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The Commissioner Against Corruption, Cheong Weng Chon, submitted the 2014 Annual Report of the Commission Against Corruption of Macao to the Chief Executive, Chui Sai On, in March 2015 pursuant to Article 15 of Law no. 10/2000, Organic Law of the Commission Against Corruption of the Macao Special Administrative Region. The report is published in the Official Gazette of the Macao Special Administrative Region today (29th April). The report summarises the activities and efforts of the Commission Against Corruption (CCAC) in corruption fighting, ombudsman, declaration of assets and interests and integrity promotion, etc. and also includes comparison and analysis of the caseloads in 2014 and the previous years and summaries of part of the cases investigated and handled by the CCAC. The summary of the report is as the following: Number of cases received and case processing summary: In 2014, the CCAC received and followed up a total of 865 complaints and reports, of which 298 were of criminal nature and 567 were about administrative impropriety. It was a slight decrease compared with the 896 cases recorded in 2013. In particular, the CCAC saw a larger decrease in criminal cases compared with the previous several years and an increase in administrative complaints. In addition, complaints and reports lodged by citizens represented 96% of all cases received, of which 453 cases were lodged by identified complainants or those willing to provide personal data. Together with the cases brought forward from 2013, the CCAC handled a total of 1,675 cases in 2014. Regarding criminal cases, investigations of 492 cases were completed in the year, which were then referred to the Public Prosecutions Office or archived. On the ombudsman front, 563 cases were handled and archived. In addition, the CCAC received 1,021 counts of enquiries of different natures throughout 2014. Anti-corruption: Of the criminal cases investigated throughout the year, most involved crimes committed by public servants, mainly forgery of documents, of which a large proportion were attendance records. Other crimes included power abuse, fraud and embezzlement. Meanwhile, there was a drop in cases of passive corruption committed by public servants. Moreover, in 2014, the CCAC also completed two cases of provision of incorrect data for declaration of assets and interests and a case of unexplained wealth. The Legal Regime of Declaration of Assets and Interests effective from 2013 introduces the requirement for disclosure of assets and interests of holders of specific public and political positions, marking an important step in fostering the “sunshine government” policy promoted by the Macao SAR Government. In 2014, the CCAC continued the work of declaration of assets and interests in a smooth way under the new law. Ombudsman: On the ombudsman front, the cases handled in 2014 were mainly about legal system governing public services, management and law-enforcement of public security force and municipal affairs. Moreover, there were 572 requests for help and consultation, a slight increase compared to the total of 2013; of which a majority was about legal system governing public services, management and law-enforcement of public security force, health care, public procurement and municipal affairs. When handling cases of administrative complaints, the CCAC mainly reviewed the legality and rationality of administrative work conducted by public departments. When they are found involving administrative illegality or irregularity, the CCAC will urge them to ratify. Moreover, depending on the characteristics of each case, the CCAC will analyse the case and conduct a review of the external services and internal operation of the department. If necessary, the improvement suggestions will be rendered to the department, with the aims to enhance its service quality and work efficiency, thus protecting the legal rights and interests of the citizens. Integrity promotion and community relations: In 2014, a total of 386 seminars and symposia were organised, with 22,142 participants which covered different sectors including public servants, civic association members, employers and employees of private entities, teenagers, secondary and primary students. In order to strengthen the knowledge of various industries on the law Prevention and Suppression of Bribery in the Private Sector, seminars on corruption prevention in the private sector were specially organised for civil associations, private entities and education institutions. Besides, the message of corruption prevention was also disseminated through TV commercials, radio advertisement, outdoor advertisement, bus advertisement, TV programmes, special column in newspapers and publications. In addition, activities concerning the integrity education for teenaged students and the Integrity Volunteer Team were held continually.
