News

Consumer Council's latest issue no. 258 Consumer Report is now available and a review on all the cases handled last year (2014) is included. The Council handled almost 7,000 cases last year and the total amount of claims involved exceeds 90 million patacas. For the 1,668 complaint cases, a settlement rate of 96 percent has been reached.
The Council handled a total number of 6,981 cases in 2014. Among all these cases, 1,668 are complaints with a settlement rate of 96 percent, 5,250 enquiries and 63 suggestions. The total amount of money involved exceeds 90 million patacas, which is about double of that of 2013. Among all these claims, about 8 million patacas are related to tourists' spending, which is about 10 percent of the yearly total amount.
The top 5 categories of complaints are telecommunication services (220 cases), telecommunication products (208 cases), food & beverages (121 cases), electrical products (113 cases), and public transportation (87 cases). The total number of complaint cases of these 5 categories amounts to 749 cases, which is 45 percent of the total complaint cases received in 2014. The number of telecommunication services cases has increased by about 5 percent compared to the number of 2013. Among the 220 cases lodged, 113 are related to 3G mobile phone service charges and trade practices of telecommunication service providers. The number of telecommunication products cases (208 cases) has increased by 3.5 percent compared to the previous year in which 22 cases involves the selling prices of mobile phones. Other categories with obvious increase include taxi services, jewelry & ornaments, aviation services, etc. Meanwhile, categories such as photographic equipment, real estate and computer products, which were all commonly seen with complaints, recorded decrease in the number of complaint cases in 2014.
The number of complaints and enquiries lodged by tourists are 443 and 503 respectively, which leads to a total of 946 cases. The top 5 categories among those cases includes telecommunication products (109 cases), jewelry & ornaments (57 cases), watches (53 cases), clothing & apparel (35 cases), and food & beverages (30 cases). These 5 categories amounts to 284 complaint cases, which is about 64 percent of the total number of tourists' complaints.
A detail analysis and highlights of complaint cases of 2014 are included in Consumer Report issue no. 258, the Council reminds consumers to compare prices of products and services prior to making purchase, and ask for the relevant receipt to safeguard consumers' own rights to claim; meanwhile, traders are requested to adopt good trade practices, which include the labeling of prices of products and services, and the provision of a clear and understandable contract for the transaction. The Council conducted a test on the efficiency and quality of 10 brands of dishwashing detergents. All the samples passed the quoted standard. Consumers may refer to the latest issue of Consumer Report for details.
Consumer Report is now available free of charge at the Consumer Council (Av. Horta e Costa, N.º 24-A, Edf. Cheung Heng, R/C), and the service counter of the Council at Macao SAR Government Service Centre (Rua Nova da Areia Preta, Nº52), Public Information Centre at Vicky Plaza, libraries and bookstores. Consumers may also access the magazine online on the Council's official website (http://www.consumer.gov.mo). For enquiries, please call 8988 9315. The above article can be downloaded at http://www.consumer.gov.mo/c/ccnews.asp
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that the Composite CPI for January 2015 increased by 4.75% year-on-year to 103.41, attributable to rising rentals for dwellings, higher prices of clothing and dearer charges for eating out. The smaller year-on-year increase was owing to the higher base of comparison in January 2014 when the Lunar New Year festivities drove up prices of goods and services. In comparison with January 2014, notable increase was observed in the price index of Housing & Fuels (+11.64%), and price index of Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages and Health rose by 5.41% and 5.26% respectively. On the contrary, price index of Transport and Recreation & Culture decreased by 1.77% and 1.17% respectively. The CPI-A (103.54) and CPI-B (102.37) increased by 5.30% and 4.27% respectively year-on-year. The Composite CPI for January 2015 edged down by 0.03% month-to-month. Price index of Clothing & Footwear; Recreation & Culture and Transport decreased by 2.85%, 2.18% and 1.58% on account of seasonal sale of winter clothing, lower charges for package tours and receding prices of gasoline. On the other hand, higher rentals for dwellings and rising charges for domestic services drove up the price index of Housing & Fuels and Household Goods & Furnishings by 0.84% and 0.80% respectively. Meanwhile, receding prices of vegetables, fresh pork and seafood tapered