News

Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO) has rolled out the “Step Out, Experience Macau’s Communities” Bus Highlight Tour around three circular routes through a local travel agency this summer. Starting from 19 October, the Tourist Office will transform the three Bus Highlight Tour routes into two optimized routes so that the Bus Tour can more effectively connect points across the eight walking tour routes themed as “Step Out, Experience Macau’s Communities”. To further optimize this product, the new Bus Highlight Tour will operate with earlier departures, bus stop relocation and more sign-up stations. By signing up for one bus pass, passengers can get another bus pass for free as a special offer. In addition, passengers can enjoy free Wi-Fi service on board. The Tourist Office will also update its mobile App and Wechat ID account with introduction about the Bus Highlight Tour. As a result, visitors can travel around different local neighborhoods and the World Heritage Site “The Historic Centre of Macao” in a breeze. To promote community tourism and diversify local tourism products, the Tourist Office has launched the “Step Out, Experience Macau’s Communities” Bus Highlight Tour through a local travel agency this August. Since the launch, MGTO has been closely monitoring the operating status of all the bus routes while listening to suggestions from different parties followed by evaluation. After discussion with the travel agency, MGTO will rearrange and combine the three circular routes into two new routes for launch on 19 October. There will be the Peninsula Line and the Taipa-Coloane Line, designed to more effectively connect points across the eight themed walking tour routes and enable visitors to reach different neighborhoods and the Historic Centre of Macao more conveniently for a leisurely walk. Both circular routes take one hour and forty-five minutes approximately to complete. The Peninsula Line will operate with seven runs a day with bus stops located at Macau Ferry Terminal, Macau Fisherman’s Wharf – Harbourview Hotel Macau, Kun Iam Ecumenical Centre, Fortune Business Centre, Pousada de São Tiago, Praça de Ponte e Horta – Sun Sun Hotel, Border Gate, Kun Iam Temple and Tap Seac Square – Hotel Royal Macau. On the other hand, the Taipa-Coloane Line will operate with four runs a day. The bus stops include Macau Ferry Terminal, Taipa Temporary Ferry Terminal, Macau International Airport, Rua do Cunha (Taipa) and Largo do Presidente António Ramalho Eanes (Coloane). For both routes, the first bus will depart earlier at 10:30 a.m. daily and the last bus will depart at 5 p.m. Starting from 19 October to the end of 2015, visitors can enjoy a special offer for the Bus Highlight Tour, with an extra free bus pass in hand after signing up for one bus pass. Visitors can sign up for the Bus Highlight Tour at any of the eight locations – previously three – from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. The price is 100 patacas per person, while children at age of 12 or under and seniors at age of 65 or above can enjoy a half-price discount. With the bus pass, passengers can enjoy unlimited rides along both routes for a whole day. Visitors can also enjoy free Wi-Fi service during the bus journey. There is a guide on board providing commentary about the sights along each route. Commentary is offered in English, Cantonese and Mandarin. Passengers can hop off at different stops for a sightseeing stroll around local districts of their interest. Starting from 19 October, relevant information will be updated on MGTO’s mobile App “Step Out, Macau” and Wechat ID account (mgtoweixin). Upon arrival in Macau, visitors will receive a mobile text message from the Office about the Bus Highlight Tour. Starting from the same day, visitors can also obtain the leaflet (in English, Traditional and Simplified Chinese) about the “Step Out, Experience Macau’s Communities” Bus Highlight Tour at hotels and MGTO’s Tourist Information counters in Macau for free. As an alternative, they can read or download information about the bus routes from MGTO’s website: http://www.macautourism.gov.mo. MGTO will keep monitoring the operating status of the bus routes closely while being open to suggestions and making a continuous effort to evaluate and optimize the product, so that visitors can explore different neighborhoods at leisure and discover more fascinating dimensions of the multi-faceted city and its enchanting glamour.