News

For the implementation of Section 2b), Article 10, Law 4/95/M of 12 June, Consumer Council conducted its specific price surveys on oral care products, tissue papers sand milk powder on 23 April. Results of the mentioned surveys have been uploaded to the Council’s website (www.consumer.gov.mo) and are available in the Council’s ‘Supermarket Price Information Platform’ iPhone and Android apps. For inquiry, please call the Council’s hotline: 8988 9315.
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The latest collection of photographs, on wild birds, is now available at the Government Information Bureau’s news application “MSAR News”. “A joyous scene in spring”, the collection of ten photographs is aimed at raising the awareness of wildlife conservation and environment protection in Macao. The Bureau’s photographer Ho Kuok Wai set camera gear in Guia Hill, Mount Fortress and Coloane, shooting the beauty and elegance of sunbirds, leiothrix, and starling in the fine spring. Other 141 sets covering a wide range of photos, showing the city’s special landscape and unforgettable moments from new and historic buildings, social characteristics and features, seasonal and festive activities, can be viewed in the app. It also offers various real-time news, government information, pictures and information on local weather. Besides the “Gallery” section, it has “News”, “News Features”, “Hot News”, and “Hot News Photos”. Under the “News” section, 13 categories are available for users to subscribe to. “MSAR News” is available for both iOS (Version 5.1 or above) and Android (Version 4.0 or above) systems. It can be downloaded by searching its name in App Store and Google Play.
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The CCAC has detected a case of passive corruption to perform illicit acts and illicit financial participation in legal acts allegedly committed by two staff members of the Transport Bureau (DSAT), one of them a chief. The case has been referred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP). Following the MP's suggestion, the Criminal Court immediately took the two public servants and a businessperson involved in the case into custody under the law. At the same time, other coercive measures including restriction from departure have been adopted against the three remaining suspects. A DSAT chief responsible for transportation management and one of his subordinates allegedly received a huge sum of illicit advantage and in return they conspired to help three management companies to get the short-term service contracts of public carpark management by manipulating the procedures of contract adjudication. Starting from 2012, the three companies have got over 60 contracts in total, accounting for around 70% of all public carpark management contracts in Macao in the same period and involving a sum totaling nearly MOP68 million. The two public servants have allegedly received bribes amounting to around MOP16 million. Moreover, they have also received other kinds of illicit advantages for a long time. During the investigation, the CCAC also found that the contracts stipulated that the management company should dispatch at least three security guards and one cleaner to the carparks to provide service. However, for a long time, the involved companies actually dispatched only one security guard to provide service in each of the numerous carparks managed by them. The two public servants of DSAT allegedly notified the companies of the inspection of the carparks in advance so that they could arrange personnel beforehand, making an illusion that the stipulated number of staff were working in the carparks pursuant to the contracts agreements. As a result, companies can thus reduce the recruitment of staff obtaining this way more profit. When CCAC staff arrested the involved parties, a total of MOP230,000 corrupted cash was seized at one of the public servant’s house. The case, together with the cash, has been forwarded to the Public Prosecutions Office. Considering that quite a large number of public carparks are involved in the case and for the purpose to assure the investigation and the following judicial procedure of the case will not affect the service and operation of the public carparks, CCAC has immediately liaised with DSAT so that it can adopt appropriate measures to ensure the public will not be affected in using the service of the carparks. CCAC has also urged the authority to improve the internal operation and supervision mechanism as soon as possible to plug the loophole.
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The Government would take advantages of the “Belt and Road” to further promote complementary co-operations in culture and tourism with the mainland, said the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Mr Tam Chon Weng. Speaking to the Vice Chairman of the China National Tourism Administration, Mr Li Shihong, in Beijing on 21 April, Mr Tam said the Government would give full play on the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road (“Belt and Road”), the framework laid down by President Xi Jinping, to further integrate into the global economy. In tourism, the Government put forward earlier optimisation measure on the facilitated individual travel scheme, with the aim to provide a better environment to visitors and maintain the people’s living quality. Mr Li briefed Mr Tam on the country’s tourism measures “515 Strategy”, namely to boost tourism development that focuses on “civilization, orderliness, security, convenience and prosperity”, which would bring more development opportunities to Macao. In today’s meeting with the Deputy Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council Mr Zhou Bo, Mr Tam expressed his appreciation for the Office’s long-term support on Macao’s social issues and the people’s livelihood. Mr Zhou spoke highly of the government’s people-oriented policies, saying there was more room for co-operation besides economic issues, such as education, culture, tourism, sports and social welfare. During the visit to the capital beginning 21 April, the delegation led by Mr Tam also visited the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Education, the State General Administration of Sports, the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and the National Health and Family Planning Commission. In meeting the Vice Minister of Culture, Mr Ding Wei, Mr Tam introduced the Government’s plan on furthering co-operation with the mainland in cultural exchanges, creative industry, personnel training, and the promotion of tangible and intangible cultural heritages. Mr Ding said he foresaw more participation of Macao in the country’s annual cultural promotion campaign across the world. To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Historic Centre of Macao, which was accredited by the United Nations of Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2005, Mr Tam said the Government would step up the promotion on cultural heritage, fortifying more co-ordination from industries such as culture, education and tourism. The State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the National Health and Family Planning Commission had rendered their full support to the city’s medical development, especially the Islands District Medical Complex and a joint project on traditional Chinese medicine with the World Health Organization. On the following day, representatives of Ministry of Education and the State General Administration of Sports and Mr Tam explored closer co-operation in personnel training and the establishment of an information exchange mechanism. Members of the delegation included Director of Macau Government Tourist Office, Ms Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes; the President of Cultural Affairs Bureau, Mr Ung Vai Meng; and the Director of Education and Youth Affairs Bureau, Ms Leong Lai.
