7:00pm (Sunday), excluding public holidays. Admission is free and all are welcome. For enquires, please call (853) 2877 1177 or visit Macao Central Library website: www.library.gov.mo .
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that visitors on package tours totalled 723,000 in September 2015, down by 24.9% year-on-year. Package tour visitors from Mainland China (596,000), Taiwan (37,000), Hong Kong (18,000) and the Republic of Korea (17,000) dropped by 23.6%, 41.7%, 31.1% and 52.2% respectively year-on-year, while those from Japan (17,000) rose by 28.4%. Visitors arriving on package tours totalled 679,000, down by 14.7% year-on-year; meanwhile, visitors joining local tours decreased by 73.3% to 45,000. In the first three quarters of 2015, visitors on package tours totalled 7,392,000, down by 8.0% year-on-year; those arriving on package tours decreased by 5.1% to 6,277,000. Outbound residents using services of travel agencies totalled 112,000 in September 2015, down by 8.6% year-on-year; those travelling on package tours decreased by 3.4% to 43,000, and the main destinations were Mainland China (80.2% of total), Taiwan (5.2%) and Hong Kong (3.8%). In the first three quarters of 2015, outbound residents using services of travel agencies totalled 1,117,000, down by 1.4% year-on-year. There were 103 hotels and guesthouses operating at the end of September 2015, providing 30,000 guest rooms, up by 7.4% year-on-year. Number of guest rooms in 5-star hotels totalled 20,000, accounting for 66.3% of the total supply. Number of guests checking into hotels and guesthouses totalled 853,000, up slightly by 0.1% year-on-year. Guests from Mainland China (533,000) decreased by 2.6%, while those from Hong Kong (135,000) increased by 33.1%. The average length of stay of guests held stable as September 2014, at 1.4 nights. The average occupancy rate of hotels and guesthouses was 78.4%, down by 6.2 percentage points year-on-year. Five-star hotels had the highest occupancy rate of 80.7%, representing a year-on-year decrease of 5.2 percentage points as the increase in the supply of guest rooms (+8.2%) outpaced the growth in guests (+4.3%). In the first three quarters of 2015, guests of hotels and guesthouses totalled 7,604,000 and the average occupancy rate stood at 80.0%, down by 5.7% and 6.3 percentage points respectively year-on-year. Visitor-guests accounted for 68.0% of the total overnight visitors, down by 0.8 percentage points.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that total merchandise export for September 2015 amounted to MOP850 million, up by 11.6% year-on-year; value of re-exports grew by 20.9% to MOP713 million, of which value of Clocks & watches and Diamond & diamond jewellery soared by 343.3% and 229.0% respectively; however, value of domestic exports dropped by 20.4% to MOP137 million, of which domestic exports of Tobacco decreased by 21.9% to MOP42 million. Total merchandise import fell by 10.8% year-on-year to MOP6.99 billion. Merchandise trade deficit amounted to MOP6.14 billion. In the third quarter of 2015, total value of merchandise export (MOP2.69 billion) rose by 18.6% year-on-year, but that of merchandise import (MOP21.06 billion) dropped by 4.4%, resulting in a trade deficit of MOP18.37 billion. In the first three quarters of 2015, total value of merchandise export grew by 11.8% year-on-year to MOP8.14 billion, of which value of re-exports (MOP6.81 billion) increased by 17.4%, but that of domestic exports (MOP1.34 billion) declined by 10.3%. Total value of merchandise import fell by 1.7% to MOP63.73 billion. Merchandise trade deficit widened to MOP55.59 billion for the first three quarters of 2015. Analysed by destination, merchandise export to Hong Kong (MOP4.94 billion) and Mainland China (MOP1.34 billion) in the first three quarters of 2015 increased by 15.1% and 19.3% year-on-year, while export to the EU (MOP170 million) and the USA (MOP149 million) decreased by 22.0% and 38.2% respectively. Exports of Non-textiles increased by 12.4% year-on-year to MOP7.54 billion, of which value of Clocks & watches (MOP1.06 billion) and Electronic components (MOP674 million) rose by 57.3% and 