News

The Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao SAR Government (IC, from the Portuguese acronym), in cooperation with the Macao Architects Association and the Macao Urban Planning Institute, organises the Macao Pavilion at the 2015 Shenzhen and Hong Kong Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism/Architecture (Shenzhen), and is now inviting applications for the Pavilion until 16th of September 2015. Macao, for the second time, was invited to participate in this year’s Biennale, the theme of which is ‘Re-living the City’. Individual curators or curatorial teams are both invited to apply for this Project. The Biennale was first organised in Shenzhen in 2005, and an invitation to participate was extended to Hong Kong in 2007, with both cities co-organising the exhibition from this year on and turning it into a “Bi-City Biennale”. It is currently the only biennale in the world dedicated to urbanism; in the five editions already held in Shenzhen and Hong Kong, more than 770 works from around the world went on display and over 310 forums and activities were organized, attracting approximately 860,000 exhibition-goers. Macao was first invited to participate in the Biennale in 2013, and the results were remarkable. This year’s Biennale is the second time Macao has set up a Macao Pavilion in Shenzhen; the organiser estimates that over 300,000 visitors will attend the exhibition with more than 100 exhibitors from over 25 different countries. IC wishes to further promote the cultural exchange between Macao and other regions, forge a deeper understanding of the cultural trends of city and architecture in cities in China and overseas, as well as enhance the locals’ awareness and participation in international events; all with the purpose of encouraging the younger generation to use their creativity and enhance the quality of their design, as well as their knowledge and understanding of world-class works. IC also hopes that the Biennale will help cultivate the integration of Macao talents in the international community; promoting the development of art and culture in Macao, and showcasing the outstanding work and unique perspective of Macao in the international arena. The theme this year is ‘Re-living the City’, and with its main objective of making a better world by remaking our cities and homes, this exhibition calls for the reuse, rethinking and re-imagination of existing buildings and cities, encouraging us to use what we have and use it well, as well as to rethink and reinterpret our daily lives. The Bi-City Biennale will be curated by Aaron Betsky, Alfredo Brillembourg, Hubert Klumpner, Doreen Heng Liu, and the team from ETH Zurich. IC will hold a clarification session, on 8th of August 2015, at 10:00am, at the IC Building, located at Tap Seac Square, to introduce the Biennale’s background, location and theme, as well as other relevant contents. The exhibition project will be supervised by the Organising Committee of the Macao Exhibition – 2015 Shenzhen and Hong Kong Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism/Architecture, and the selection of applications will be carried out by the Jury Commission for the Macao Pavilion Exhibition Plans – 2015 Shenzhen and Hong Kong Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism/Architecture. Interested parties who have any questions relating to this project can send an email to pr@icm.gov.mo until 21st of August 2015. The organizer will reply all queries by email before 31st of August 2015, and all replies will be made available for consultation at the IC’s website. The application form and regulation are available for download at the IC’s website, at www.icm.gov.mo.