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The Secretary for Administration and Justice, Ms Chan Hoi Fan, said today there would be a ceremony at the airport at 4.30 pm on Thursday (30 April) to welcome the new pair of pandas. On arrival, “Kai Kai” and “Xin Xin” would be kept apart for 30 days quarantine at a local farm before moving in to their new home, the Macao Giant Panda Pavilion. The Pavilion would also impose restricted visits until the pair is accustomed to the new environment, Ms Chan said at a press conference. She said the people were delighted with the two new friends and the Government were gearing up for their arrival. She also thanked the Central Government for the gift and the Sichuan government for its support. The Deputy Director of the State Forestry Administration and Ms Chan will endorse a certificate on-the-spot to mark the official residence of the pandas. Ms Chan, who led the co-ordinating group for the pandas’ arrival, said the Government had done a series of actions leading to the arrival, including visiting the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, arranging a visit by an expert team to the Pavilion for facilities inspection, a visit to the Base by members of the Pavilion to familiarise themselves with the pandas and offer them bamboo from the southern area; and disinfecting the Pavilion and transport vehicles. The gift of the pandas for Macao was announced by President Xi Jinping when he was here last December for the inauguration of the new government team. They replace an earlier pair which female partner died last year: the male panda was returned to Sichuan for breeding.
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The Government Information Bureau released three new photo collections on its news application “MSAR News”, giving an inside look at the Christian churches and the rituals for disciples of Christ. “Baptism”, is the work of eight photographs taken by the Bureau’s photographer Cheong Ka Ian. The sacrament, often called the “door of the Church”, is to clean the taint of original sin. “The St. Augustine’s Church” and “The Treasure of Sacred Art of the St. Dominic’s Church” both with eight photographs each, were taken by Siu Yat Chung. St. Augustine Church, built in the late 16th century, is the spot for the most popular processions in the city - the Easter Procession. It is nicknamed “Long Song Miu” (Temple of the Long-whiskered Dragon) because the palm leaves that were used to reinforce the roof during heavy rain in the early days, looked like the whiskers of dragons. The Treasure of Sacred Art is adjacent to the world heritage St. Dominic’s Church in the city centre, showcasing around 300 religious artefacts such as gold objects, statues, ornamented canonicals, religious paintings dating back from the 17th to the 19th centuries. The app “MSAR News”, which can be downloaded in App Store and Google Play, offers government information and special photo collections in its “News”, “News Features” and “Hot News” sections.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that the unemployment rate for January-March 2015 continued to remain stable at 1.7% as in the previous period (December 2014-February 2015); the underemployment rate was 0.3%, down by 0.1 percentage point. Total labour force was 406,300 and the labour force participation rate stood at 74.3%. Total employment reached 399,500, an increase of 0.7% from December 2014-February 2015. Analysed by industry, employment in Construction increased by 1.5%, and that in Hotels & Similar Activities rose by 2.4%. Number of the unemployed was 6,800, similar to that in December 2014-February 2015; fresh labour force entrants searching for their first job accounted for 6.5% of the total unemployed, down by 3.4 percentage points. In the first quarter of 2015, the general unemployment rate (1.7%) and the unemployment rate of local residents (2.4%) held stable as the previous quarter. Total employment increased by 900 quarter-to-quarter. Analysed by industry, employment in Health & Social Welfare (11,900) rose by 2,200, while that in Gaming (84,600) and Hotels & Similar Activities (26,100) dropped by 2,400 and 1,800 respectively. Attributable to the distribution of the thirteenth month salary and bonuses by many industries in the first quarter, median monthly employment earnings of the employed (MOP15,000) and the employed residents (MOP18,000) increased by MOP1,000 and MOP2,000 respectively quarter-to-quarter.
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Some citizens informed Macao Post that they had been notified by telephone on April 28 and to collect postal items on the same day. We would like to confirm that Macao Post neither informed recipients by telephone recording system nor notified them by unidentifiable telephone numbers. Please be vigilant to such kind of telephone calls. If public receives a suspected telephone call, please contact General Post Office at 28323666.