35.9% respectively, but that of Machines, apparatus & parts (MOP883 million) dropped by 32.0%. Exports of Textiles & garments totalled MOP604 million, up by 4.5%. By country of origin, merchandise import from Mainland China (MOP23.51 billion) in the first three quarters of 2015 increased by 11.2% year-on-year, while import from the EU (MOP14.37 billion) fell by 12.2%. Imports of Consumer goods dropped by 7.4% to MOP38.24 billion, with imports of Gold jewellery (MOP5.41 billion) decreasing by 26.0%, but that of Food & beverages (MOP8.99 billion) increasing by 5.2%. Moreover, imports of Mobile phones (MOP5.55 billion) expanded by 26.7%, while imports of Fuels & lubricants (MOP5.33 billion) declined by 11.7%. External merchandise trade reached MOP71.88 billion in the first three quarters of 2015, down by 0.4% compared with MOP72.14 billion a year earlier.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service indicated that Receipts of Wholesale & Retail Trade amounted to MOP 114.48 billion in 2014, up by 10.3% year-on-year. Expenditure increased by 13.1% to MOP 104.02 billion. Gross Surplus (receipts plus change in inventories minus expenditure) totalled MOP 14.22 billion, down by 1.4% year-on-year. Gross Value Added that measures the sectoral contribution to the economy rose by 5.4% to MOP 21.92 billion while Gross Fixed Capital Formation dropped by 11.7% to MOP 1.23 billion. Analysed by industry, there were 960 establishments operating in Sales of Motor Vehicles & Automotive Fuel, an increase of 32 year-on-year. Receipts decreased by 1.8% to MOP 7.53 billion, of which receipts from Sales of motor vehicles (MOP 4.65 billion) dropped by 9.8% owing to the decline in gaming revenue, while receipts from Retail sale of automotive fuel (MOP 1.55 billion) rose by 7.3% upon an increase in vehicles. Expenditure increased by 1.2% to MOP 7.44 billion. Change in inventories amounted to MOP 483 million. Gross Surplus totalled MOP 571 million, up by 35.7%. Gross Value Added grew by 19.8% year-on-year to MOP 1.06 billion. There were 4,948 Wholesale establishments, up by 326 year-on-year. Receipts increased by 27.9% to MOP 36.57 billion, of which receipts from Wholesale of food (MOP 11.21 billion), Wholesale of electrical appliances, medicine and hygiene products, etc.(MOP 6.86 billion), and Wholesale of fuels (MOP 6.54 billion) rose by 21.4%, 13.0% and 32.0% respectively. Expenditure totalled MOP 34.29 billion, up by 30.0%. Change in inventories amounted to MOP 558 million. Gross Surplus grew by 22.5% to MOP 2.83 billion. Gross Value Added went up by 23.0% to MOP 5.17 billion. There were 6,464 Retail establishments, up by 413 year-on-year. Attributable to a slowdown in visitor spending, Receipts recorded a smaller increase of 4.3% year-on-year, at MOP 68.75 billion, the first single-digit growth since 2004. Receipts from Retail sale of watches, clocks & jewellery goods (MOP 18.56 billion) fell by 11.5%, while receipts from sale of goods in department stores (MOP 11.40 billion), leather articles (MOP 8.35 billion), adults’ clothing (MOP 7.05 billion) and goods in supermarkets (MOP 4.75 billion) rose by 2.9%, 12.1%, 9.7% and 11.0% respectively. Expenditure increased by 7.0% year-on-year to MOP 60.92 billion, of which costs of purchased goods rose by 2.8% to MOP 45.69 billion (75.0% of total); moreover, operating expenses and compensation of employees went up by 22.0% and 21.3% respectively. Change in inventories amounted to MOP 2.72 billion. Gross Surplus totalled MOP 10.55 billion, down by 7.8% year-on-year. Gross Value Added dropped slightly by 0.3% to MOP 15.37 billion. As regards stalls, there were 740 market stalls and 910 fixed stalls on the street. Receipts and Expenditure of the stalls amounted to MOP 1.64 billion and MOP 1.36 billion respectively, up by 3.6% and 2.9% year-on-year. Gross Surplus increased by 7.5% to MOP 277 million. Gross Value Added rose by 7.3% to MOP 334 million. In 2014, a total of 14,022 Wholesale & Retail establishments, market stalls and fixed stalls on the street were operating, up by 750 year-on-year. Total number of persons engaged was 61,601, up by 13.2%; employees (47,717) accounted for 77.5% of the total.