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According to statistics released today by the Monetary Authority of Macao, broad money supply retreated in June. As total loans increased at a faster pace than total deposits, the overall loan-to-deposit ratio of the banking sector rose from a month earlier. Money supply Currency in circulation dropped 1.8% whereas demand deposits grew 15.5%. M1 thus increased 12.1% from one month earlier. Concurrently, quasi-monetary liabilities fell 2.7%. The sum of these two items, i.e. M2, decreased 0.9% to MOP488.8 billion. On an annual basis, M1 and M2 rose 12.0% and 1.1% respectively. The share of Pataca (MOP) in M2 stood at 27.2%, up 0.5 percentage points from a month ago or 3.2 percentage points from a year earlier. The share of Hong Kong Dollar (HKD) in M2 was 50.0%, down 0.9 percentage points month-to-month but up 0.6 percentage points year-on-year. The share of Chinese Yuan (CNY) was 11.4%, kept virtually stable month-to-month but down 5.6 percentage points year-on-year. The share of United States Dollar (USD) was 9.2%, up 0.4 percentage points month-to-month or 1.6 percentage points year-on-year. Deposits Resident deposits decreased 0.9% from the preceding month to MOP477.4 billion. Of which, MOP and USD deposits increased at respective rates of 1.1% and 3.9%. HKD and CNY deposits decreased 2.8% and 0.9% respectively while other foreign currency deposits kept virtually stable. Non-resident deposits grew 7.1% to MOP266.0 billion. Public sector deposits with the banking sector increased 2.5% to MOP121.7 billion. As a result, total deposits with the banking sector rose 1.9% from a month earlier to MOP865.0 billion. The shares of MOP, HKD, CNY and USD in total deposits were 18.3%, 41.3%, 13.7% and 22.5% respectively. Loans Domestic loans to the private sector increased 2.4% from a month ago to MOP376.0 billion. Among which, MOP100.7 billion was MOP-denominated, MOP247.0 billion was denominated in HKD, MOP3.1 billion was denominated in CNY and MOP22.8 billion was denominated in USD, representing 26.8%, 65.7%, 0.8% and 6.1% of the total respectively. Analysed by economic sector, “transport, warehouse and communications”, “education” and “restaurants, hotels and similar” increased at respective rates of 18.6%, 18.6% and 13.1% compared with a quarter ago, whereas “exhibition and conference” and “gaming” dropped 35.1% and 9.3% respectively. External loans grew 4.8% to MOP385.7 billion; of which, loans denominated in MOP, HKD, CNY and USD accounted for 1.6% (MOP6.1 billion), 22.2% (MOP85.6 billion), 19.7% (MOP75.8 billion) and 50.6% (MOP195.0 billion) respectively. Loan-to-deposit ratios The loan-to-deposit ratio for the resident sector at end-June grew 1.6 percentage points from the previous month to 62.8%. The ratio for both the resident and non-resident sectors also rose 1.4 percentage points to 88.1%.
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The Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau has verified that Macao’s gross gaming revenue in July was 18.615 billion patacas, while the accumulated gross gaming revenue during the period from January to July was 140.259 billion patacas. The Secretary for Economy and Finance, Mr Leong Vai Tac, said that since the average monthly gross gaming revenue is still above the level of 20 billion patacas, as estimated by the Revised Financial Budget for the Fiscal Year 2015, there is no need to implement austerity measures for public expenditure. In view of the gaming industry still facing uncertainty in the second half of the year, the Government will persist with its policy of financial prudence, by adopting some cost cutting measures. Meanwhile, the Government will also maintain vigilance regarding the trend in Macao’s gross gaming revenue, and will immediately implement austerity measures should the gross gaming revenue fall below the above-mentioned figure. The Government again stressed that any austerity measures would not affect the welfare and livelihood expenditure that has already been announced, including this year’s Wealth Partaking Scheme and the Investment and Development Expenditure Scheme (PIDDA). The Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, earlier mentioned that the MSAR's financial status remains solid, and its well-established fiscal reserve system is strong enough to withstand emergencies and economic fluctuations. According to the Revised Financial Budget for the Fiscal Year 2015 submitted by the Government, which passed its first reading by the Legislative Assembly in March, if the average monthly gross gaming revenue of 2015 reaches 20 billion patacas, the estimated surplus for the year would be 18.8 billion patacas. Macao’s gaming industry is currently facing uncertainties. The Government will closely monitor all gaming operators, including the operations of VIP rooms, and promptly react to emergencies, giving priority to safeguarding local residents’ employment rights. Meanwhile, the Government is pleased to witness the healthy development of non-gaming industries, such as tourism, conventions and exhibitions, regional economic and trade, and young entrepreneurship, which are full of vitality. The Government will render full support to them, to promote adequate economic diversification in Macao.
