News

With the growing popularity of smart phones and other mobile communications devices, Macao Post will launch the "Macao Post App" (Apps) on 9th October 2015. This App is convenient for the public to find Macao Post's information at all times. Functions include the latest news, mail tracking , postage calculator and searching postal network. The first phase of launching will be the traditional Chinese, simplified Chinese, Portuguese and English versions apply to "Android" system. "Android" mobile can free install the "Macao Post App" in the "Google Play Store".
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In accordance with the promotional campaign of the Universal Postal Union, Macao Post specially printed the “Keep me safe to get me there faster” Postcards in order to enhance the awareness of the senders for not posting dangerous and prohibited goods. Postcards will be offered freely at Central post office and all the branches starting from 9th October. The purpose of this promotional campaign is to strengthen the publics’ awareness of all the dangerous and prohibited goods (includes lithium battery, nail polish and perfume etc.) which shall not be sent by air mail or EMS. Safe mailing ensures the items can be delivered to the addressees more secure and faster. For more information, please visit www.upu.int/keepmesafe. Each person is allowed to get 1 for free per time, and the postcards are available while stock lasts.
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According to statistics released today by the Monetary Authority of Macao, broad money supply continued to fall in August. As total loans grew 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 0.8% whereas demand deposits grew 1.5%. M1 thus increased 1.1% from one month earlier. Concurrently, quasi-monetary liabilities dropped 1.7%. The sum of these two items, i.e. M2, decreased 1.4% to MOP478.5 billion. On an annual basis, M1 and M2 dropped 5.0% and 2.2% respectively. The share of Pataca (MOP) in M2 stood at 28.0%, down 0.3 percentage points from a month ago but up 3.2 percentage points from a year earlier. The share of Hong Kong Dollar (HKD) in M2 was 49.1%, up 0.6 percentage points month-to-month but down 1.3 percentage points year-on-year. The share of Chinese Yuan (CNY) was 10.1%, down 0.9 percentage points month-to-month or 5.9 percentage points year-on-year. The share of United States Dollar (USD) was 10.6%, up 0.6 percentage points month-to-month or 3.8 percentage points year-on-year. Deposits Resident deposits decreased 1.4% from the preceding month to MOP467.0 billion. Of which, MOP HKD, CNY and other foreign currency deposits decreased at respective rates of 2.6%, 0.2%, 9.5% and 2.1% whereas USD deposits increased 4.7%. Non-resident deposits rose 2.9% to MOP256.1 billion. Public sector deposits with the banking sector increased 2.1% to MOP125.6 billion. As a result, total deposits with the banking sector grew 0.4% from a month earlier to MOP848.6 billion. The shares of MOP, HKD, CNY and USD in total deposits were 19.7%, 41.0%, 12.3% and 23.2% respectively. Loans Domestic loans to the private sector increased 0.5% from a month ago to MOP386.1 billion. Among which, MOP103.6 billion was MOP-denominated, MOP252.9 billion was denominated in HKD, MOP3.1 billion was denominated in CNY and MOP23.9 billion was denominated in USD, representing 26.8%, 65.5%, 0.8% and 6.2% of the total respectively. On the other hand, external loans grew 1.9% to MOP395.2 billion; of which, loans denominated in MOP, HKD, CNY and USD accounted for 1.5% (MOP5.8 billion), 23.7% (MOP93.8 billion), 19.4% (MOP76.7 billion) and 49.9% (MOP197.1 billion) respectively. Operating ratios At end-August, the loan-to-deposit ratio for the resident sector grew 0.8 percentage points from the previous month to 65.2%. The ratio for both the resident and non-resident sectors also rose 0.8 percentage points to 92.1%. The one-month and three-month current assets to liabilities ratios stayed at relatively high levels, marked at 60.2% and 60.0% respectively. The non-performing loan ratio, an indicator for bank asset quality, was 0.1%, virtually stable when compared with the previous month but down 0.2 percentage points from the same period last year.
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Respond to the Universal Postal Union for the celebration of the World Post Day, the Postal Administration achieves various activities relative to this event. Macao Post announced that a Temporary Post Counter will be set up at our Philatelic Shop located at Macao Post Headquarters and the Communications Museum on 9th October 2015 providing the commemorative cancellation service for the “World Post Day – UPU”. Opening hours as following: Philatelic Shop of Macao Post Headquarters: 9:00 – 17:30 Shop of Communications Museum: 9:30 – 17:30 A commemorative envelope will be distributed to public, and various philatelic products will also be available for sale during the above activity. Welcome to visit and collect Macao Stamps.