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The Government would take advantages of the “Belt and Road” to further promote complementary co-operations in culture and tourism with the mainland, said the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Mr Tam Chon Weng. Speaking to the Vice Chairman of the China National Tourism Administration, Mr Li Shihong, in Beijing on 21 April, Mr Tam said the Government would give full play on the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road (“Belt and Road”), the framework laid down by President Xi Jinping, to further integrate into the global economy. In tourism, the Government put forward earlier optimisation measure on the facilitated individual travel scheme, with the aim to provide a better environment to visitors and maintain the people’s living quality. Mr Li briefed Mr Tam on the country’s tourism measures “515 Strategy”, namely to boost tourism development that focuses on “civilization, orderliness, security, convenience and prosperity”, which would bring more development opportunities to Macao. In today’s meeting with the Deputy Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council Mr Zhou Bo, Mr Tam expressed his appreciation for the Office’s long-term support on Macao’s social issues and the people’s livelihood. Mr Zhou spoke highly of the government’s people-oriented policies, saying there was more room for co-operation besides economic issues, such as education, culture, tourism, sports and social welfare. During the visit to the capital beginning 21 April, the delegation led by Mr Tam also visited the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Education, the State General Administration of Sports, the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and the National Health and Family Planning Commission. In meeting the Vice Minister of Culture, Mr Ding Wei, Mr Tam introduced the Government’s plan on furthering co-operation with the mainland in cultural exchanges, creative industry, personnel training, and the promotion of tangible and intangible cultural heritages. Mr Ding said he foresaw more participation of Macao in the country’s annual cultural promotion campaign across the world. To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Historic Centre of Macao, which was accredited by the United Nations of Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2005, Mr Tam said the Government would step up the promotion on cultural heritage, fortifying more co-ordination from industries such as culture, education and tourism. The State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the National Health and Family Planning Commission had rendered their full support to the city’s medical development, especially the Islands District Medical Complex and a joint project on traditional Chinese medicine with the World Health Organization. On the following day, representatives of Ministry of Education and the State General Administration of Sports and Mr Tam explored closer co-operation in personnel training and the establishment of an information exchange mechanism. Members of the delegation included Director of Macau Government Tourist Office, Ms Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes; the President of Cultural Affairs Bureau, Mr Ung Vai Meng; and the Director of Education and Youth Affairs Bureau, Ms Leong Lai.
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The Government would take advantages of the “Belt and Road” to further promote complementary co-operations in culture and tourism with the mainland, said the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Mr Tam Chon Weng. Speaking to the Vice Chairman of the China National Tourism Administration, Mr Li Shihong, in Beijing on 21 April, Mr Tam said the Government would give full play on the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road (“Belt and Road”), the framework laid down by President Xi Jinping, to further integrate into the global economy. In tourism, the Government put forward earlier optimisation measure on the facilitated individual travel scheme, with the aim to provide a better environment to visitors and maintain the people’s living quality. Mr Li briefed Mr Tam on the country’s tourism measures “515 Strategy”, namely to boost tourism development that focuses on “civilization, orderliness, security, convenience and prosperity”, which would bring more development opportunities to Macao. In today’s meeting with the Deputy Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council Mr Zhou Bo, Mr Tam expressed his appreciation for the Office’s long-term support on Macao’s social issues and the people’s livelihood. Mr Zhou spoke highly of the government’s people-oriented policies, saying there was more room for co-operation besides economic issues, such as education, culture, tourism, sports and social welfare. During the visit to the capital beginning 21 April, the delegation led by Mr Tam also visited the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Education, the State General Administration of Sports, the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and the National Health and Family Planning Commission. In meeting the Vice Minister of Culture, Mr Ding Wei, Mr Tam introduced the Government’s plan on furthering co-operation with the mainland in cultural exchanges, creative industry, personnel training, and the promotion of tangible and intangible cultural heritages. Mr Ding said he foresaw more participation of Macao in the country’s annual cultural promotion campaign across the world. To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Historic Centre of Macao, which was accredited by the United Nations of Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2005, Mr Tam said the Government would step up the promotion on cultural heritage, fortifying more co-ordination from industries such as culture, education and tourism. The State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the National Health and Family Planning Commission had rendered their full support to the city’s medical development, especially the Islands District Medical Complex and a joint project on traditional Chinese medicine with the World Health Organization. On the following day, representatives of Ministry of Education and the State General Administration of Sports and Mr Tam explored closer co-operation in personnel training and the establishment of an information exchange mechanism. Members of the delegation included Director of Macau Government Tourist Office, Ms Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes; the President of Cultural Affairs Bureau, Mr Ung Vai Meng; and the Director of Education and Youth Affairs Bureau, Ms Leong Lai.