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Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO) presented the initiative “Take Selfies to Win Prizes” for tourists to join under the project “Step Out, Experience Macau’s Communities – Walking Tour Routes” in June. The first round of lucky draw took place on 3 August for the part “Upload Selfies to enter the Lucky Draw”. MGTO Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, Deputy Directors Cecilia Tse and Cheng Wai Tong were present at the lucky draw and drew out the names of 11 lucky winners. The lucky winners are tourists who came from Hong Kong; Taiwan, China; Korea; the United Kingdom and Canada. The prizes include tablets (10 winners) and economy-class roundtrip tickets for two (one winner). Since the activity “Take Selfies to Win Prizes” was launched on 12 June, over 6,600 users have downloaded the “Step Out, Macau” mobile app. During the period from 12 June to 31 July, some 460 visitors uploaded selfies to enter the lucky draw. The participants came from Hong Kong; Taiwan, China; Mainland China; Korea; Malaysia; the United Kingdom and so forth. Most of the visitors took selfies at sights along the three tour routes namely “Bygone Days of Taipa Village”, “Footsteps into the Historic Centre” and “The Marriage of East and West in St. Anthony’s Parish”. Since the launch of stamp collection fun last June, the Tourist Office launched another prize-winning activity named “Take Selfies to Win Prizes” under the project “Step Out, Experience Macau’s Communities – Walking Tour Routes”. The activity comes with two parts – “Show Selfies for Souvenir” and “Upload Selfies to enter the Lucky Draw”, the latter with three rounds of lucky draw in total. The “Take Selfies to Win Prizes” activity is held from 12 June until 30 November to encourage locals and visitors to explore the hidden gems of local neighborhoods. The activity aims to promote community and smart tourism. For “Show Selfies for Souvenir”, locals and visitors can just download the “Step out, Macau” mobile app, take selfies at two designated sights along any of the walking tour routes with the app and show the two selfies to staff at any Tourist Information counter of MGTO in Macau for a souvenir to redeem. Visitors can also enter the lucky draw by uploading selfies and sharing about their trip experience in Macau on the “Step out, Macau” mobile app. MGTO launched the first four walking tour routes under the theme “Step Out, Experience Macau's Communities” back on 27 September 2013. Following that, the Office redesigned some of the existing routes and presented a total of eight walking tour routes this February. The project aims to encourage visitors to explore different neighborhoods, lead the visitor trends off the beaten path and promote community tourism. Residents and visitors can download the free App “Step Out, Macau” from App Store or Google Play. For details, please visit MGTO’s website http://www.macautourism.gov.mo or dial Tourism Hotline (853) 2833 3000 to make an enquiry.
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Consumer Council conducted its first ‘Supermarket price survey’ in August on 3 August for the implementation of Section 2b), Article 10, Law 4/95/M of 12 June. Surveyed locations included supermarkets near Areia Preta and Avenida de Venceslau de Morais 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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Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that the total number of licensed motor vehicles reached 243,966 at the end of June 2015, up by 4.9% year-on-year; motorcycles and light private cars accounted for 51.9% and 41.4% respectively. New registration of motor vehicles in June decreased notably by 24.5% year-on-year to 1,337, with that of motorcycles and light private cars dropping by 22.2% and 36.0% respectively; new registration of motor vehicles in the first half year of 2015 increased by 2.3% year-on-year to 10,046. Traffic accident casualties totalled 388 in June, with 2 being killed. In the first half year of 2015, number of traffic accidents totalled 7,617 cases, up by 1.3% year-on-year, resulting in 2,675 casualties and 9 of them were killed. Cross-border vehicle traffic totalled 418,469 trips in June 2015, up by 2.9% year-on-year. In