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The Macao Orchestra, under the Cultural Affairs Bureau, was invited to perform in the International Bruckner Festival 2015 in Linz, Austria, representing China, and give six concerts in cities such as Erl and Vienna in Austria, Zurich in Switzerland and Budapest in Hungary, from 10 to 24 September. Through its steady and solid performances, the Orchestra demonstrated to European audiences the Macao SAR Government’s excellent achievements in culture and art, garnering recognition and great acclaim from different sectors. The Macao delegation was led by the Vice-President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Leung Hio Ming, and was directed by Music Director and Principal Conductor Lu Jia and Assistant Conductor Francis Kan. The ensemble prepared four concerts repertoires and collaborated with young Chinese soloists, including rising star pianist Zhang Haochen, sheng player Wu Wei and talented 14-year-old pianist Su Fei Nga, to demonstrate Chinese contemporary musical achievements and Macao’s efforts in supporting local musical development. The concerts were well received by Chinese ambassadors in different countries, directors of music and arts festivals as well as musical celebrities and fans who participated in the events. Many of them gave standing ovations and lauded the performances as rarely seen musical spectacles. In addition, the concerts were recorded and broadcast live by local media. Reporters from Austria even equated the Orchestra with world-class ensembles. During the concerts, representatives of the Macao Cultural Affairs Bureau distributed brochures to promote Macao as World Heritage to local audiences. Meanwhile, Lu Jia conducted the Linz Bruckner Orchestra in the opening concert of the International Bruckner Festival, which was attended by Austrian President Hans Fischer, Chinese Ambassador to Austria Zhao Bin and local political personages. After the performances, Hans Fischer credited Lu Jia as a brilliant interpreter of European music. He gently exchanged opinions with Lu Jia and Leung Hio Ming about the concerts and the future development of the Macao Orchestra. The musicians were also received by Klaus Luger, the Mayor of Linz, at the city hall, who thanked them for presenting performances of superb quality. Leung Hio Ming and Lu Jia were also invited to the meeting, where they exchanged souvenirs and ideas of cultural exchanges between Macao and Europe. The Macao Orchestra positions itself as a small-to-medium-sized orchestra devoted to European music, with a focus on traditional Austro-German symphonic works. The ensemble acts as a steadfast promoter of art and music in Macao and serves as a cultural brand of the city on the international stages. Over the past decade, the Macao Orchestra has been playing the role of cultural ambassador of Macao. Up to last year, its performances have achieved great success in more than forty cities and autonomous regions in over thirty provinces in China. The Orchestra is the first musical ensemble to tour the country, reaping remarkable results from its trips. This tour to Europe has not only boosted the fame of Macao Orchestra in Europe but also promoted Macao’s cultural accomplishments and image. It is expected that the Macao Orchestra will gradually rise from a regionally-known ensemble in Asia to a world-class international musical performing group.
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The Macao Orchestra, under the auspices of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, will present Journey into the World of Music – The Lost Elephant, a Comedy Concert at the Macao Cultural Centre Grand Auditorium on Sunday 6 December 2015 at 3:00pm. Combining mime, fairytales and classical music, American artist Dan Kamin promises the audience an entertaining and thrilling performance. The concert is suitable for those aged 3 or above, and tickets are now available at the Macau Ticketing Network. Dan Kamin is actively engaged with film and theatre and created the physical comedy sequences for Chaplin and Benny and Joon, whilst his enthusiasm for classical music allows him to appear on stage in concert halls all over the world. In his first visit to Macao, he will present the Comedy Concerto which he composed himself. Dan has performed this show and toured with many symphonies in Singapore, Shanghai, Malaysia, Philadelphia, etc. Beautiful classical music combined with the eye-popping performance of Dan Kamin will give audiences an extraordinary classical music listening experience. Journey into the World of Music – The Lost Elephant, a Comedy Concert was originally scheduled for 2:30pm on 6 December 2015 but has now been changed to 3:00pm on the same day. Tickets are priced at MOP150, and a family discount packages is available by purchasing tickets personally at the Macau Ticketing Network or via the Internet. The Macao Ticketing mobile application and the self-service ticket purchasing machines do not yet support the purchasing of discount packages. Booking Hotline: (853) 2855 5555.For details and programme enquiries, please visit the Macao Orchestra website: www.icm.gov.mo/om.
