News

The Coordinated Portfolio Investment Survey (CPIS), jointly conducted by the Monetary Authority of Macao (AMCM) and the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC), is aimed at collecting information on Macao residents' investment in securities issued by unrelated non-residents, in terms of market value and geographical distribution. The results as at 31 December 2013 are summarised as follows: On 31 December 2013, investment of Macao residents (including individuals, the government and other legal entities but excluding Macao's foreign exchange reserves) in securities issued by unrelated non-residents reached a record-high of MOP391.0 billion at current market value, up by 26.3% from 30 June 2013 or 49.1% year-on-year. The significant growth in Macao residents' portfolio investment abroad was largely attributable to the increases in the MSAR's Fiscal Reserve and the provisional portfolio. Among the portfolio investment abroad of Macao residents, equity securities, long-term debt securities and short-term debt securities were valued at MOP171.6 billion, MOP203.8 billion and MOP15.6 billion respectively. In comparison with end-2012, investment in equity securities, of which mutual funds and investment trust units amounted to MOP25.6 billion, rose by 28.6%. Investment in long-term debt securities and short-term debt securities soared by 73.3% and 38.1% respectively. In terms of geographical distribution, Mainland China assumed the leading position, occupying 45.7% of the total market value of local residents' portfolio investment outside Macao. The rest was mainly invested in Hong Kong, the Cayman Islands, Luxembourg and the United States. Investment in securities issued by entities in Mainland China, including those securities listed on non-Mainland exchanges, amounted to MOP178.7 billion, growing notably by 37.9% from end-June 2013 or 92.9% from end-2012. It consisted of MOP23.8 billion in equity securities, MOP142.0 billion in long-term debt securities and MOP12.9 billion in short-term debt securities, constituting 13.9%, 69.7% and 83.1% of the respective total. The share of investment in securities issued by entities in Hong Kong fell from 32.4% a year earlier to 29.8% at end-2013. Nevertheless, the corresponding market value increased by 36.9% to MOP116.5 billion, of which investment in equity securities and long-term debt securities rose to MOP101.2 billion and MOP13.2 billion respectively. The share of investment in European securities dropped by 5.5 percentage points year-on-year to 8.7% and the corresponding market value contracted by 8.5% to MOP34.2 billion. Among the European countries, Luxembourg took the largest share with a total market value of MOP13.6 billion at end-2013, a year-on-year increase of 59.6%. On the other hand, the market value of Macao residents' portfolio investment in the United Kingdom slid by 12.4% year-on-year from a year earlier to MOP7.2 billion. Germany, France and the Netherlands also saw their market value of investment drop by 38.4%, 27.3% and 69.0% respectively. The market value of Macao residents' portfolio investment in various jurisdictions of the North Atlantic and Caribbean registered notable increases, driving the total market value of investment in this region to surge by 46.8% year-on-year to MOP30.5 billion, though its share in the total investment abroad dropped slightly to 7.8%. In particular, the market value of portfolio investment in the Cayman Islands, Bermuda and the British Virgin Islands grew by 54.7%, 27.9% and 50.1% to MOP17.4 billion, MOP6.7 billion and MOP6.3 billion respectively. The market value of Macao residents' investment in US securities grew by 3.8% year-on-year to MOP9.5 billion, notwithstanding that the corresponding share slid from 3.5% at end-2012 to 2.4% at end-2013. The investment in long-term US debt securities increased marginally by 0.4% to MOP6.7 billion, representing the third largest share in the corresponding category.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that the unemployment rate has been staying at record low during the past five months, for which the unemployment rate (1.7%) and the underemployment rate (0.4%) for March-May 2014 held stable as the previous period (February-April). Total labour force was 387,600 and the labour force participation rate stood at 73.3%. Total employment reached 381,100, was similar to that of February-April. Analysed by industry, employment in the Construction sector increased by 6.1% from the previous period, totalling 48,300. Number of the unemployed remained unchanged as February-April, at 6,400; fresh labour force entrants searching for their first job accounted for 10.7% of the total unemployed, up by 3.5 percentage points. In comparison with March-May 2013, the labour force participation rate increased by 1.3 percentage points, while the unemployment rate and the underemployment rate decreased by 0.1 and 0.4 percentage points respectively.
