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Package tours and hotel occupancy rate for July 2014
Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that visitor arrivals in package tour increased by 35% year-on-year to 1,158,000 in July 2014, attributable to a 39% surge in visitors from Mainland China (946,000), with 367,000 coming from Guangdong Province. Visitors from Taiwan (75,000) and Japan (12,000) increased by 28% and 23% respectively, and those from the Republic of Korea (27,000) also registered a slight growth. On the contrary, visitors from Hong Kong (34,000) and Thailand (12,000) decreased by 5% and 22% respectively. In the first seven months of 2014, visitor arrivals in package tour reached 6,546,000, up by 19% year-on-year. Outbound residents using services of travel agencies were 158,000 in July, up by 26% year-on-year; those travelling in package tour totalled 53,000 and the main destinations were Mainland China (76% of total), Taiwan (7%) and the Republic of Korea (6%). In the first seven months of 2014, outbound residents totalled 867,000, up by 5% year-on-year. There were 99 hotels and guesthouses operating at the end of July 2014, providing 28,000 guest rooms, up by 1% year-on-year; 5-star hotels accounted for 66% of the total supply, with 18,000 rooms. A total of 939,000 guests checked into hotels and guesthouses in July, up by 3% year-on-year, with those from Mainland China (614,000) rising by 13%; guests staying in 5-star hotels accounted for 59% of the total. The average length of stay of guests held stable as July 2013, at 1.3 nights. The average occupancy rate of hotels and guesthouses increased by 2 percentage points year-on-year to 87%, with 5-star hotels leading at 88%. In the first seven months of 2014, hotel guests totalled 6,247,000, up by 2% year-on-year; the average occupancy rate stood at 86%, an increase of 6 percentage points. In the first seven months of 2014, visitor-guests accounted for 70% of the total overnight visitors, down by 1 percentage point year-on-year.
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Consumer Council released latest ‘Supermarket price survey’ in Taipa and Coloane area
Consumer Council conducted its eighth 'Supermarket price survey' in August on 27 August for the implementation of Section 2b), Article 10, Law 4/95/M of 12 June. Surveyed locations included 12 supermarkets in Taipa and Coloane area. 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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External merchandise trade statistics for July 2014
Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that total merchandise export for July 2014 amounted to MOP759 million, up by 2% year-on-year; value of re-exports (MOP567 million) and domestic exports (MOP192 million) rose by 1% and 6% respectively. Total merchandise import was MOP7.24 billion, up by 4% year-on-year. Merchandise trade deficit amounted to MOP6.48 billion. In the first seven months of 2014, total value of merchandise export increased by 8% year-on-year to MOP5.78 billion, of which value of re-exports (MOP4.62 billion) increased by 12%, but that of domestic exports (MOP1.16 billion) decreased by 2%. Total value of merchandise import grew by 12% to MOP50.54 billion. Merchandise trade deficit widened to MOP44.76 billion. Analysed by destination, merchandise export to Hong Kong (MOP3.44 billion) and the EU (MOP196 million) in the first seven months of 2014 increased by 19% and 16% year-on-year, while export to Mainland China (MOP862 million) and the USA (MOP196 million) decreased by 10% and 9% respectively. Exports of Non-textiles (MOP5.35 billion) increased by 11% year-on-year, of which exports of Machines, apparatus & parts (MOP1.04 billion) and Clocks & watches (MOP621 million) rose by 32% and 80% respectively. Exports of Textiles & garments (MOP431 million) decreased by 15%, of which exports of Knitted or crocheted garments (MOP141 million) declined by 16%. By country of origin, merchandise import from Mainland China (MOP16.36 billion) and the EU (MOP12.82 billion) increased by 10% and 24% year-on-year. Imports of Consumer goods rose by 13% to MOP32.38 billion, with imports of Food & beverages (MOP6.57 billion) and Watches (MOP4.85 billion) increasing by 23% and 52% respectively. Moreover, imports of Construction materials (MOP2.01 billion) grew by 38%. External merchandise trade reached MOP56.33 billion in the first seven months of 2014, up by 12% compared with MOP50.41 billion a year earlier.
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UM PhD graduates to join the world’s No 1 mobile chip maker and Asia’s largest fabless IC design company

Four PhD graduates from the University of Macau's (UM) State-Key Laboratory of Analog and Mixed-Signal VLSI and Faculty of Science and Technology recently passed their oral defense with flying colours, with external examiners unanimously praising their PhD dissertations for reaching world-class standards. The four new doctors are Un Ka-Fai, Yan Zushu, Lin Zhicheng, and Lin Fujian. Two of them have received job contracts from Qualcomm in the United States, which is the world's No 1 mobile chip maker. One has joined Mediatek in Singapore, which is Asia's largest fabless IC design company and ranks No 4 in the world. The other one has decided to stay at UM as a post-doctoral researcher. The external examiners for the oral defense are all leading experts in the field of microelectronics, including Prof Eric Klumperink from the University of Twente, The Netherlands; Prof Howard Luong from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China; Prof David Allstot from the University of California Berkeley, the United States; and Prof Franco Maloberti from the University of Pavia, Italy. Three of them are IEEE Fellows. These external examiners unanimously praised the four PhD graduates' papers for reaching world-class standards. The four PhD graduates have published five papers at the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers' (IEEE) International Solid-State Circuits Conference (ISSCC), which is considered the "Chip Olympics". They are also authors of five papers published in the IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits (JSSC), three papers published in the IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems; two papers published in IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques, two papers published in IEEE Circuits and Systems Magazine, as well as many others papers published or under review. All of them received the Macao Science and Technology Award in the PhD student category, and one of them received the prestigious IEEE Solid-State Circuits Society Pre-doctoral Achievement Award 2013-2014. The four PhD graduates' supervisors are UM Vice Rector (Research) Prof Rui Martins and Prof Elvis Mak Pui-In.
