News

The President of the Court of Final Appeal, Mr Sam Hou Fai, urged all registered voters to cast their votes and exercise their civil rights. Speaking to the press after casting his vote at the polling station at Instituto Salesiano, Mr Sam encouraged all voters to cherish their rights to elect members to the Legislative Assembly.
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The Secretary for Social Affairs, Mr Cheong U, has urged voters to fulfill their civil rights and duties by coming out and cast their votes in the fifth-term Legislative Assembly election. Speaking to reporters after he had voted at the D. José da Costa Nunes Kindergarten polling station this morning, Mr Cheong said he was glad the number of registered voters had increased by tens of thousands and it was encouraging to see that most of them were young voters, which showed that they cared for Macao. Mr Cheong said he believed that members of the Legislative Assembly who come from various sectors would work together with the government to contribute to the development of Macao in social, economic and political areas. A total of 145 of candidates from 20 lists are contesting 14 directly-elected seats in the election, which is held every four years. The polls opened at 9 am and will close at 9 pm tonight.
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The 25th Macau International Fireworks Display Contest unveiled its première fireworks shows tonight with the teams from Spain and South Africa coming first on stage. Their spectacular displays fascinated both foreign and local spectators. The contest features five new elements this year, promising a myriad of fantastic fireworks presented by different teams. Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macau SAR Government, Cheong U, Director of Department of Culture and Education of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macau Special Administrative Region, Liu Xiao Hang, Deputy Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China in the Macau Special Administrative Region, Feng Tie, Vice President of The Committee of Cultural Industries, Leong Heng Teng and Director of Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO), Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes attended the contest's opening ceremony at the Macau Tower Outdoor Plaza. The 25th Macau International Fireworks Display Contest is held above the sea area in front of Macau Tower on 14, 19, 21, 28 September and 1 October. The teams from France and China will present their fireworks shows on 1 October as a highlight on the National Day. This year's contest boasts five new elements which make a more colorful program. The five elements include "Pyrotechnics Industry Forum", team contestants from five continents around the world, an African fireworks company's debut, laser light effects and a promotional micro movie. MGTO also created a mini site online for The 25th Macau International Fireworks Display Contest. Visitors can browse the site for more details about the latest and past contests. They can also enjoy the micro movie "We Meet．We Love" through a direct link to YouTube on the site. TDM - Radio Macau will live broadcast the fireworks shows' background music on its Chinese Channel every fireworks evening. In addition, this is the first year for TDM-Teledifusão de Macau, S.A. to live broadcast every fireworks display on the company's two TV channels during the contest, providing another option for locals and visitors to enjoy the show. The SMS game is also available again to encourage public involvement. Due to concerns about nautical safety, each interval between two fireworks displays is shortened this year. The first display starts at 9 p.m. as usual, followed by the second display at 9:40 p.m. Every display spans 18 minutes. The ten teams in the 25th contest come from five continents namely Asia, Europe, America, Oceania and Africa. They include fireworks companies from Spain, South Africa, Switzerland, Korea, Portugal, Australia, Italy, Canada, France and Mainland China. Four of the teams won the championship in the past Macau contests, showing their prominent pyrotechnic skills. In charge of the first show, the Spanish company Caballer fx & Services, S.L. came back as one of the champions in title, whereas the South African company made its debut in Macau with all its best to fight for a higher rank among other competitors. MGTO works together with the General Union of Neighbors Association of Macau again to co-launch the Fireworks Carnival 2013 at the open area next to Macau Tower, filling the fireworks evenings with fun and lively moments. Meanwhile, "Pyrotechnics Industry Forum" is scheduled from 28 September to 1 October as a supporting event of the 25th contest. The forum will explore the topic of pyrotechnics industry development and lead discussions on how it can benefit the tourism industry. The guest speakers include industry professionals, experts and scholars from Portugal, Canada and the Mainland, etc. Approaching the importance of fireworks shows to the tourism industry, their presentations will also cover different topics about the pyrotechnic industry including its development, impact, culture, laws and regulations, environmental protection as well as applied technology.
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Consumer Council conducted its specific price survey on biscuits on 12th September for the implementation of Section 2b), Article 10, Law 4/95/M of 12th June. Result of the mentioned survey has been uploaded to the Council's website (www.consumer.gov.mo) and is available in the Council's 'Supermarket Price Information Platform' iPhone and Android apps. For inquiry, please call the Council's hotline: 8988 9315.
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The 27th Macao International Music Festival (MIMF), organized by the Cultural Affairs Bureau, brings 22 outstanding shows to the territory from October 2nd to November 3rd 2013. Tickets for the MIMF have been in high demand, and therefore tickets for the six scheduled performances of the Festival's closing show, the Broadway musical Miss Saigon, are already sold out. In order not to let music fans down, the Cultural Affairs Bureau will sell tickets for the auditorium's lateral galleries, which will be available from Saturday, 14 September. In Miss Saigon, Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg (the creators of the musical Les Misérables), along with Richard Maltby, Jr., bring Puccini's Madame Butterfly to the modern world in a moving testament to the human spirit and a scathing indictment of the tragedies of war. Raw and uncompromising, Miss Saigon is an intensely personal story of the losses we suffer and the sacrifices we make in a world gone mad.