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that receipts and expenditure of the Transport, Storage & Communications Sector totalled MOP 27.80 billion and MOP 22.69 billion respectively in 2014, up by 11.4% and 8.0% year-on-year. Gross Value Added that measures the sectoral contribution to the economy amounted to MOP 8.98 billion, up by 21.9% year-on-year; while Gross Fixed Capital Formation increased by 25.4% to MOP 1.41 billion. A total of 2,517 establishments were operating in the sector, an increase of 115 year-on-year; number of persons engaged rose by 10.5% to 19,010, of which 82.3% were employees. Receipts of the Transport & Storage Sector totalled MOP 19.41 billion, up by 11.4% year-on-year. Attributable to the continuous increase in visitor arrivals and outbound travel of residents, receipts from passenger transport increased by 4.1% year-on-year to MOP 8.32 billion, of which receipts from Air Transport (MOP 4.26 billion), Sea Transport (MOP 1.95 billion) and Land Transport (MOP 1.82 billion) rose by 0.3%, 7.8% and 9.7% respectively to account for 51.2%, 23.5% and 21.9% of the total. Receipts from services rendered (including ticketing, hotel reservation, package tours, etc.) grew by 22.8% to MOP 7.09 billion, with 84.3% (MOP 5.98 billion) coming from Travel Agencies. Meanwhile, receipts from cargo transport decreased by 10.6% to MOP 1.58 billion. Expenditure of the sector increased by 8.4% year-on-year to MOP 16.78 billion, of which Operating Expenses (MOP 8.11 billion), Purchase of Goods & Services and Commission Paid (MOP 5.65 billion) and Compensation of Employees (MOP 3.02 billion) rose by 6.0%, 11.4% and 9.6% respectively. Interest paid & depreciation totalled MOP 790 million, up substantially by 59.5% year-on-year. Gross Value Added of the Transport & Storage Sector amounted to MOP 5.65 billion, up by 19.8% year-on-year. Gross Surplus (receipts plus change in inventories minus expenditure) increased by 34.3% to MOP 2.63 billion. Gross Fixed Capital Formation soared by 113.0% to MOP 994 million on account of an increase in acquisition of machinery and properties by Air Transport establishments. There were 2,484 establishments operating in the Transport & Storage Sector, up by 109 year-on-year; number of establishments in Land Transport increased by 60 and Travel Agencies rose by 26. Number of persons engaged went up by 10.5% year-on-year to 16,703, with those working in Land Transport (6,070), Sea Transport (1,735), Air Transport (1,526) and Travel Agencies (4,187) rising by 11.5%, 5.8%, 5.3% and 7.5% respectively. Besides, Land Transport had 3,009 employees, accounting for 49.6% of total persons engaged in the sector, lower than the proportion of the other industries. Receipts of the Communications Sector grew by 11.4% year-on-year to MOP 8.39 billion; among them receipts from postal & telecommunications services (MOP 3.95 billion) and sales of goods (MOP 3.75 billion) rose by 10.6% and 10.9% respectively. Expenditure increased by 2.9% to MOP 5.91 billion, of which Purchase of Goods & Services and Commission Paid rose by 7.8% to MOP 4.36 billion (73.9% of total), while Operating Expenses (MOP 799 million) and Compensation of Employees (MOP 746 million) went up by 1.7% and 7.8% respectively. Gross Value Added of the Communications Sector totalled MOP 3.33 billion, up by 25.6% year-on-year. Gross Surplus increased by 31.9% to MOP 2.58 billion. Gross Fixed Capital Formation decreased by 36.9% to MOP 413 million owing to a decrease in acquisition of machinery and other equipment. There were 33 operating establishments, up by 6 year-on-year; number of persons engaged increased by 10.6% to 2,307.
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The Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) has released a new version of the Macao Cultural and Creative Map (CCM Map) mobile app, v2.0. In the latest app version, further functions have been added and optimised, enabling users wider and more convenient access to the information on the CCM Map mobile app. The mobile app along with its upgrade package is now available for free download. Apart from the information on Macao’s cultural and creative entities, the latest version of the CCM Map mobile app offers users details regarding the “Macao World Heritage” as well as information on “Museums, Performance Venues and Cinemas”. Users may look through the information, images and locations of the above mentioned entities or places of interest. The newly included section “Tour Routes” is divided into “A Stroll in the Parish” and “Tour Routes for the Experience of Culture and Creativity”. Providing informative travelling references, the routes connect a variety of local cultural and creative venues and World Heritage Sites, guiding users across the city for a subtle taste of art and culture. The positioning function of the CCM Map mobile app has also been optimised. With the “Plan Your Route” function, users only have to activate the instant positioning of their mobile device, type in or choose the name of the cultural and creative venue or of the tourist site, follow the route instruction and then get to their destination. The new CCM Map mobile app also supports functions such as “Share” and “Bookmarks”. In April, 2014, the Cultural Affairs Bureau published the first hard copy of the Macao Cultural and Creative Map as well as the CCM Map mobile application in order to break the temporal and spatial boundaries, allowing residents and tourists wish to acquire cultural and creative information as desired, promoting local’s cultural and creative industries and products. The mobile app’s latest version, CCM Map v2.0, is accessible via its QR code. It is also available on the website www.macaucci.com/app/, in App Store or Google Play Store for download and update. For enquiries, please call Ms. Lam or Ms. Lau, staff members of IC, through tel. (853) 2892 4040 during office hours.