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MICE Statistics for the 2nd quarter 2014
Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that a total of 227 MICE events were held in the second quarter of 2014, down by 1 year-on-year. On account of a significant increase in exhibitions, total number of participants and attendees soared by 139% year-on-year to 522,000. Total floor area used was 145,000 m2, and the average duration of events was 2.0 days. There were 209 meetings and conferences held in the second quarter of 2014. Number of participants totalled 22,000, with 75% being participants of conferences and corporate meetings. Concurrently, 18 exhibitions were organized, up by 10 year-on-year; number of attendees surged by 1.6 times year-on-year to 500,000. The average duration of exhibitions was 3.3 days, and the floor area used totalled 67,000 m2. In accordance with information gathered from 16 exhibition organizers, of which 6 exhibitions were held for the first time in Macao, another 6 exhibitions were repeated event held a year earlier; besides, the organizers had 208 full-time staff engaged in the organization of these exhibitions. Receipts of the exhibition reached MOP71.76 million, up substantially by 104% year-on-year, coming from rental of exhibition booths (59%) and financial support from government or other organizations (38%). Expenditure increased by 102% to MOP53.08 million, including expenses on production, construction & decoration services (25%); publicity & public relation (22%) and accommodation, food & beverages (19%). There were 989 exhibitors participating in the exhibitions, with 38% coming from Hong Kong and 32% from Macao. Professional visitors totalled 55,502, coming mainly from Macao (49%) and Hong Kong (23%). Information from 172 interviewed exhibitors indicated that sales of products took up 86% of the Receipts, while rental paid for exhibition booth and construction & decoration services together shared 81% of the Expenditure. Regarding exhibitors' comments about the MICE venue and services, 70% were satisfied with the language skill of the venue staff and 66% were satisfied with their professionalism, both up by 2 percentage points quarter-to-quarter. However, 20% considered that the event promotion should be enhanced; 17% stated that the event organization needed improvement, up by 9 percentage points quarter-to-quarter. In the first half year of 2014, a total of 503 MICE events were held, up by 45 year-on-year; total number of participants and attendees reached 827,000. There were 31 exhibitions, bringing 764,000 attendees, up by 48% and 107% respectively.
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Employment survey for May-July 2014
Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that the unemployment rate for May-July 2014 held stable at 1.7% for seven consecutive periods; the underemployment rate dropped further to 0.3%, down by 0.1 percentage point compared with April-June. Total labour force was 393,600 and the labour force participation rate rose by 0.4 percentage points from April-June, at 73.8%. Total employment was 387,000, an increase of 3,400 from April-June. Employment in the Construction sector surged by 3,100 and Hotels, Restaurants & Similar Activities increased by 1,400. Number of the unemployed was 6,700, up by 200 from April-June. With fresh graduates joining the labour market, fresh labour force entrants searching for their first job increased by 3.0 percentage points to account for 18.0% of the total unemployed. In comparison with May-July 2013, the labour force participation rate rose by 1.2 percentage points, while the unemployment rate and the underemployment rate dropped by 0.2 and 0.4 percentage points respectively.