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In accordance with the Macao SAR government’s vision to provide one-stop services, on 3 November 2015, the Immigration Department of the Public Security Police Force is opening three counters at Zone K, 2/F, Centro de Serviços da RAEM, Rua Nova da Areia Preta. With 11 service items available at our new service point at the Macao Peninsula, more convenient administrative services will be provided to the public. We hope that by setting up the new service point, the public can go through other government procedures and the application and collection services related to the Immigration Department at around the same time at the same location. The new service point will also help in easing the great demand for services at our Immigration Department Office Building at Pac On, Taipa, hence shortening the waiting time of the applicants. In order to ensure our service quality and maintain good waiting order at the service point, a daily service quota will be set for the following two services upon service demand assessment: 1. Receipt of Residence Authorization for persons granted Residence Authorization by the Trade and Investment Promotion Institute 2. Renewal (or reposition) of Non-resident Worker’s Identification Card for professional non-resident workers and domestic helpers For the above 2 service items, applicants can make an online appointment at www.iacm.gov.mo/booking/ or get a tag at our service point. As for the remaining 9 service items, applicants will have to wait for their turn by getting a tag at the service point. Applicants who have made an online appointment should arrive at our service point with all the necessary documents before the appointed time and wait for their turn after getting an appointment tag. The Centro de Serviços da RAEM opens from 9am to 6pm (no lunch break) from Monday to Friday. The Immigration Department Office Building will continue to provide the 11 application and collection services. However, at this stage, the certificate or document applied can only be collected at the same location where the application is submitted. For more information regarding the above services, please feel free to visit our website or call the Immigration Department at 2872 5488. We will constantly review and optimize the operation of the new service point. In addition, we will study the feasibility of providing more service items in the future and seek to enhance cooperation with other government departments, especially in the areas concerning residence and non-resident workers, so as to provide more comprehensive one-stop services to the public at the Centro de Serviços da RAEM. The 11 service items available at the new service point are as follows: Application and Collection 1. Statement to prove the applicant is in application procedure 2. Certificate to prove the document is copied from the applicant's dossier 3. Certificate of limit of stay granted in "Authorization to Stay" 4. Certificate of record of "Special Authorization to Stay" for foreign students 5. Certificate of China resident's employment status in Macao 6. Certificate of personal entry and exit movement record (the certificate can be collected at this service point if the application is made through self-service kiosk) 7. Other certificates issued based on information in dossier 8. Receipt of Residence Authorization for persons granted Residence Authorization by the Trade and Investment Promotion Institute 9. Renewal (or reposition) of Non-resident Worker’s Identification Card for professional non-resident workers and domestic helpers 10. Reissue of password slip of Non-resident Worker’s Identification Card Collection 11. Residence Certificate for “PRC Permit for Travelling to and from Hong Kong and Macao” holders granted Residence Authorization
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Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO) is staging a mega roadshow themed as “Experience Macau” in Kuala Lumpur from 27 October to 1 November for locals to get a first glimpse of the destination’s fascinating color. The Tourist Office also partners with local travel agencies to offer special travel packages in the event, encouraging Malaysians to experience Macau firsthand. The six-day mega roadshow is rolled out by MGTO at Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, the city’s famous shopping mall, in Malaysia. The venue was decorated to radiate the aroma of Senado Square, in addition to a variety of fun interactive exhibits for visitors to experience the variety of tourism elements Macau has to offer. MGTO Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes was present at the roadshow this morning (29 October) to enjoy the fun of experiencing Macau