With each purchase of two tickets for "Miss Saigon – The Musical", a voucher for Cotai Water Jet ferry tickets, valid for one free, one-way ferry ticket for sailings between Macao and Hong Kong. Buy more, get more! The 27th MIMF features a vast array of shows. For more information, please visit the Festival's website at www.icm.gov.mo/fimm. Ticekting hotline: 2855 5555.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that visitor arrivals in package tours increased by 4.1% year-on-year to 858,970 in July 2013. Visitors in package tours mostly came from Mainland China (678,810), with 276,318 from Guangdong Province, followed by those from Taiwan, China (58,588); Hong Kong (35,706) and the Republic of Korea (26,726). In the first seven months of 2013, visitors in package tours totalled 5,495,742, up by 12.0% year-on-year. Outbound residents using services of travel agencies were 125,847 in July, up marginally by 0.3% year-on-year; those travelling in package tours totalled 49,251 and the main destinations were Mainland China; Taiwan, China and Thailand. In the first seven months of 2013, outbound residents increased by 16.8% year-on-year, at 824,312, and 315,448 travelled in package tours. There were 97 hotels and guesthouses operating at the end of July 2013, providing 27,759 guest rooms, up by 14.5% year-on-year; guest rooms of 5-star hotels accounted for 66.2% of the total. In July 2013, a total of 907,965 guests checked into hotels and guesthouses, up by 3.7% year-on-year, with 527,957 staying in 5-star hotels (+9.9%). The average length of stay of guests increased by 0.1 night to 1.3 nights. The average occupancy rate of hotels and guesthouses was 84.4%, down by 1.2 percentage points year-on-year, with 4-star hotels leading at 87.2%. In the first seven months of 2013, total number of guests reached 6,140,849, up by 14.7% year-on-year; the average occupancy rate stood at 80.5%, down by 2.1 percentage points. From January to July 2013, visitor-guests took up 71.2% of the total number of overnight visitors, higher than the 64.9% in the same period of 2012. NOTE
Further information can be obtained from the Documentation
and Information Centre of the Statistics and Census Service
Alameda Dr. Carlos d'Assumpção, No. 411 – 417, Dynasty Plaza, 17th floor, Macao
Tel: 8399 5311
Fax: 2830 7825
E-mail: info@dsec.gov.mo
Website: www.dsec.gov.mo
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The Monetary Authority of Macao announced today that the preliminary estimate of Macao SAR's foreign exchange reserves amounted to MOP131.4 billion (USD16.45 billion) at the end of August 2013. The reserves rose by 2.1% from the revised value of MOP128.8 billion (USD16.12 billion) for the previous month. When compared with a year earlier, the reserves dropped by MOP1.8 billion or 1.4%. Macao SAR's foreign exchange reserves at end-August 2013 represented 16 times the currency in circulation or 128.3% of Pataca M2 at end-July 2013. The trade-weighted effective exchange rate index for the pataca, a gauge of the domestic currency's exchange rates against the currencies of Macao's major trading partners, dropped 0.73 points month-to-month and 1.29 points year-on-year to 97.56 in August 2013. For enquiry, please contact:
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Consumer Council conducted its specific price survey on personal hygiene products on 10th September for the implementation of Section 2b), Article 10, Law 4/95/M of 12th June. Result of the mentioned survey has been uploaded to the Council's website (www.consumer.gov.mo) and is available in the Council's 'Supermarket Price Information Platform' iPhone and Android apps. For inquiry, please call the Council's hotline: 8988 9315.
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Macao Post will launch an additional stamp issue "20th Anniversary of the Agreement for Trade and Cooperation European Union – Macao" on 15 November 2013. The stamp issue marks the 20th anniversary of the signing of this Agreement and witnesses the mutual benefits and the success achieved in bilateral relations in the fields of economic and trade cooperation.