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Macao well prepared for APEC tourism ministers meeting

The National Tourism Administration (CNTA) held a press conference in Beijing today (26 August), to announce details of the 8th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Tourism Ministerial Meeting (TMM8) to be held in Macao on 13 September 2014. At the conference, the Director of the Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO), Ms Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, introduced to the attendees the preparatory work for the meeting, most of which has been successfully completed. Ms Senna Fernandes said it is of great significance for Macao to organize this ministerial meeting, as it reflects the full support of the Central People's Government for the Macao SAR. She said she firmly believed that, through this opportunity, the APEC member economies will gain a better understanding of the successful implementation of "one country, two systems" in Macao, and enrich their knowledge of Chinese and Western cultural heritage in Macao. This will help foster future co-operation between the development of Macao and the APEC economies and generate momentum for positioning Macao as a world tourism and leisure centre. Ms Senna Fernandes said as the Macao SAR is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year, this would also be a good opportunity for Macao to promote its image to the world. On the preparatory work, she said the Macao SAR Government has been working hard on planning and preparation, and has attended several co-ordination meetings with the CNTA. Currently, there are satisfactory arrangements for meeting venues, hospitality for delegations, media support and security. The Director General of the Department of Tourism Promotion and International Communications of the CNTA, Mr Li Shihong, announced the program for the TMM8. He said that this ministerial meeting, with the main theme of "Exploration of Asia Pacific Tourism Co-operation and Future Development", will also announce the "Macao Declaration". According to Mr Li, as of 25 August 17 APEC economies including the United States of America, Mexico and Australia; international organizations such as the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), and the APEC International Centre for Sustainable Tourism (AICST); 15 other economies, and representatives from 60 international organizations have registered for the meeting. Established in 1989, APEC is the highest level and most influential regional economic organization in the Asia-Pacific region. It currently has 21 member economies and three official observers. To enhance tourism exchanges and co-operation and facilitate tourism development of the Asia Pacific Region, a biennial tourism ministerial meeting was launched in 2000. This is to be organized by the host country for the year. TMM8 is the first APEC Tourism Ministerial Meeting hosted by China, which has been sending delegations to participate in this event since its inception.
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Macao Orchestra Opens 2014-2015 Concert Season in September with World-class Pianist

The Macao Orchestra, under the auspices of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, inaugurates its 2014-2015 Concert Season with the concert Kovacevich and Macao Orchestra, to be held on 13 September at 8 pm, at the Macao Cultural Centre Grand Auditorium. Entering its twelfth season, the Macao Orchestra continues to offer high quality performances to music lovers. The overture to the opera The Magic Flute by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart will herald the curtain-up of this season, under the baton of Lü Jia, Music Director of the orchestra. Eminent pianist Stephen Kovacevich - heralded as the 'last classicist' of the 20th century - will join hands with the orchestra to perform the composer's magnificent and solemn Piano Concerto No. 24 in C minor, K. 491, one of only two concertos Mozart composed in a minor key, long considered one of the concerto masterpieces of the 19th century due to its rich variety and extensive influence on the development of the symphony. In the second half of the concert, the orchestra will perform Johannes Brahms' Symphony No. 4, a work featuring an immensely complex structure, offering a wonderful evening music lovers won't want to miss.
Stephen Kovacevich is one of the most insightful musicians of his generation. He has won unsurpassed admiration for his interpretation of Beethoven, Brahms, Mozart and Schubert. As an experienced conductor, Kovacevich has won warm praise globally for his work on 18th and 19th Century music with many of the world's major orchestras. Tickets for the Macao Orchestra 2014-15 Season Opening Concert are now available at Macao Ticketing Network, as well as various special offers. The 2014-2015 Macao Orchestra Concert Season booklet is also available for free distribution at all Macao Ticketing Network offices. Reserve now through tel. (853) 2855 5555. Online reservation: www.macauticket.com. For enquiries, please visit the Macao Orchestra website at www.icm.gov.mo/om.
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Consumer Council released its latest ‘Supermarket price survey’ in Sé Parish
Consumer Council conducted its seventh 'Supermarket price survey' in August on 25 August for the implementation of Section 2b), Article 10, Law 4/95/M of 12 June. Surveyed locations included 11 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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Australian Scholar’s Project receives Cultural Affairs Bureau Academic Research Grant
In the 16th edition of the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao S.A.R. Government Academic Research Grant Programme, amongst the applications received between 1 December, 2013 and 31 May, 2014, the evaluation panel has selected the project Between India and China: Ptolemy and The Making of an Asia World Region: A Modern Cosmology, by Australian scholar Geoffrey C Gunn, professor emeritus of International Relations at Nagasaki University, visiting professor at University of Macao, PhD candidates' supervisor, and a specialist in the International Relations of East and Southeast Asia. This research project belongs to the field of Metageography, a subdiscipline which is now treated with renewed interest, and seeks to discuss the disintegration of the Ptolemaic geographic model and the development of modern Cartography. Based on two concepts of that model, namely "India intra Gangem" and "India extra Gangem", the first goal of the research is to highlight Ptolemaic Geography's representations of Asia and its transmission and reception in the context of late Middle Ages' European thought. As a second goal, the monograph will analyze how the Age of Maritime Discovery and its new understanding of the Asian region contributed to the slow dismemberment of the Ptolemaic model. Through selected case studies (India, Southeast Asia, China, Oceania), the third goal of this work involves describing the modifications and corrections introduced into Geography and Cartography by the Scientific Revolution. Hence, this project is particularly important for revealing how part of modern European Geography has been constructed, and also for pointing out reasons for the survival of such a new model, even after the age of decolonization, which means that it continues to determine geographic knowledge in the contemporary world. The Cultural Affairs Bureau Academic Research Grants are aimed at supporting academic research projects in the field of Humanities that make a significant and original contribution to the understanding of Macao, or of Macao's role in the cultural interchange between East and West. For more information on the Cultural Affairs Bureau Academic Research Grants Programme, please visit the Cultural Affairs Bureau's website: www.icm.gov.mo.
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