off the increase in the price index of Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages. The CPI-A and CPI-B decreased marginally by 0.03% and 0.08% respectively month-to-month. For the 12 months ended January 2015, the average Composite CPI increased by 5.91% from the previous period. Price index of Housing & Fuels (+11.96%) and Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages (+6.00%) registered remarkable increase, while price index of Communication decreased by 0.15%. The average CPI-A and CPI-B rose by 6.44% and 5.72% respectively. The Composite CPI reflects the impact of price changes on the general households. The CPI-A relates to about 50% of the households, which have an average monthly expenditure of MOP10,000 to MOP29,999. The CPI-B relates to about 30% of the households, which have an average monthly expenditure of MOP30,000 to MOP54,999.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that visitor arrivals decreased by 1.5% year-on-year to 2.47 million in January 2015; same-day visitors accounted for 55.9% of the total, at 1.38 million. 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 Mainland China decreased by 1.2% year-on-year to 1.67 million, coming primarily from Guangdong Province (706,569), Fujian Province (73,164) and Hunan Province (65,565); Mainland visitors travelling under the Individual Visit Scheme dropped by 8.1%, at 765,323. Visitors from Hong Kong (473,200) and Taiwan (76,983) decreased by 4.2% and 1.1% respectively year-on-year, while those from the Republic of Korea (68,791) increased by 16.3%. Long-haul visitors from the United States (13,532), Australia (10,090), Canada (5,391) and the United Kingdom (3,829) registered year-on-year decline. Regarding mode of transport, visitor arrivals by land totalled 1.38 million, down by 4.7% year-on-year, with 1.21 million entering through the Border Gate, down by 5.7%, and 166,009 arriving via the Checkpoint of Cotai, up by 3.9%. Visitor arrivals by sea increased by 2.4% year-on-year to 912,350, of which visitors entering via the Outer Harbour (562,388) decreased by 0.7% while those arriving via the Provisional Ferry Terminal in Taipa (319,461) rose notably by 21.9%. Visitor arrivals by air increased by 5.3% year-on-year to 170,534, with those entering via the airport accounting for 99.0%.
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Aiming to promote the advantages of Macao´s convention and exhibition industry and to attract a greater number of internationally renowned MICE events to Macao, IPIM´s Executive Director, Mrs. Irene V. K. Lau, travelled to Melbourne, Australia, from 24 to 25 February, to participate in "The Asia-Pacific Incentives and Meetings Expo" (AIME 2015). AIME 2015 is one of Asia-Pacific´s most influential events of the convention and exhibition industry, having attracted last year, over 700 exhibitors and more than 3,000 qualified buyers from over 50 countries and regions. AIME 2015´s exhibitors included government tourist departments, government departments for the development of the MICE industry, hotel operators, convention centres, technology providers, airlines, convention and exhibition centres, international business associations, destination management service operators, conference and public relations operators, transportation and tour operators, and also travel industry publishers. In the course of the two-day event, a press conference was organised by IPIM. Mrs. Irene V. K. Lau, Executive Director of IPIM, and Mr. Mike Williams, Senior Consultant of GainingEdge which provides MICE consultancy service to IPIM, promoted the strength of Macao's convention and exhibition industry and IPIM's "One-Stop Service" for MICE Bidding and Support in Macao respectively. Latest development in Macao's MICE industry was also mentioned in a bid to develop the international tourist market and attract to Macao the holding of greater number of international convention and exhibition events. Several media members from the Asia-Pacific region attended the press conference and respective feedback was both proactive and positive. Through this press conference, it is expected that the media will widely disseminate the services provided by Macao´s convention and exhibition sector, and thus assist in the expansion of the local MICE market. Furthermore, IPIM has set-up a promotion counter in the "Macao Pavilion" located at the AIME 2015´s venue, to promote the "One-Stop Service" for MICE Bidding and Support in Macao and to answer enquiries from the visitors. At the same time, IPIM´s delegates participated in 20 business-matching sessions arranged by the Organisers of the AIME 2015, to conduct business negotiations with potential buyers and promote Macao as an ideal destination for conventions and exhibitions. Other exhibitors in the "Macao Pavilion" included the Macao Government Tourist Office, as well as local tourist agencies and professional conference organizers.