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Consumer Council conducted its seventh ‘Supermarket price survey’ in April on 27 April for the implementation of Section 2b), Article 10, Law 4/95/M of 12 June. Surveyed locations included 12 supermarkets in Sé Parish. The latest ‘Supermarket Price Survey’ is now available on Consumer Council’s website (www.consumer.gov.mo), and the ‘Supermarket Price Information Platform’ iPhone and Android apps. 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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The Health Bureau has again appealed to the public to get vaccinated against the seasonal influenza and to practice good personal and environmental hygiene. The appeal was made by a spokesman for the Bureau in a press conference on 25 April, following the first flu-related fatality in Macao this year. The death, that of a three-year-old boy, however was not directly caused by the flu, but the virus had worsened his condition with the chronic disease he was suffering from. The boy was admitted to the Conde de Sao Januario public hospital on 5 April with a 41-degree Celsius fever and respiratory disease symptoms. He suffered from congenital development delay and a history of epilepsy: he passed away three days later of convulsion, cerebral oedema and multiple organs failure. According to the figure from hospital, there are fewer people seeking flu treatment at the emergency ward in the past two weeks. Meanwhile the new batch of 10,000 doses of vaccine has been delivered and vaccination for people in elderly centres and aged 75 or above will begin in early May. The Bureau assured the type of new vaccine could provide enough protection against common influenza. Since September last year, the Government had provided free vaccinations to infants, minors, senior citizens, residents with chronic illness, staff in nursing centres, kindergartens and schools, totalling 86,000 shots, with 16,310 for people aged 65 and above and 14,778 for children aged between five to nine. The Bureau said the Government had established a strict monitoring system to oversee the situation, and advised the public to practice strict personnel hygiene and if flu-like symptoms developed, to seek medical help immediately, then stay home and have adequate rest.
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The Macao Arts Festival (MAF), organized by the Cultural Affairs Bureau in May, cooperating with FuHong Society of Macau, invited artist Leong Ieng Wai to create souvenirs that combine Macao’s characteristic landscapes and travel features, showcasing the talent and potential of disabled persons and revealing an art without borders. The MAF will launch two souvenirs, a luggage belt and a multi-purpose travel bag designed by Leong Ieng Wai, a disabled and autistic member of FuHong Society of Macau. The luggage belt is themed around some of the Festival’s venues, such as the Dom Pedro V Theatre, the Macao Cultural Centre, St. Dominic’s Church and the Tap Seac Gallery, among others, while the multi-purpose travel bag is inspired on the landscapes of Macao’s old neighbourhoods. Leong Ieng Wai recreated figuratively with masterful brushstrokes buildings surrounding Macao’s old streets, thereby presenting them in a vivid and three-dimensional way. Both souvenirs include the logos of the MAF and FuHong Society of Macau. Through the promotion of these travel items, the organizer hopes, on the one hand, to take the Festival and the works of local artists abroad, promoting and showcasing the territory’s cultural characteristics beyond borders, and, on the other hand, show the potential and talent of the disabled through this cooperation with FuHong Society of Macau Leong Ieng Wai is also known as 0.38, which refers to the thickness of the pen he likes to use in his meticulous strokes and clear compositions. Leong Ieng Wai has a strong descriptive ability and sense of spatial planning, skilfully outlining patterns and being particularly fond of drawing small people, buildings and transports. Leong Ieng Wai dedicates himself to each of his works, using art to find himself and to become more energetic and confident, making an effort to communicate with others and mustering the courage to express what lies in his soul. In August last year, Leong Ieng Wai held an exhibition at the passenger terminal of Macao’s International Airport entitled “Enter the Happy Kingdom of 0.38”. The exhibition was very well received, giving rise to yet another exhibition showcasing more than 40 of his works at the UNESCO Centre of Macau in November. The souvenirs described above are available for sale at MAF venues, namely at the Macao Cultural Centre, Dom Pedro V Theatre and the Old Court Building. Discounts will be offered on the purchase of both items. For more information, please access the MAF website at www.icm.gov.mo/fam, or contact IC through tel. no. 8399 6699 during office hours.