the first half year of 2015, cross-border vehicle traffic increased by 4.9% year-on-year to 2,530,799 trips; vehicle traffic through the Border Gate (1,953,526 trips) shared 77.2%. Passenger ferry movements between Macao and Hong Kong and between Macao and Mainland China totalled 72,677 in the first half year, an increase of 3.9% year-on-year, with the Ferry Terminal at the Outer Harbour sharing 66.7% of the total (48,452 trips). The Macao International Airport had 4,129 commercial flight movements in June 2015, up by 7.8% year-on-year. In the first half year of 2015, commercial flight movements increased by 8.7% year-on-year to 25,480, with movements to and from Mainland China, Taiwan and Thailand rising by 4.9%, 2.8% and 7.2% respectively. Meanwhile, helicopter flight movements between Macao and Hong Kong and between Macao and Mainland China totalled 1,210 in June, down significantly by 23.6% year-on-year; helicopter flight movements in the first half year of 2015 decreased by 9.2% year-on-year to 7,046. Gross weight of seaborne containerized cargo surged by 26.5% year-on-year to 22,725 tonnes in June 2015 and increased by 8.3% to 133,077 tonnes in the first half year of 2015. Seaborne container throughput totalled 12,665 TEU in June, equivalent to 8,690 containers handled, up by 7.3% and 7.0% respectively year-on-year; seaborne container throughput (74,340 TEU) and containers handled (50,010) in the first half year of 2015 increased by 7.9% and 3.9% respectively. Gross weight of containerized cargo by land fell by 31.4% year-on-year to 2,111 tonnes in June and decreased by 15.7% to 10,148 tonnes in the first half year of 2015. The Macao International Airport handled 2,263 tonnes of air cargo in June 2015, up by 5.2% year-on-year. In the first half year of 2015, inward air cargo (3,486 tonnes) and outward air cargo (7,364 tonnes) increased by 10.1% and 3.1% respectively year-on-year. Taiwan remained the major origin and destination of air cargo; inward air cargo from Taiwan (59.8% of total) surged by 27.6% year-on-year while outward air cargo to Taiwan (40.1% of total) decreased by 3.4%. Transit air cargo increased by 17.3% year-on-year to 3,109 tonnes. At the end of June 2015, number of fixed-line telephone subscribers decreased by 3.5% year-on-year to 150,640. Number of mobile telephone subscribers increased by 10.5% to 1,864,955, of which stored-value GSM card subscribers shared 64.2%. As regards internet services, number of subscribers totalled 316,593 and the cumulative duration of usage in the first half year of 2015 reached 518 million hours, up by 11.2% and 12.0% respectively year-on-year.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that the average daily wage of construction workers decreased by 3.0% quarter-to-quarter to MOP704 in the second quarter of 2015, owing to an increase in low-wage workers engaging in infrastructure construction. The average daily wage of non-resident construction workers (MOP609) fell by 0.8% quarter-to-quarter, while that of local construction workers (MOP945) rose by 1.1%. The average daily wage of skilled & semi-skilled workers was MOP707, down by 3.3% quarter-to-quarter. Among the principal occupations, the average daily wages of bricklayers & plasterers (MOP664) and structural iron erectors (MOP927) decreased by 1.9% and 0.9% quarter-to-quarter. However, the average daily wages of electricians & electrical workers (MOP787) and concrete formwork carpenters (MOP860) increased by 6.6% and 1.9% respectively. The average daily wage of fire service mechanic (MOP813) soared by 20.3% due to increase in demand. Meanwhile, the average daily wage of unskilled workers was MOP405, up by 3.1%. After discounting the effect of inflation, the wage index of construction workers (98.2) decreased slightly by 0.2% quarter-to-quarter in real terms, while that of local construction workers (124.9) increased by 2.0%. As regards construction materials, the average price of concrete increased by 2.1% quarter-to-quarter, at MOP761 per cubic metre in the second quarter of 2015; the average price of spiral & round reinforcing steel bars decreased by 2.5% to MOP4,569 per tonne. Meanwhile, the price index of construction materials for residential buildings (131.6) in the second quarter of 2015 edged up by 0.2% quarter-to-quarter.