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The new Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC, from the Portuguese acronym) "Academic Research Grant Regulations" came into effect on February 1. Eligible academics can submit their applications to IC from 1 March to 31 May 2015. The new "Academic Research Grant Regulations" aims at encouraging original academic research on the culture of Macao and on the cultural exchange between Macao, Mainland China and other countries. Local or overseas doctorate degree holders, with proven academic research experience, and local or overseas individuals with sufficient research experience and recognized academic production are eligible to apply and submit the duly filled out application form to IC by double registered mail or in person. Applicants must also submit their curriculum vitae, research project plan and certified copies of educational qualification certificates; incomplete applications or applications that fail to comply with the above will not be accepted. The grants, in the amount of MOP280,000.00 and MOP250,000.00, will be awarded according to the applicant's academic background and to the content of the project and are subject to IC's decision under proposal of the Selection Panel. The "Academic Research Grant Regulations" and application forms are available for reference and download at IC's webpage: www.icm.gov.mo. Applications must be submitted before the deadline otherwise they will not be accepted. For more information, please contact Ms. Silvia Kuan, staff member of IC, through 8399 6381 during office hours, or by email: silviak@icm.gov.mo.
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Consumer Council conducted its seventh 'Supermarket price survey' in February on 24 February 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 over 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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Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO) participated in Asia-Pacific Incentives and Meetings Expo 2015 (AIME 2015) held in Melbourne, Australia to attract more industry partners to Macau for conventions and incentive travel. MGTO joined with Macau Trade and Investment Promotion Institute and trade representatives of nine local enterprises to promote Macau's business travel and Incentive Travel Stimulation Program among the participants and incentive-travel organizers at AIME 2015 in Melbourne during February 24 and 25. Themed under its promotional slogan "Touching Moments, Experience Macau", MGTO set up a 90-square-meter booth in the expo to promote the Incentive Travel Stimulation Program and showcase Macau's latest business tourism development and products including event venues, hotels, sightseeing attractions, restaurants, events and festivities plus various development plans. Being one of the premier events in the meetings and events industry in the Asia-Pacific region, AIME was named "Best Exhibition" in the annual Australian Event Awards (AEA) in 2014. This year's AIME was held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre and encompassed a tradeshow, education seminar and networking sessions, providing an important communication platform for industry delegates from around the world.