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Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO) led a delegation of local industry partners to participate in the 23rd edition of Incentive Travel & Conventions, Meetings Asia (IT&CMA 2015) in Thailand and jointly promote Macau as a business travel destination. In addition, the Tourist Office was presented the Best National Tourism Office (N.T.O.) of Travel Services Awards in the 26th Annual TTG Travel Awards 2015 held concurrently. IT&CMA 2015 was held in Bangkok, Thailand from 29 September to 1 October. As a leading exhibition for business tourism industry in the Asia-Pacific Region, IT&CMA presents an effective platform for industry partners to promote incentive travel. Approximately 900 exhibitors as well as 400 industry buyers from some 50 countries and regions attended the event this year. International industry buyers from India, Poland and the United States account for the biggest proportion of participants. The key program of IT&CMA 2015 also features themed talks, seminars, forums and so on. MGTO ran a booth under the theme "Touching Moments, Experience Macau" this year and partnered with around 30 enterprises to present the destination’s business tourism products and facilities to their international counterparts and industry buyers. The enterprises include hotels, convention and exhibition companies, travel agencies, entertainment businesses, airlines and ferry operators from Macau. The MGTO team also took the opportunity to advertise its "Travel Stimulation Program" among incentive travel organizers. On the closing day of IT&CMA, TTG Asia organized the TTG Travel Awards 2015 in Bangkok. Macau Government Tourist Office was entitled the Best National Tourism Office (N.T.O.) of Travel Services Awards in acknowledgment of its excellent work as a tourism entity. As the most prestigious annual travel industry awards in Asia-Pacific, TTG Travel Awards is established to recognize the most outstanding organizations and individuals in the industry across the Region. All the winners are chosen through a process of nomination and voting by tourism industry professionals.
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The Secretary for Justice and Administration, Ms Chan Hoi Fan, chaired a plenary session of the Coordinating Council for Reform of Public Administration. Issues discussed included how to optimise the coordinating mechanism for legislative proceedings, and reform of the centralised system for drafting legislation. At the session, held on 5 October, the Secretary, who is also the President of the Council, stressed the aim of strengthening the coordinating mechanism was to make preparation of legislation more efficient, and to enhance the quality and efficiency of legislation drafted by different departments of the Government. Members of the Council also discussed the issue of simultaneous consultation on different policies. They agreed to strengthen internal communication for the coordination of consultative works. Ms Chan said it was necessary continuously to optimise the arrangement for collecting public opinions regarding different policies. That was in order for the public to acquire relevant information more easily and express their opinions accordingly, she said. Other members at the meeting included: the Council’s Acting Secretary-General Ms Joana Maria Noronha; representatives of policy secretaries; representatives of legal affairs departments; representatives of the Civil and Municipal Affairs Bureau; and representatives of the Financial Services Bureau. The Coordinating Council for Reform of Public Administration was established in 2007. Its aim is to accommodate the decision-making of the Public Administration Reform Consultation Committee; to coordinate policy consultation; and to formulate planning for policy execution.
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Consumer Council conducted its first ‘Supermarket price survey’ in October on 5 October 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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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 second round of lucky draw took place today (5 October) 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 who are tourists from the following countries and regions, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Mainland China and Thailand. 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, a total of 15,070 users have downloaded the “Step Out, Macau” mobile App. During the period from 12 June to 4 October, some 967 visitors uploaded selfies to enter the lucky draw. The participants came from the following countries and regions, including Hong Kong, Taiwan, Mainland China, Korea, the United Kingdom and so forth. Most of the visitors took selfies at attractions 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”. Following 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” in mid June this year. The activity comes with two parts – “Show Selfies for Souvenir” and “Upload Selfies to enter the Lucky Draw”, with three rounds of lucky draw in total for the latter. The third round of lucky draw is scheduled on 1 December. The activity “Take Selfies to Win Prizes” is held from 12 June until 30 November this year to encourage locals and visitors to explore the hidden gems of local neighborhoods. The activity aims also to promote community and smart tourism. During the abovementioned period, locals and visitors can redeem souvenirs with their selfies in the activity “Show Selfies for Souvenir”. 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. 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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