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The "Pan-Pearl River Delta Regional Tourism Cooperation Meeting" was held in Macau today (26 June) as one of the pre-event activities under the 10th Pan-Pearl River Delta Regional Cooperation & Development Forum and Economic & Trade Fair (PPRD Forum). Officials representing the PPRD provinces and regions signed the "Framework Agreement on Pan-Pearl River Delta Regional Cooperation in Tourism" during the meeting. Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Cheong U; Deputy Head of Economic Department of Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macau SAR, Kou Ming and Director of General Affairs Section of Pan-Pearl River Delta Regional Cooperation Secretariat of Joint Chief Executive Conference, Huang Han Ji attended the signing ceremony as witnesses. The tourism officials of the PPRD provinces and regions signed the "Framework Agreement on Pan-Pearl River Delta Regional Cooperation in Tourism" while all the guests witnessed the signing. The Framework Agreement covers cooperation in eight scopes including promoting cooperation on tourism products, enhancing tourism promotion, optimizing the mutual information-notification system, building accessible tourism districts, advancing regional cooperation and regulation, strictly enforcing the Tourism Law, jointly facilitating training opportunities and improving the safeguard mechanism for cooperation so as to keep forging ahead with PPRD regional cooperation in tourism and together build the brand of PPRD as a regional travel destination. Director of Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO) Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes and Director of General Affairs Section of Pan-Pearl River Delta Regional Cooperation Secretariat of Joint Chief Executive Conference, Huang Han Ji both gave a speech at the meeting. Director Senna Fernandes remarked, "Under economic globalization and the expedited development of regional economic cooperation as the main trend nowadays, it is our common aspiration and demand to enhance PPRD regional cooperation. Looking into the future path of regional tourism development, we will not only keep complementing each other's tourism resources and promoting our cooperation in quality tourism but also together explore more directions for collaboration." During the meeting, the tourism officials of the PPRD provinces and regions shared their tourism development trends and concluded their experience in regional cooperation in tourism. They also took the opportunity to study and explore future directions for cooperation. This year marks the 10th anniversary of PPRD regional cooperation. Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau will co-host the "10th Pan-Pearl River Delta Regional Cooperation & Development Forum and Economic & Trade Fair" (PPRD Forum) in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province on 13 – 14 October this year. The 10th PPRD Forum comprises two stages namely "Pre-event activities" and "Forum". "Pre-event activities" will take place from May to September including panel discussions, business matching sessions and activities in commemoration of the 10th anniversary of PPRD regional cooperation, etc. whereas the "Forum" will take place in mid-October including the opening ceremony of the 10th PPRD Forum, an exhibition of the 10-year achievements of PPRD regional cooperation, high-level forum, Chief Executive Joint Conference, superior meetings as well as project presentations by the PPRD provinces and regions. Following the Panel Discussion on the Economic Environment of Portuguese Speaking Countries co-organized by Macau Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) and the Department of Commerce of Guangdong Province last month, the "Pan-Pearl River Delta Regional Tourism Cooperation Meeting" took place today as the second panel discussion among other pre-event activities. After the meeting adjourned, MGTO hosted a banquet for the representatives of the PPRD provinces and regions as well as the members of Tourism Development Committee, etc. Co-hosted by the tourism departments of the nine provinces and two regions ("9+2") of Pan-Pearl River Delta Region, the "Pan-Pearl River Delta Regional Tourism Cooperation Meeting" was organized by MGTO. This press release is available at: http://industry.macautourism.gov.mo/en/
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Consumer Council completed a survey on the after-sales service of washer and washer & dryer. The survey includes 21 brands of washer and washer & dryer, surveyed criteria cover their free warranty period and coverage, warranty renewal policy, storage period of component parts, etc.. Details of the survey can be found in the latest issue no. 250 of Consumer Report.
There are many kinds of electrical appliances and most of them last for over several years. To avoid spending extra money for maintenance, after-sales service becomes a main issue when consumers choose to purchase electrical appliances; consumers especially focus on the length of free warranty period and warranty coverage.