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Four more photo collections on eye-catching activities over the Lunar New Year holidays are now posted on the Government Information Bureau's mobile application "MSAR News". The photographs, taken by the Bureau's photographers, are "First joss stick lit in the A-Ma temple" by Vitor Ng Alves, "The Lunar New Year parade" by Ho Kuok Wai, Kong Chan Wai's "Fun with firecrackers" and Weng Chan's "Parade in Celebration of the Year of the Ram". The collections captured memorable moments in major celebratory activities, including worshippers praying for good fortune, people enjoying the colourful holidays and the city's lively atmosphere, with 10 pictures in each collection. One of the "MSAR News" functions, the "Gallery" has already collected various themed 129 photo albums. Other functions include "News", "News Features", "Hot News", and "Hot News Photos", offering users real-time news, government information, pictures and local weather reports. The app is available for both iOS (Version 5.1 or above) and Android (Version 4.0 or above) systems. It can be searched and downloaded with the keyword "MSAR News" in App Store and Google Play.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that total spending (excluding gaming expenses) of visitors in the fourth quarter of 2014 amounted to MOP14.05 billion, down by 13.9% from MOP16.32 billion in the fourth quarter of 2013. Spending of overnight visitors totalled MOP11.06 billion, down by 17.7% year-on-year, while that of same-day visitors increased by 4.2% to MOP3.00 billion. Per-capita spending of visitors was MOP1,757, a decrease of 20.2% year-on-year. Total spending of visitors for the whole year of 2014 reached MOP61.75 billion, up by 3.7% from MOP59.54 billion in 2013, with that of overnight and same-day visitors rising 2.6% and 9.1%, at MOP50.88 billion and MOP10.87 billion respectively. Per-capita spending of visitors for the whole year of 2014 was MOP1,959, down by 3.5% year-on-year. Analysed by place of residence, per-capita spending of visitors from Mainland China was MOP2,038 in the fourth quarter of 2014, a drop of 27.3% year-on-year, and spending of those travelling under the Individual Visit Scheme (IVS) decreased by 10.0%, at MOP2,618. Per-capita spending of visitors from Singapore and Malaysia increased by 10.2% and 5.1%, at MOP1,977 and MOP1,718 respectively, whereas that of visitors from Japan (MOP1,716), Taiwan (MOP1,510) and Hong Kong (MOP912) registered year-on-year decrease. Visitors from the United Kingdom had relatively high per-capita spending among the long-haul visitors, at MOP1,518, up by 19.0% year-on-year. Per-capita spending of overnight visitors dropped by 18.4% year-on-year to MOP3,082 in the fourth quarter, and that of same-day visitors decreased by 8.9%, at MOP679. Despite the decrease of 26.1% and 14.1% year-on-year in per-capita spending, overnight and same-day Mainland visitors still had the highest spending of MOP3,587 and MOP815 respectively, while per-capita spending of overnight and same-day IVS visitors reached MOP4,632 and MOP1,368. Moreover, per-capita spending of overnight visitors from Taiwan and Singapore was MOP3,262 and MOP3,168 respectively. Analysed by consumption structure, visitors spent mainly on Shopping (45.3%), Accommodation (26.9%) and Food & Beverage (19.9%) in the fourth quarter of 2014. Per-capita shopping spending of visitors dropped notably by 27.4% year-on-year to MOP796, and the preferred shopping items included Local Food Products (26.1%), Jewellery & Watches (18.6%) and Cosmetics & Perfume (16.9%). Analysed by place of residence, visitors from Mainland China spent an average of MOP1,079 on shopping, fell by 32.8% year-on-year, while that of IVS visitors reached MOP1,648. Meanwhile, long-haul visitors spent primarily on Accommodation and Food & Beverage. According to the results of Visitors' Comments Survey in the fourth quarter, about 88.2% of the visitor-users were satisfied with the services and facilities of hotels, up by 2.3 percentage points from the third quarter, and 82.0% complimented about the services of shops, up by 0.7 percentage points. On the other hand, 40.4% of the visitors commented that points of tourist attractions were adequate, down by 6.5 percentage points quarter-to-quarter, while 18.8% considered that public transport services should be improved, up by 1.8 percentage points.