together with local residents. The event features a range of special experiences including personalized caricature portrayed on the spot, enabling locals to take home their own fantastic moment about Macau. The interactive photo zones themed as “UNESCO Heritage Sites Wall” and “Macau 3D Art Wall” also let roadshow visitors to share photos online via social media for a chance to win attractive prizes. Besides, visitors can feel the excitement of racing on the Guia Circuit through a Grand Prix Simulator set up in the roadshow. During the roadshow, MGTO partners with four travel agencies in Malaysia to offer special travel packages to Macau, encouraging locals to make their Macau trip come true. During a trade networking dinner hosted by the Tourist Office tonight, Director Senna Fernandes exchanged ideas with representatives of local travel agents about attracting visitors to Macau. MGTO’s representative in Malaysia will keep in contact with members of local trade and regularly update them on the latest travel news from Macau. MGTO makes a strenuous effort to promote source market diversification and carry out promotional projects targeting characteristics of different markets. The Office also taps into the support of travel trade to attract visitors to Macau and extend their stay at the same time. This event is expected to raise the destination’s profile in Malaysia and encourage potential visitors to embark on their Macau journey.
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The Chief Executive’s Office launched today a free mobile application called “GCE Macao”. The new app gives users a convenient way to keep up with the latest information and updates on the Chief Executive. The app is part of the Government’s efforts to improve residents’ access to the most updated information on the Chief Executive, the Chief Executive’s Office and the Macao Government. Its launch is also in line with the Government’s policy of diversifying its communication channels, taking advantage of the growing use of mobile devices and new technologies to provide information in a timely manner. “GCE Macao” has eight sections including: “News”; “Chief Executive”; “Word from the Chief Executive”; “Photos”; “Videos”; “Comments and Suggestions”; “Policy Highlights”; and “Policy Address”. The app enables users to choose their preferred language among Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese and Portuguese. The bookmarking and sharing functions included in the app allow users to quickly and conveniently share information via email, Facebook, WeChat, Whatsapp and Twitter. “GCE Macao” is available as a free download for both iOS (Version 7 or above) and Android (Version 4.0 or above) systems. Users may search for it on App Store and Google Play using the keyword “GCE Macao”.
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(Macao—XX October 2015) The public exhibition of the "Precious Moments in Macao" 2015 Photography Competition is to be held from 1 to 6 November 2015 at Lou Lim Ieoc Garden Pavilion with free admissions. This year’s competition has received a total of 952 submissions from 220 contestants via its online portal from 22 May to 11 June 2015. These submissions portray the beauty of Macao’s landscape and its people, depicting touching moments of love, happiness and warmth. The winning works of the "Precious Moments in Macao" 2015 Photography Competition will be displayed at the Lou Lim Ieoc Garden Pavilion from 1 to 6 November 2015, during the opening hours from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. All visitors are welcome. There are 53 winning entries in this year’s competition and the top three winners are: First Prize: Lam Sze Chun; Title: Colourful Life Second Prize: Wan Wai Sai; Title: Happy New Year Third Prize: Leong Son Io Antonio; Title: Marching to the Future The special feature prize of this year’s competition is titled “Creative Industries for Economic Diversification” since the Government has been actively promoting the creative sector in recent years, and the fledgling sector has been thriving under a series of supporting policies. This year’s competition is jointly organised by the GCS, eight photographic associations and five media organisations – Photographic Society of Macao, Photography Salon Society of Macao, Macao Association for the Promotion of Photographic Art, Macao Association of Photographers, Macau Multi Media Photographic Association, Macao Association of Photographic Art, Macao Camera Lens Art Association, Macao Digital Photography Association, Macao Media Workers Association, Macao Journalists Club, Macao Journalists Association, Macao Media Club and Macao Association of Sports Journalists.
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