Consumer Council indicates that after-sales service should include not only the abovementioned basic criteria, this is because other issues such as whether warranty renewal is provided by the manufacturer, the provision of maintenance service after production is suspended, or the storage period of component parts are all major issues which affect the warranty and maintenance period of the product. For example, if the manufacturer has not defined a storage period for a certain component part, once the production of the product is suspended, even when the electrical appliance is still under its warranty period, there will be no component part available for maintenance.
The mentioned survey includes responses from local dealers or maintenance providers of 21 brands of washer and washer & dryer, details of the survey can be found in issue no. 250 of Consumer Report.
Winners of the Chinese crossword puzzle held earlier for 'World Consumer Rights Day' have been announced in the current issue of Consumer Report. The Council will continue to publish a Chinese crossword puzzle in each issue of Consumer Report for consumers to participate. 10 winners will be awarded with a electronic smartcard with face value of $130 (deposit included) and a new crossword puzzle will be renewed every two months. Interested 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.
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Consumer Council conducted its seventh 'Supermarket price survey' in June on 23 June 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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In view of the restructuring of our postal distribution routes in Taipa, please be informed that with effect from 1st July 2014, "Posta Restante" service in the Carmo Post Office will be limited to those residents and stores located in the Taipa old urban area, and the Nova Taipa Post Office will resume that service for the remaining residents. Upon receipt of the arrival advice, please be reminded that citizens should pick up the mail according to the designated post office and date. For further information, please contact the Carmo Post Office (Tel: 2882 7010) or the Nova Taipa Post Office (Tel: 28844038) during office hours.
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Macao Post and Thailand Post will jointly issue a new stamp theme of "General Post Office Building" on 1st November 2014, to promote friendship through cultural exchanges between Macao and Thailand.
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Macao Post announced that the stamp theme "Science and Technology – Mathematics Topics" to be issued on 9th October, 2014 will be changed to "Science and Technology – Magic Squares I".
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To celebrate the Science and Technology Week 2014, Macao Post announced that a Temporary Post Counter will be set up at the Macau Fisherman's Wharf Hall and our Philatelic Shop located at Macao Post Headquarters during 4th to 8th July 2014 providing the commemorative cancellation service for the "Science and Technology Week 2014". Opening hours as follow: 04/07 Main Hall of Macau Fisherman's Wharf: 14:30 – 18:00
Philatelic Shop of Macao Post Headquarters:14:30 – 18:00 05-08/07 Main Hall of Macau Fisherman's Wharf: 10:00 – 20:00 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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Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that visitor arrivals totalled 2,525,026 in May 2014, up by 8% year-on-year; same-day visitors accounted for 54% of the total, at 1,351,799. Attributable to the long Labour Day holidays, visitors from Mainland China increased by 14% year-on-year to 1,699,778, coming primarily from Guangdong Province (713,949), Fujian Province (73,083) and Hunan Province (60,808); Mainland visitors travelling under the Individual Visit Scheme rose substantially by 21%, at 727,356. Visitors from Taiwan (76,026), the Republic of Korea (39,798) and Japan (26,588) increased by 23%, 20% and 18% respectively year-on-year, while those from Hong Kong (497,244) decreased by 8%. Long-haul visitors from the United States (15,504) and France (3,946) registered year-on-year increase; on the contrary, visitors from Australia (7,906), Canada (6,450) and the United Kingdom (4,663) marked decrease. The average length of stay of visitors remained unchanged from a year earlier, at 1.0 day in May 2014; overnight and same-day visitors stayed an average of 2.0 days and 0.2 day respectively. In the first five months of 2014, visitor arrivals reached 12,851,806, up by 9% year-on-year, and same-day visitors accounted for 54% of the total. Analysed by place of residence, visitors from Mainland China (+16%), the Republic of Korea (+17%) and Japan (+7%) increased year-on-year, while those from Hong Kong (-5%) and Taiwan (-1%) decreased. Besides, long-haul visitors from the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom posted year-on-year increase; however, those from Canada registered decline.
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