News

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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Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that the Composite CPI for March 2015 increased by 5.10% year-on-year to 104.54, down slightly from the 5.30% growth in February 2015. Rising rentals for dwellings and higher charges for eating out remained the main drivers of the increase in CPI. In comparison with March 2014, notable increase was observed in the price index of Housing & Fuels (+10.58%); Health (+5.71%) and Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages (+5.48%) on account of higher rentals for dwellings, as well as dearer charges for out-patient services and eating out. On the contrary, price index of Transport and Clothing & Footwear decreased by 0.66% and 0.39% respectively. The CPI-A (104.71) and CPI-B (103.08) increased by 5.46% and 4.27% respectively year-on-year. The Composite CPI for March 2015 increased by 0.19% month-to-month. Higher wages of domestic helpers and rising rentals for parking spaces drove up the price index of Household Goods & Furnishings and Transport by 1.69% and 1.52%. On the other hand, price index of Recreation & Culture and Clothing & Footwear decreased by 6.43% and 2.52% upon lower charges for package tours after the Lunar New Year and seasonal sale of winter clothing. The CPI-A increased by 0.22% month-to-month but the CPI-B edged down by 0.04%. For the 12 months ended March 2015, the average Composite CPI increased by 5.77% from the previous period. Price index of Housing & Fuels (+11.67%); Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages (+5.75%) and Health (+4.82%) registered remarkable increase. The average CPI-A and CPI-B rose by 6.24% and 5.49% respectively. The average Composite CPI (104.10) for the first quarter of 2015 increased by 5.05% year-on-year, with the price index of Housing & Fuels and Health increasing by 10.97% and 5.54% respectively. The average CPI-A and CPI-B rose by 5.45% and 4.43% 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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There was a fire accident in one of the rooms in Choi Kai Yau College at the University of Macau (UM). One security guard on campus arrived at the scene immediately and put out the fire. No student was injured in the incident. The university has taken follow-up actions and will actively cooperate with police investigation. At about 3:00am this morning, a fire accident occurred in one of the rooms on the first floor of Choi Kai Yau College at UM. After receiving the call, a fire crew immediately arrived at the scene. More than 200 students were evacuated immediately. One security guard felt sick from smoke inhalation while putting out the fire and was sent to the hospital. It is suspected that the fire was caused by a short circuit in an electric appliance used in the student’s room. No student was injured in the fire. During the incident, the fault protection system on campus worked properly, with tripping of the circuit breakers and fire alarm going into action as expected. The campus security guard acted swiftly, and managed to put out the fire before the fire crew arrived at the scene. The university would like to thank and compliment the security guard for his prompt assistance in putting out the fire. After the fire, the university’s senior management immediately called a meeting to discuss follow-up actions. The university also assigned staff to provide counselling for students and faculty members. It is reported that there was some conflict between one of the students and a journalist during the incident. That student’s intention was to protect the privacy and feelings of those students who were dressed only in underwear because of the hasty evacuation. The police are now looking into the incident, and the university will actively cooperate with police investigation.
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Three more IFT’s bachelor degree programmes are granted the prestigious UNWTO.TedQual Certificates for a time period of 4 years until March 2019. The programmes include: Tourism Retail and Marketing Management, Hotel Management - Evening Programme and Tourism Event Management - Evening Programme. The two evening programmes adopt Chinese as the teaching medium, with almost the same outline and content as the daytime programmes, and they produced their first batch of graduates to serve the industry in 2014. IFT is the first United Nations World Tourism Organization UNWTO.TedQual institution in tourism education in 2000, and the institute has constantly and successfully to renewal the Certificates every few years. Currently, IFT has 7 bachelor degrees certified by UNWTO Tedqual Certification, leading IFT to be one of the institutions with the most accredited bachelor degree programmes in the world. The Certification recognises the global standards of quality education and training in tourism that IFT has reached. However, it is not granted indefinitely, being subject to regular reviews to guarantee that the quality standards are maintained. Since 2000, several reviews were carried out, and it proves IFT’s quality standards are upheld by receiving the renewal certificates within these 15 years. IFT is the only higher education institution in Macao exclusively devoted to tourism and hospitality education. The Institute offers the largest selection of tourism and hospitality-related bachelor programmes in Macao, plus executive development courses and professional training. IFT has strong links with leading hotel and hospitality businesses in Macao and globally. The students can perform their internship in over 500 companies and organisations worldwide. Links have been established with over 85 organisations in 27 countries and regions. The international environment and specialised facilities on campus have provided the students the best environment to gain theory knowledge and practical skills by which to fulfill the requirement to take up the management positions in the industry.