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In order to simplify the application process and internal procedures for the certificate of personal data and the certificate of having no children in Macao, starting from 3 August 2015, holders of the electronic Macao SAR Resident Identity Card do not need to submit a photograph when lodging the application for the above-mentioned certificates. The Identification Services Bureau will print the card face photo of the identity card on the certificates. The relevant measure will enhance the security of certificates and simplify formalities of application for citizens. Also, it will reduce procedures for handling certificates and thus expedite the internal workflow, achieving the result of administrative simplification and greater convenience to citizens. The Identification Services Bureau will continue to study the possibility of providing more convenient and quality services to citizens.
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Jointly organised by Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) and the Department of Commerce of Guangdong Province, 2015 Guangdong and Macao Branded Products Fair (GMBPF) come to a successful close today (2nd August). The four-day event attracted over 128,000 visitors and recording high visitor flow, booming sales and fruitful outcome in business-matching for exhibitors of Guangdong and Macao. 815 Business-matching Sessions Held in Four Days This year, a total of 815 business matching sessions were organised for enterprises from Guangdong Province (including Guangzhou, Foshan, Shaoguan, Shantou, Meizhou, Zhongshan, Jiangmen, Yangjiang and Jieyang), Portugal and Macao, covering an array of branded products, such as food and beverage, daily necessities, home appliance, clothing and accessories, tableware, as well as cultural and creative crafts. One co-operation agreement on food products agent and marketing was signed between Jiangmen and Macao enterprises. In addition, initial co-operation intent agreements on product agent were signed by Dongguan and Shantou enterprises with Macao enterprises. The “Shenzhen-Macao Economic & Trade Seminar 2015” was also held during the event to provide a platform for economic and trade exchanges between Shenzhen and Macao enterprises. Booming Sales and Purchase at Exhibition and Sale Areas of Guangdong and Macao, Visitors Fully Enjoy the Shopping Spree This weekend was the peak period of the fair. Among other supporters of the fair, local resident Ms. Lao told that she has come here for shopping for three consecutive years since the products available for sale at the fair cover a wide variety and she could buy many items from different regions at one place. She further highlighted that the free shuttle bus service provided by the Organiser also encouraged her to come here. Recommended by Macao relatives and friends, Mainland visitor Mr. Wu specially came here to buy dried seafood and related products, as well as other Macao signature products. He said that products sold at GMBPF are cheaper and have better quality compared to the Mainland. He further told that the overall atmosphere was good as many fun-filled interactive games were held at the event and he would make another visit in the coming year if there is a chance. A Macao enterprise selling Southeast Asia food products has participated in the event consecutively for several years, his representative said that satisfactory sales were recorded in the past few years. He also believed that the wide coverage of the publicity and promotion and high visitor flow of the event are beneficial for SMEs to explore customer source and build brand reputation. The representative of a Portuguese food store which was participating in the event for the first time, noted that the sales in the four days were better than expected, recording more than five times of her normal sales. She continued that their products were sold out almost everyday and they need to restock every night in order to meet the sales demand. She added that small gift packaging was specially introduced this year and was well received by the customers. She would consider introducing it in her shop in the future. Person-in-charge of a Jiangmen enterprise selling all natural egg noodles and health drinks and participated in the event for the first time, said that the sales were really satisfactory and their products were widely welcomed by the Macao residents, he hoped he could find an agent to introduce his products into the Macao market in future. Make Use of GMBPF to Make Full Play of the Role as a Service Platform for Businesses in China and Portuguese-speaking Countries To work in line with the Government to accelerate the development of a trade and business service platform between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries, GMBPF not only set up the Portuguese Products Exhibition and Sales Area at the Macao Sale Area, but also held concurrently the Promotion Seminar on the Three Centres for Trade and Economic Co-operation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries this year. The seminar promoted China and Portuguese-speaking