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The grand outdoor Lunar New Year festivities — "Parade for the Celebration of the Year of Ram" was held tonight (21 February). Celebrating the festive joy with locals and visitors, the event featured parade floats and local display, performances by over 1,000 performers, fireworks show as well as performances presented by famous Hong Kong and Macau singers. Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macau SAR Government, Alexis, Tam Chon Weng; Director of Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO), Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes; Administration Committee member of Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau (IACM), Ma Kam Keong; President of Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC), Ung Vai Meng; President of Macao Sport Development Board (MSDB), José Tavares and Deputy Director of Asia Tourism Exchange Center Ltd. of China National Tourism Administration (CNTA), Ma Jie officiated the opening ceremony along with other guests at the front square of Macau Science Center at 8 p.m. Well-known Hong Kong singer Miriam Yeung gave a performance while Hong Kong artist Johnson Lee was the host of the night, adding much joy and festive vibe to the event. The theme of the parade this year is "Adorn the City with Opulence and Joy". There were a total of 14 floats joining the parade along with 25 local groups and 9 performing groups from the Mainland; Korea; Hong Kong; Italy; Japan; Malaysia; Portugal; Thailand and Taiwan, China respectively. The number of performers totaled 1,288. There were three performance themes namely "Rejoice into the New Year", "Blessings of Prosperity" and "Blooming into Brilliance". The floats and performing groups marched along Avenida Dr. Sun Yat-Sen in Macau until the destination at Sai Van Lake Square before Macau Tower. A giant blooming golden lotus adorns the main part of MGTO's float, with a turning pinwheel at the middle and many small floral decorations on both sides of the float. The design symbolizes Macau's flourishing development in every area and prosperous business for all industries. It also conveys the best wishes that visitors and Macau citizens can enjoy prosperity, happiness and reunion with families. IACM's float, on the other hand, brings out the theme of colorful carnival. Its main design features the Chinese Zodiac character Ram holding firecrackers in hand. The design of IC's float is about celebrating the 10th anniversary since the Historic Centre of Macau was inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List, whereas MSDB's float is designed to boost the joyful ambience with its bright red hue, traditional Chinese carving patterns and pictures of Ram. As for CNTA's float, the theme is "Beautiful China 2015 – Year of Silk Road Tourism". Other float sponsors include Galaxy Entertainment Group, Suncity Group, Sands Resorts Cotai Strip Macao, Zhuhai Chimelong International Ocean Resort, City of Dreams, MGM Macau, Sociedade de Jogos de Macau, S.A., Wynn Macau and Exmoo News. Cotai Water Jet, Tung Cheng Yuen Buddhist Association and Shun Tak – China Travel Ship Management Limited: TurboJET sponsored the artistic performances. Other sponsoring entities include Coca-Cola. Stage performances began at Sai Van Lake Square at 8:15 p.m. tonight, starring local singers Rico Long, Priscilla Chao, Viviana Lo, Ken Sou, Vivian Chan, Sean Pang and Terence Chui. Part of the performing teams joined the stage performance as well after the parade arrived at Sai Van Lake Square, followed by the finale performance presented by famous Hong Kong singer Andy Hui. At 11 p.m. a myriad of fireworks dazzled the sky and culminated the night with joyful vibe. MGTO operated eight free shuttle bus routes between the event venues and different points on Macau Peninsula, Taipa and Coloane. To liven up the spectators' spirit, MGTO gave out small souvenirs along the parade route. In addition, the parade was live broadcasted on TV channels and LED screens installed at nine locations around town so that people can enjoy the festive celebrations in different local districts and Macau's neighboring regions. To encourage local citizens to participate in the event, MGTO hosts a mobile text message game once again for locals to choose "My Favorite Local Performing Team" on the third night of Lunar New Year. Those who have voted for the winning team are eligible for a lucky draw with a chance to win prizes. Moreover, the new "Interactive Wechat Game – Lucky Puzzle Draw" and "Wechat Message Wall" are launched this year to widen the coverage of the activity. On the tenth day of Lunar New Year, the "Parade for the Celebration of the Year of Ram" will again feature 14 floats. A kick-off ceremony will be held at Rua Norte do Patane at 8 p.m. The Parade will pass through Avenida do Conselheiro Borja and adjourn at Iao Hon Market Garden. Acclaimed Hong Kong singer Stephy Tang and local singers will liven up the evening with a series of wonderful performances for visitors and local residents. The 14 floats in the Parade are showcased at Sai Van Lake Square and Tap Seac Square during 21 – 28 February and 28 February – 8 March respectively. The floats will be brightened up with illuminations to allow photo opportunities for locals and visitors from 6 p.m. – 11 p.m. from 22 February until 7 March.
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