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that visitor arrivals decreased by 13.5% year-on-year to 2,270,585 in March 2015, the lowest number since October 2012; same-day visitors totalled 1,242,058 (54.7% of total), down by 10.9%. The average length of stay of visitors decreased by 0.1 day year-on-year to 0.9 day; overnight and same-day visitors had an average stay of 1.9 days and 0.2 day respectively. Analysed by place of residence, visitors from most countries or places recorded year-on-year decrease. Visitors from Mainland China decreased notably by 17.6% year-on-year to 1,457,641, coming primarily from Guangdong Province (639,835), Fujian Province (65,433) and Hunan Province (53,592). Mainland visitors travelling under the Individual Visit Scheme dropped by 9.7%, at 666,319. Visitors from Hong Kong (509,699), Taiwan (73,649) and Japan (28,459) decreased by 2.4%, 4.7% and 6.0% respectively year-on-year, whilst visitors from the Republic of Korea (43,613) saw the only increase of 7.4%. Long-haul visitors from the United States (15,230), Australia (7,405), Canada (6,446) and the United Kingdom (5,300) registered year-on-year decline. Regarding mode of transport, visitor arrivals by land totalled 1,245,657, down by 12.4% year-on-year; visitors entering through the Border Gate accounted for 88.9% of the total, at 1,106,957, down by 13.4%, while those arriving via the Checkpoint of Cotai dropped by 2.4% to 136,683. Visitor arrivals by sea decreased by 17.2% year-on-year to 859,501, of which visitors entering via the Outer Harbour (532,130) and the Provisional Ferry Terminal in Taipa (306,340) dropped by 15.5% and 17.1% respectively. Visitor arrivals by air decreased slightly by 0.3% year-on-year to 165,427, with 164,606 entering via the airport, up by 0.6% year-on-year. In the first quarter of 2015, visitor arrivals totalled 7,412,221, down by 3.6% year-on-year, with same-day visitors increasing by 1.7% to 4,193,274 (56.6% of total). Visitors from Mainland China (5,025,943), Hong Kong (1,505,695) and Taiwan (224,808) dropped by 2.9%, 4.0% and 1.5% respectively year-on-year, while those from the Republic of Korea (168,644) increased by 10.8%. Moreover, long-haul visitors from the United States, Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom recorded year-on-year decrease.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that the total land area of Macao measured 30.3 km2 in 2014. The population density went up from 19,500 people per km2 in 2013 to 20,500 people per km2. The annual mean air temperature was 22.7 ºC, up by 0.3 ºC year-on-year. Total precipitation was 1,584 mm, down by 981 mm year-on-year. Total duration of sunshine or insolation time was 1,871 hours, up by 147 hours year-on-year. As regards air quality, all monitoring stations recorded year-on-year decrease in number of “Poor” air quality days. Number of “Poor” air quality days recorded at the monitoring stations at Roadside (Rua do Campo) (52 days), the Big Taipa Hill (29 days) and the high density residential area in the Northern District (30 days) decreased by 13 days, 11 days and 10 days respectively. Nevertheless, the monitoring stations at the high density residential area in the Northern District and the Big Taipa Hill recorded increase in the percentage share of "Moderate" air quality, whereas the share of "Good" air quality decreased by 8.5 and 2.4 percentage points respectively. Meanwhile, the four monitoring stations that measure fine suspended particulates (PM2.5) recorded the highest PM2.5 index of the year in January, with the monitoring station at Roadside (Rua do Campo) leading at 158.8 μg/m3. Acid rain was recorded on 77 days in 2014, down by 7 days year-on-year. Total water consumption was 83,486,000 m3 in 2014, up by 6.4% year-on-year. Water consumption by the business sector (42,697,000 m3) and households (35,266,000 m3) increased by 7.2% and 5.2% respectively year-on-year. Meanwhile, the Waste Water Treatment Plants treated an average of 216,917 m3 of waste water per day, up by 0.9% year-on-year. A total of 218,987 tonnes of domestic waste were collected in 2014, up by 5.4% year-on-year; volume of waste from the business sector increased significantly by 14.8% to 122,906 tonnes. Volume of solid waste incinerated totalled 457,370 tonnes, up by 15.3% year-on-year. The landfill area treated a total of 4,376,000 m3 of renovation and construction waste, up by 11.5%.
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