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The Government will continue to assess the social impacts of the ongoing adjustment in the city’s gaming industry, and will take all necessary measures to ensure those changes do not affect public security, said the Secretary for Security, Mr Wong Sio Chak. Mr Wong’s comments were made after the Beijing-Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Prison Forum, held in Macao on 14 October. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Mr Wong stressed that Macao remains a safe city, as shown by the official crime statistics for the first two quarters of 2015. He noted that there had been a continuous decrease in serious criminal cases, in addition to improved rates of crime detection. Mr Wong also mentioned improvements made in crime prevention and control. The Secretary acknowledged that the adjustment in the gaming industry could pose some challenges to Macao’s public security. Therefore, the Government would strengthen supervision and security controls in casinos and their vicinity, he said. These measures would be implemented under the guiding principle of not hindering the development of the gaming industry, Mr Wong added. Questioned about the control of financial activities in the gaming sector, the Secretary said the Government had specific departments overseeing that area. Any suspected criminal activity would be reported to the relevant authorities, he stressed. Regarding the alleged fraud case involving Macao gaming promoter Dore, the Judiciary Police is probing the case, following the complaints it has received, Mr Wong said. He added that this case was complex as it involved numerous people and a large amount of capital. The police would make further announcements based on the progress of the investigation, he added. Mr Wong also stated that the Government is looking into revising the legislation on illegal immigration. The revision might include the increase of detention period to 90 days from the current 60 days. The Secretary explained that 60 days could be insufficient for the police to complete the repatriation procedures in more complex cases. In those cases, issuing a “temporary stay permit” to illegal immigrants – who might not have enough funds to support themselves in Macao – could impact social stability, Mr Wong added.
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The Government Headquarters will open to the public during the weekend (17 and 18 October) from 9am to 6pm. Visitors will have the opportunity to join several family-friendly activities specially organised for this annual event. During the two days, members of the public will be welcomed to visit the Protocol Palace of the Government Headquarters – a brightly coloured landmark built more than 160 years ago – and its garden, located on Avenida da Praia Grande. There will be guided tours of the ground floor of the Headquarters and a display in the Multipurpose Room of the Protocol Palace, titled “Photo Exhibition on ‘The Historic Centre of Macao’ as World Heritage”. There will additionally be a flower show under the theme “Joy of Family”. The highlight of the display will be the Calla Lily (or Zantedeschia aethiopica). The colourful blooms will be in the Protocol Palace, on the grass lawn, in flower racks and in the front yard. During the weekend, the backyard of the Government Headquarters will be turned into a children’s playground. It will feature colourful swings made from old tires, in a Government effort to promote reuse of waste and spread a green message. There will be live performances by the Macao Police Band and dance performances staged by students of the Macao Conservatory. The Macao Post will set up a temporary booth near the Nam Van Lake opposite to the Government Headquarters, selling commemorative items and offering decorative postmark cancellation. The Macau Government Tourism Office will also set up a booth there to distribute promotional materials. The programme additionally includes performances from the Nam Van Lake Cybernetic Fountain, operated by the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau. Visitors can enter the Government Headquarters by the entrance on Travessa do Paiva, on the right side of the Protocol Palace. They should then follow the designated route, which includes visits to the Multipurpose Room and the Lotus Room on the ground floor. Walking up the marble staircase to the first floor, visitors can explore the Grand Hall, the Green Hall, the Yellow Hall and the Blue Hall. For the convenience of visitors, special traffic arrangements will be in force throughout the weekend in some sections of Travessa do Paiva. Drivers are urged to pay attention to the temporary traffic signs and follow police advice. For more detailed information and a schedule of Open Day sessions activities, please visit http://www2.gcs.gov.mo/openday/en/index.php or http://www.gov.mo, or download the official mobile application available for either Android or iOS portable devices using the keywords “Macau Open Day 2015” in either App Store or Google Play.