Countries enterprises delegations organised by IPIM to take part in convention and exhibitions held in Mainland China, Portuguese-speaking Countries as well as Macao; the launch of the Economic and Trade Co-operation and Human Resources Portal between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries as well as the plan of building an exhibition area for the centre for distribution of food products of Portuguese-speaking countries in Macao. Spokesman of a Portuguese enterprise noted that the fair not only allows them to adjust their sales and product packaging strategies according to the market demand through direct contact with the consumers, but also enables them to approach the wholesalers and traders. They hoped they could find a partner to set up a fixed sale point in Macao providing food tasting service in the future. Young Entrepreneurs Gather Experience in Business Operation To promote the development of local cultural and creative industry and provide more opportunities to young entrepreneurs in running their businesses, the Organiser has specially established the “Young Business Starters” and the “Cultural and Creative Industries for Young Entrepreneurs” exhibition areas. A young entrepreneur and food products wholesaler noted that the GMBPF gives them an opportunity to learn from enterprises of similar nature the successful experiences in procurement strategies and marketing skills. He added that as a sole agent of a Macao coffee brand, Portuguese wine, German fruit juice in Macao, they have attracted the attention of several of Mainland companies and discussions of co-operation have been underway and they may be able to export and sell their products on the Mainland. A creative design company showcased the cartoon figures of the Portuguese rooster designed by them, which has successfully attracted many visitors to take photos. Person-in-charge of the company said that the exhibition helped increase the reputation of the company and their products. They hoped in the future they could find a partner to work with them to market and sell products of their cartoon figures as a Macao original brand. A “Permanent” Fair with Online Platform to Continue Promotion Offers and Contribute to Community Economic Development To extend the role of GMBPF, the Organiser will upload all exhibitors’ information and photos of products to the website for ongoing promotion purpose after the closing of the event. For details of exhibitors and products, visitors may browse the official website of GMBPF www.guangdongmacaofair.com. In addition, by means of the e-promotion platform “WECHAT Shake” introduced this year, exhibitors may continue to provide special offers, which can help promote community economic development. Winners of the lucky draw will be announced in Macao Daily and the website of GMBPF on 4th August.
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To celebrate the foundation of Jao Tsung-I Academy, the 10th anniversary of the inscription of “The Historic Centre of Macao” on the World Heritage List, and the 100th birthday of Professor Jao Tsung-I (according to the Chinese calendar), the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC, from the Portuguese acronym), in cooperation with Macao Post, will host an activity on 6 August, Thursday, between 12pm and 5pm, at Avenida do Conselheiro Ferreira de Almeida, No. 95 C-D, to distribute commemorative envelopes to the public together with a commemorative postmark available to be affixed thereon. Professor Jao Tsung-I is a worldwide renowned Sinologist, who has been undertaking scholarly and artistic pursuits. A literary, artistic and academic authority, Professor Jao is, currently and within the last centuries, a rare character in Macao, Hong Kong and Mainland China. He has close ties with Macao and has been highly supportive of Macao’s cultural activities, donating painting and calligraphy works to the city’s museums. The establishment of the Jao Tsung-I Academy aims to introduce to the public Professor Jao’s academic and artistic achievements, to deepen local citizens’ knowledge about this academic as well as about Chinese traditional culture and to pay homage to this world-renowned insurmountable personality in the study of Chinese civilization. On the mentioned day, IC will distribute 300 commemorative envelopes free of charge, with a limit of two envelopes per person; also they will receive a set of four tri-dimensional paper models of a world heritage site. These are on a first come, first served basis. A temporary Macao Post counter will be set up on the venue where a commemorative postmark stamp of the foundation of the Jao Tsung-I Academy will be available to be affixed on the envelopes and where interested members of the public may purchase stamps and request them to be stamped with the commemorative postmark. The Jao Tsung-I Academy will be officially inaugurated on 11 August and will be open daily from 10am to 6pm, closing on Mondays. Admission is free. For more information on the above activities, please contact IC through tel. no. 2852 2523 during office hours.
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