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The Macau Grand Prix Committee (MGPC) today unveiled the most impressive line-up in event’s six-decade history. The race programme for the November 19 to 22 Suncity Group 62nd Macau Grand Prix features no fewer than four prestigious, international headline races: the Suncity Group Formula 3 Macau Grand Prix – FIA F3 Intercontinental Cup; the SJM Macau GT Cup - FIA GT World Cup; the Suncity Group Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix – 49th Edition; and the Suncity Group Macau Guia Race 2.0T, in addition to three support races. The celebrated Formula 3 Macau Grand Prix – FIA F3 Intercontinental Cup, first won by Ayrton Senna in 1983, and ever since firmly established as the finest talent showcase for future F1 stars, returns for its 33rd edition. Thirty of the world’s best young open-wheel drivers will be invited to take on the mighty Guia Circuit, regarded as the ultimate test of driver skill, courage and intelligence. Mr Frederic Bertrand, Director Circuit Championships Department/FIA General Secretary for Sport commented that Formula 3 has always been very successful in Macau, and that today the category is also healthy in both Japan and Europe. Bertrand stated that he believes this year’s FIA F3 Intercontinental Cup will once again attract a strong entry and be a great show. A spectacular success on its debut in 2008, the Macau GT Cup instantly attracted the attention of the world’s foremost GT car manufacturers as well as the leading names in international sportscar competition. This year, Macau’s remarkable achievements receive recognition of the highest order, with the city awarded the first FIA GT World Cup. That the newest world cup created by the sport’s global governing body is for GTs reflects the enormous popularity of this category of racing, and Macau’s selection as host for the inaugural event illustrates the city’s role in promoting its reputation. As in previous years, the SJM Macau GT Cup - FIA GT World Cup is for GT3-homologated sportscars, and driver eligibility and format details will be announced at a later date by Macau and the FIA. However, what is already assured is an historic moment this November when the greatest automobile names in GT competition, along with its most successful teams and accomplished drivers, assemble in Macau to contest the world’s first FIA cup for the burgeoning racing category. Mr Christian Schacht, President of the GT Commission, who is visiting Macau for meetings with the MGPC, commented that Macau was the ideal venue for the new FIA cup and together, the FIA and MGPC aim to create a unique event, as successful as the well-established Formula 3 Macau Grand Prix. As it approaches its half Century as one of the most celebrated – and respected – road races on earth, the Suncity Group Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix – 49th Edition is guaranteed to provide plenty of white-knuckle competition as the world’s leading road and endurance specialists brush the famous Macau Armco barriers at speeds of up to 280kph. Regarded as one of the greatest motorcycle street races, the event is attracting an increasingly international field each year. Since its creation in 1972 as a race for modified production cars, Macau’s famous Guia Race has become celebrated as an unrivalled end-of-season showstopper for international touring cars. Evolving through the decades along with the development of the automobile, the Guia Race has long been one of the Grand Prix’s most popular fixtures due to the fascinating diversity of its cars and drivers. This year, the Suncity Group Macau Guia Race 2.0T will once again be run as two races of 10 laps each, with two-litre turbocharged touring cars - such as those used in the new TCR International Series - eligible to enter. Entry will be at the invitation of the MGPC, looking at the popularity of the new series and the affordability of the cars. While the leading touring car drivers from around the world will be looking for a place on the Guia Race grid, Asia’s finest will do battle in the ever-popular CTM Macau Touring Car Cup. The Macau Road Sport Challenge, which last year featured cars by ten different manufacturers, is back for the eighth year, while the new, 10-lap Suncity Lotus Celebrity Cup Race will add an extra dash of star power to the four-day motorsport carnival. Preparations for the Suncity Group 62nd Macau Grand Prix are already well underway, with emphasis once again placed on both safety and the training of event personnel. With the Grand Prix’s success and reputation wholly dependent upon the support of local residents, the professionalism and competence of Macau’s marshals and race officials enjoys the official recognition of the FIA. Six Marshal training courses, will be organized by the Automobile General Association Macao-China (AAMC) between April and June, with a total of 720 participants. An FIA seminar will be held in June, with an FIM seminar following in August. In October, FIA doctors will visit Macau to conduct Rescue training. With a race programme of unprecedented stature, the assurance of the finest international and regional drivers from the worlds of open-wheel, sports and touring car competition, and the bravest, most skilled road and endurance motorcycle riders on earth, the Suncity Group 62nd Macau Grand Prix is guaranteed to be nothing short of sensational.
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