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In order to expand the merchandising of local cultural and creative products and promote local creativity, the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) set up the Mandarin’s House Cultural Heritage Info Center and Gift Shop which opened to the public on 29 January 2011. Every year IC selects entities from the Database for Macao Cultural and Creative Industries (Cultural and Creative Database) to present and sell their own creative products on consignment in the gift shop. Applications for 2016 start today and run until 13 November 2015. All interested cultural and creative entities are welcome to apply for inclusion in the Cultural and Creative Database. Those already listed on the Database need not re-apply but may submit any updates to IC before the application deadline. The Mandarin’s House Cultural Heritage Info Center and Gift Shop is specialized in souvenirs themed on the Mandarin’s House and the Macao cultural heritage, IC publications and design items, as well as products of Macao’s cultural and creative brands on consignment. Merchandise includes design items, anime and comic products, audio and visual products as well as books and other publications. The selection criteria is based on originality, industrial and market potential, brand image, capacity for sustainable development or research and development of the products, and relevance to the Mandarin’s House. IC hopes to increase external merchandising platforms for local cultural and creative industries through the Gift Shop, in order to promote and support the development of cultural and creative products with distinctive native features. The Information Collection Form for applying for inclusion in the Database can be downloaded from the IC website (www.icm.gov.mo/dpicc) or the Macao Cultural and Creative Industries Website (www.macaucci.com). Interested parties must complete and submit the printed form together with the electronic copy of the form and its attachments to the Cultural Affairs Bureau Building located at the Tap Seac Square or to the Department for the Promotion of Cultural and Creative Industries (No. 567, Av. da Praia Grande, Edif. BNU, 12th Floor A–D, Macao). For enquiries, please contact IC through tel. no. (853) 8598 6716 or no. (853) 8598 6723 during office hours or through email: info.dpicc@icm.gov.mo.
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Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO) and the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM), together with industry delegates of 13 local corporations, are spotlighting Macau as a business and incentive travel destination at America’s Worldwide Exhibition for Incentive Travel, Meetings and Events (IMEX America 2015) in Las Vegas, the United States of America. IMEX America 2015 is staged at the Sands Expo and Convention Center in Las Vegas from 13 – 15 October. MGTO is leveraging this major platform to promote its Travel Stimulation Program for professional buyers, and takes the opportunity to showcase Macau’s latest trends and products in business tourism as well. The Tourist Office also offers a springboard for industry delegates from Macau to exchange industry news and discuss business opportunities with buyers and potential partners from around the world. Celebrating its fifth edition this year, IMEX America is the largest trade show specialized in incentive travel, meetings and events in the United States of America. Larger than any of its previous editions, IMEX America boasts a new addition of 80 booths this year, with a total of 3,100 exhibitors joining the trade show from 150 countries and regions. Some of the returning exhibitors set up larger booths this year than before. Besides providing face-to-face business opportunities for industry partners, the Exhibition also offers a range of networking activities and professional education programs.
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The Monetary Authority of Macao announced today that the preliminary estimate of Macao SAR’s foreign exchange reserves amounted to MOP145.3 billion (USD18.21 billion) at the end of September 2015. The reserves increased by 0.2% from the revised value of MOP145.1 billion (USD18.17 billion) for the previous month. Macao SAR’s foreign exchange reserves at end-September 2015 represented 13 times the currency in circulation or 108.6% of Pataca M2 at end-August 2015. The trade-weighted effective exchange rate index for the pataca rose 0.07 points month-to-month and 6.90 points year-on-year to 105.79 in September 2015, implying that overall speaking, the pataca appreciated against the currencies of Macao’s major trading partners.
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The Government will strive to create a better working environment for Macao’s judicial system, in order for it to deliver justice more efficiently and effectively, the Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, said today. That includes the construction of a building exclusively to house the city’s judicial authorities, Mr Chui added. Mr Chui said the Government would continue working on the revision of the organic law of the judiciary and other related legislation, and providing support for the training of judicial personnel. Mr Chui made the comments at the opening ceremony of the 2015/2016 Judicial Year, held at the Macao Cultural Centre this afternoon. The Chief Executive said the Government would continue to review and improve Macao’s existing legislation. He added that the Government would actively cooperate with judicial authorities, especially in cases involving the Government. In his speech, Mr Chui reiterated the principles of safeguarding judicial independence and ruling in accordance with law as stipulated in the Basic Law. He added that these principles make up the foundation to effectively promote Macao’s development. The Government has been firmly adhering to the rule of law since the establishment of the Macao Special Administrative Region 16 years ago, he stated. Mr Chui additionally said Macao would continue to enjoy judicial independence and the power of final adjudication as stipulated in the Basic Law. Judicial independence is the cornerstone for Macao to realise the principles of “One country, two systems”, “Macao people governing Macao” and a high degree of autonomy. It is also the basis for Macao to guarantee the city’s long-term social stability. Mr Chui noted that the city’s economy is currently undergoing a period of adjustment. He said the Government would do its best to seize the opportunities brought in by mainland China’s development. That, coupled with the support from the society – including Macao’s judicial authorities – would benefit social development and the progress of the city’s judicial system, he added.
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Consumer Council conducted its fifth ‘Supermarket price survey’ in October on 14 October for the implementation of Section 2b), Article 10, Law 4/95/M of 12 June. Surveyed locations included supermarkets at Lam Mau, Patane and San Kio 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. 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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