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The Secretary for Economy and Finance, Mr Leong Vai Tac, has met with representatives of the city’s six casino operators, when they exchanged views on upward mobility of their employees. Mr Leong said the Government placed great importance to the workers’ career in the industry, such as the opportunities for upward and horizontal mobility, saying it was one of the factors to consider in the mid-term review in the industry. The review is scheduled in 2015 and 2016 to get a closer look on the city’s six gaming concessions which will expire on between 2020 and 2022. In the meeting held on 22 April, he said he believed the operators would strive to build a solid foundation in the industry, even though it underwent a period of consolidation, provide more on-the-job training to workers as a preparation for developing more non-gaming elements. The Labour Affairs Bureau and the Macau Productivity and Technology Transfer Centre would give their full support in training. The Labour Affairs Bureau together with the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau would pay close attention to casinos’ operation in protecting the rights of the workers. The Government would continue to keep in close touch with the labour associations to get better grasps of their working condition, he said. Representatives of the operators said they would provide more opportunities for workers with the completion of new projects. Officials who were at the meeting included the Director of Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau, Mr Manuel Joaquim das Neves; the Director of Labour Affairs Bureau, Mr Wong Chi Hong, together with representatives from SJM Holdings Ltd., Wynn Resorts (Macau) Limited and the other concessionaires.
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The Macao Orchestra visited the Our Lady of Fatima Girls’ School, Pui Ching Middle School, Santa Rosa de Lima English Secondary School (Chinese Section) and the Taipa Luso-Chinese School, in a concert tour entitled “Music in the Campus”. A string ensemble from the orchestra performed dance music in various styles combined with interactive activities, and both teachers and students enjoyed the music and participated enthusiastically in the activities. The four sessions of the attractive “Music in the Campus” concerts were attended by more than 600 teachers and students from upper primary to junior high. The ensemble selected especially various characteristic dance music pieces for these concerts, such as Basse-Danse and Mattachins (Sword Dance) from the Capriol Suite by Peter Warlock, Spider Dance by Michael Hopkins and Romanian Folk Dances by Béla Bartók, among others. The musicians also demonstrated the use of musical instruments, shared music knowledge and played interactive games with the students, enabling them to get acquainted with music in depth, whilst cultivating their interest in this art. In the future, the Orchestra will continue to hold similar educational concerts to enable more teachers and students to have extra-curricular musical experiences. Interested primary and secondary schools which would like to learn more or participate in these educational concerts should contact the Macao Orchestra through tel. no. (853) 8295 7322 during office hours.
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The opening ceremony of the “2015 Macao Library Week”, co-organized by the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC in the Portuguese acronym), the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau, the Education and Youth Affairs Bureau and the Macao Library and Information Management Association, was held at the Old Court Building on 18 April. The Macao Orchestra was invited to present two string quartet concerts at the Sir Robert Ho Tung Library as part of the Themed Libraries activity of the 2015 Macao Library Week. The Themed Libraries activity, one of the highlights of the 2015 Macao Library Week this year, included outreach programmes based on the themes and location of the libraries so that readers can experience the characteristics and the reading atmosphere of different libraries. In conjunction with the theme ‘Artistic Perspective’ of the Sir Robert Ho Tung Library, the Macao Orchestra performed a number of classical pieces in the garden of the library on 19 April, enthusiastically received by the public. The Macao Orchestra will present yet another string quartet concert on 26 April (Sunday) at 2:30pm. The programme of this concert includes an excerpt from the Serenade No. 13 for Strings in G major, K 525, and the Turkish March by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart as well as Hungarian Dance No. 5 by Johannes Brahms. Admission is free and anyone interested in reading and music is welcome to attend. For enquiries about this activity, please call IC through tel. no. (853) 8295 7329 during office hours.
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Consumer Council conducted its sixth ‘Supermarket price survey’ in April on 22 April for the implementation of Section 2b), Article 10, Law 4/95/M of 12 June. Surveyed locations included supermarkets in São Lázaro and São Lourenço Parishes. 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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