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The second edition of Global Tourism Economy Forum ("GTE-Forum" or "the Forum"), hosted by the Secretariat for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macau SAR Government, co-organised by the China Chamber of Tourism under the authorisation of All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce (ACFIC) and coordinated by the Global Tourism Economy Research Centre, will return to the Macau Tower Convention and Entertainment Centre from 18-19 September 2013 (Media registration on 17 September). Details of the Programme and the speaker roster were announced at the press conference today (9 September) at the Tourism Activities Centre (CAT). Explore tourism's critical role in revitalising and driving global economic growth
Themed as "Regenerate our Economies: Invest in Travel and Tourism", this edition of GTE-Forum has invited over 40 ministerial officials and private leaders from globally-renowned corporations to more in-depth discussions on why and how investment in tourism industry can revitalize and mobilise global economic growth. The second edition is expected to command the same force as the inaugural edition, with the attendance of over 1,000 delegates from around the world, including delegations from more than 15 provinces and autonomous regions from China. Approximately 160 local and overseas media representatives will cover this event. Ms. Cheung So Mui Cecília, Chief of the Office of the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macau SAR Government, said, "Through successful organisation of the inaugural Global Tourism Economy Forum last year, Macau has demonstrated respective capabilities and assets as well as proven itself as an ideal exchange platform. This year we once again bring industry leaders and elites from around the world together to discuss the insights to drive economic growth by leveraging tourism, while there will be over 100 local and overseas media representatives to join the Forum. Macau's commitment to organise three consecutive Global Tourism Economy Forums allows the city to fully facilitate its platform role that can bring significant influence to elevate Macau's international reputation." Ms. Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, Director of the Macau Government Tourist Office added, "This year the Global Tourism Economy Forum is themed as 'Regenerate our Economies: Invest in Travel and Tourism', which is in line with Macau's positioning to evolve as the World Centre of Tourism and Leisure, as well as its objectives of foster adequate diversification and sustainable development. This edition of Forum comprises of ministerial round table, presentation sessions and discussion panels with a lineup of ministerial-level tourism officials, renowned entrepreneurs in the Asia-Pacific Region and global level, industry leaders, experts and intellectuals to share their ideas and experience. We firmly believe the invaluable insights contributed during the Forum will provide an important reference for the city's build-up of World Centre of Tourism and Leisure." Line up global leaders and deepen global tourism cooperation
The second edition of GTE-Forum will present an impressive line-up of global leaders, including Mr. Su Rong, Vice Chairman of The National Committee of The Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, Mr. Chui Sai On, Chief Executive of Macao SAR, Mr. Ho Hau Wah, Vice Chairman of The National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference cum Forum Chairman of GTE-Forum; Mr. Li Lu, Vice Chairman of All-China Federation of Industry & Commerce; Dr. Taleb Rifai, Secretary-General of World Tourism Organization (UNWTO); Mr. Michael Frenzel, Chairman of World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and Chairman of the Supervisory Board, TUI Deutschland Gmbh and TUIfly Gmbh; Mr. João Manuel Costa Antunes, Chairman of Pacific Asia Travel Association; and Ms. Wang Ping, Chairman of China Chamber of Tourism. In addition, ministerial-level government dignitaries such as Mr. Du Jiang, Vice Chairman of National Tourism Administration of the People's Republic of China and Mr. Adolfo Mesquita Nunes, Secretary of State of Tourism of Portugal will participate in the Ministerial Round Table in collaboration with the UNWTO session and speak on the subject of global cooperation in travel and tourism. The Forum has also invited renowned tourism and corporate leaders around the world to share their insights in tourism economy development. These leaders include Mr. Zheng Yuewen, Founder and Chairman of Creat Group; Mr. Arthur de Haast, Chairman of Hotels and Hospitality Group of Jones Lang LaSalle; Mr. Naren Srinivasan, Senior Vice President of Global Strategy and Corporate Development of The Hertz Corporation; Mr. Luis del Olmo, Executive Vice President, Group Marketing & Asia Pacific of Meliá Hotels International; and Ms. Liu Ting, President of Asia Link Group, among others. Analyse the components of success and foster international cooperation
This edition of GTE-Forum is collaborating with, the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) and the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), to explore practical solutions to foster tourism economy from a spectrum of perspectives such as investment opportunities and challenges, supportive tourism policy and tourism innovations. Hospitality Session: Points of View from Global Industry Leaders focuses on the economic and societal impact of hospitality sector at the regional and national levels. China Daily Asia Leadership Roundtable is designed to demonstrate how Chinese private enterprises follow the "Go Global" policy, build and expand their businesses overseas, promote cooperation with overseas enterprises, and bring in overseas business partners. Further, business matching sessions, presentations and workshops, have been created to facilitate direct contact and exchange between Mainland Chinese and overseas enterprises and organisations during the Forum period. Various social events such as luncheon, entertainment shows, and Macau World Heritage visit have been specially created for delegates so that they can experience the fusion of Eastern and Western cultures as well as endless innovations of Macau tourism. Ms. Pansy Ho, Chairman of the Global Tourism Economic Research Centre Chairman and Secretary-General of the Global Tourism Economic Forum, commented, "A high-level international exchange and business matching platform, the inaugural Forum has successfully served as a springboard and established subsequent business networking activities between China and foreign countries. In addition to a wide range of discussion topics, this edition also emphasises the element of business matching, which not only provides first-hand information about the tourism markets in Asia and China, but also continues last year's success in exploring and fostering cross-regional, cross-sector investment opportunities and cooperation in tourism." - End - About the Global Tourism Economy Forum
Hosted by the Secretariat for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao SAR Government, co-organised by the China Chamber of Tourism under the authorisation of All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce (ACFIC) and coordinated by the Global Tourism Economy Research Centre, the Global Tourism Economy Forum is a prominent annual event for the global tourism industry. In 2012, the Inaugural Forum attracted over 1,000 delegates from 34 countries and cities all over the world. The Forum aims at establishing a platform for domestic and overseas exchange and cooperation, fostering and promoting integrated development in tourism and service industries, creating better investment prospects and deepening tourism cooperation, thus bringing new opportunities of economic development for China and the world.
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