News

Consumer Council conducted price checks on cooking oil and eggs earlier. Survey results have been uploaded to the Council's 'Specific Product Price Platform' website and are also available in the Council's 'Supermarket Price Information Platform' iPhone and Android apps. Prices of 23 brands of cooking oil were collected from 21 retail outlets on 26th July by Consumer Council. In comparison with data from May's survey, 8 out of 23 surveyed oil brands recorded no change in price. Selling price of 'Knife Brand Pure Canola Oil (900mlx3pcs)' in one retail outlet had been raised by 22.7 percent since last time, and selling prices of 'King Chef 100% Pure Corn Oil (3.5L)' in two outlets had dropped by 24.9 percent due to special price promotion. Selling prices of the same product were found to vary in different retail outlets: 'Camel Brand Corn Oil (2L)', which recorded only a 1.61 percent difference in prices at different outlets last time, was sold at $49.90 to $64.80, with a price difference of 29.86 percent. The Council also conducted another price check on 9 brands of eggs from 13 supermarkets on 25th July. In comparison with the data from last month's survey, egg prices remained stable, and the percentage discrepancies between the lowest and the highest selling prices of the same products were similar. Two brands of eggs sold at different retail outlets from the same chain store, namely, 'Select US Grade A Fresh Large White Eggs (12 pcs)' and 'Select US Grade A Fresh Extra Large Brown Eggs (12 pcs)', although they were sold at special prices, a price difference of $3.00, around 15 percent, was recorded. The two mentioned specific price surveys on cooking oil and eggs are now available on the Council's website (www.consumer.gov.mo) and 'Supermarket Price Information Platform' iPhone and Android apps. For enquiry, please call 8988 9315.
…

Information from the Statistics and Census Service indicated that the total number of licensed motor vehicles reached 210,580 at the end of June 2012, a year-on-year increase of 5%, of which motorcycles (112,644) and light private cars (83,641) accounted for 53% and 40% respectively. New registration of motor vehicles decreased by 1% year-on-year to 8,298 in the first half year of 2012, with light private cars and motorcycles sharing 48% and 47% of the total. In the first half year of 2012, number of traffic accidents rose by 4% year-on-year to 7,160 cases, resulting in 2,525 victims and 6 of them were killed. Cross-border vehicle traffic by land between Macao and Mainland China increased by 7% year-on-year to 2,140,410 vehicle trips in the first six months of 2012, of which vehicle traffic through the Border Gate accounted for 84%. Commercial flight movements at the Macao International Airport increased by 3% year-on-year to 17,913 in the first half year of 2012, with Mainland China (38% of total); Taiwan, China (28%) and Thailand (12%) being the major routes. Helicopter flights between Macao and Hong Kong (7,057) and between Macao and Mainland China (1,582) decreased by 12% and 17% respectively. Passenger ferry between Macao and Hong Kong totalled 56,760 ferry trips in the first half year of 2012, down by 8% year-on-year. Passenger ferry between Macao and Mainland China increased by 10% year-on-year to 13,216 ferry trips. In the first half year of 2012, seaborne container throughput totalled 56,217 TEU or 41,291 containers handled, up by 17% and 16% respectively year-on-year. Gross weight of seaborne containerized cargo increased by 25% year-on-year to 105,305 tonnes, with 3,206 tonnes of transshipment goods. Gross weight of containerized cargo by land decreased by 2% to 17,220 tonnes, including 5,779 tonnes of transit goods. In the first half year of 2012, outward (8,104 tonnes) and inward air cargo (3,227 tonnes) fell significantly by 31% and 37% respectively year-on-year. Transit air cargo decreased by 13% year-on-year to 2,023 tonnes. At the end of June 2012, number of mobile telephone users increased by 16% from a year earlier to 1,466,672, whereas fixed-line telephone users decreased by 2% to 164,363. As regards internet services, number of subscribers reached 218,171 and the cumulative duration of usage totalled 318 million hours in the first half year of 2012, up by 18% and 29% respectively.
…

Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that total merchandise export for June 2012 amounted to MOP650 million, up by 4.5% year-on-year, of which value of re-exports (MOP451 million) increased by 12.1%, but that of domestic exports (MOP199 million) decreased by 9.5%. Total merchandise import amounted to MOP5.96 billion, up by 19.7% year-on-year. Merchandise trade deficit amounted to MOP5.31 billion for June 2012. In the second quarter of 2012, total value of merchandise export (MOP1.97 billion) grew by 10.6% year-on-year, and that of merchandise import (MOP17.63 billion) rose by 20.6%, resulting in a trade deficit of MOP15.66 billion. In the first half year of 2012, total value of merchandise export increased by 16.0% year-on-year to MOP3.95 billion, attributable to a 23.7% increase in re-exports (MOP2.77 billion) when domestic exports (MOP1.18 billion) rose by 1.2%; meanwhile, total value of merchandise import increased by 25.4% to MOP34.78 billion. Merchandise trade deficit for the first half year of 2012 amounted to MOP30.84 billion. Merchandise export to Hong Kong (MOP1.98 billion) and Mainland China (MOP629 million) in the first half year of 2012 were principally re-exports, up by 38.4% and 8.1% year-on-year respectively; meanwhile, merchandise export to the USA (MOP260 million) and the EU (MOP175 million) were primarily domestic exports, down by 14.2% and 15.2% respectively. Exports of Non-textile (MOP3.39 billion) in the first half year of 2012 expanded by 26.1%, of which exports of Machines & apparatus, parts & accessories thereof (MOP656 million) and Tobacco & wine (MOP396 million) surged by 124.8% and 25.6% respectively year-on-year; however, exports of Textile & garment (MOP552 million) registered a decrease of 22.1%. Domestic exports of Tobacco & wine (MOP271 million) rose by 33.1% year-on-year, while that of Knitted or crocheted garment (MOP193 million) declined by 21.1%. In the first half year of 2012, merchandise import from Mainland China (MOP11.04 billion) and the EU (MOP8.20 billion) expanded by 28.0% and 21.5% respectively year-on-year. Imports of Consumer goods rose by 27.8% to MOP21.50 billion, with imports of Gold jewellery (MOP3.75 billion), Watches (MOP2.56 billion) and Motor cars & motorcycles (MOP1.59 billion) increasing by 43.4%, 54.7% and 60.0% respectively. Moreover, imports of Capital goods (MOP6.32 billion) registered a year-on-year increase of 27.9%. In the first half year of 2012, total value of external merchandise trade amounted to MOP38.73 billion, up by 24.4% compared with MOP31.14 billion a year earlier.
…

The statistical data of joint operations of combating illegal workers by PSP and DSAL during June 2012 is as follows: During the operations solely launched by our Force, we have inspected 384 locations, 1 of which were referred by DSAL, and a total of 26 illegal workers were caught. During the operations solely launched by DSAL, they have inspected a total of 21 locations, and five illegal workers were caught Moreover, in the joint operations launched by PSP and DSAL, they have inspected a total of one locations, and no illegal worker was found. The above locations of inspection consisted of construction sites, private flats, business and industrial venues, etc.
…

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 investment by Macao residents in securities issued by unrelated non-residents, in terms of market value and geographical distribution. The results of CPIS for the reference year 2011 are summarised as follows: On 31 December 2011, 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 amounted to MOP168.7 billion at current market value, up by 32.3% from a revised value of MOP127.5 billion at end-2010, a record high value since the inception of this survey in 2002. Among the total, equity securities, long-term debt securities and short-term debt securities were valued at MOP107.1 billion, MOP53.9 billion and MOP7.8 billion respectively. In comparison with the previous year, investment in equity securities, of which mutual funds and investment trust units accounted for MOP16.0 billion, soared by 49.9%. Investment in long-term debt securities and short-term debt securities rose by 4.2% and 76.1% respectively. In terms of geographical distribution, Macao residents' investment in securities issued by Hong Kong entities resumed its leading position, representing 37.9% of the total market value of local residents' portfolio investment outside Macao. The rest was mainly invested in Mainland China, the United States, the United Kingdom, the Cayman Islands, Luxembourg, Australia and Bermuda. Investment in securities issued by entities in Hong Kong amounted to MOP63.9 billion, a marked increase of 156.6% or MOP39.0 billion from end-2010. It consisted of MOP55.6 billion in equity securities, MOP7.6 billion in long-term debt securities and MOP0.7 billion in short-term debt securities, constituting 52.0%, 14.0% and 8.7% of the respective total. The share of investment in securities issued by entities on the Mainland (including those securities listed on non-Mainland exchanges) increased slightly from 20.7% at end-2010 to 21.0%. The corresponding market value increased by 34.2% to MOP35.5 billion, of which the investment in long-term debt securities and short-term debt securities rose markedly to MOP6.7 billion and MOP6.1 billion respectively, where the latter accounted for the largest share in the respective securities category, at 78.6%. The share of investment in European securities dropped by 9.0 percentage points from a year earlier to 16.8% and the corresponding market value also fell by 13.8%. Among the European countries, the United Kingdom continued to assume the largest share in the total securities investment (5.3%), with a market value of MOP8.9 billion at end-2011, which dropped 15.8% year-on-year. Meanwhile, the market value of Macao residents' portfolio investment in the Netherlands, France and Germany also plunged by 7.2%, 33.6% and 25.0% respectively. The share of US securities held by Macao residents slid from 8.0% at end-2010 to 6.2% but the corresponding market value rose by 2.8% year-on-year to MOP10.5 billion at end-2011. Investment in long-term US debt securities was valued at MOP7.9 billion, representing the largest share in the respective securities category. Investment in securities issued by Australian entities dropped by almost one third from one year earlier, bringing the share of Oceanian securities in the total portfolio investment down from 5.4% to 3.0% at end-2011.
…

With constant improvement in various areas, the University of Macau (UM) is attracting more and more outstanding students. Recently, UM released undergraduate admission results for the 2012/2013 academic year. This year, a total of 7,654 students applied to UM, hitting a new high. Of the 7,654 applicants, 466 were recommended for direct admission by their secondary school principals, up 23 percent from the previous year. On the rise is not just quantity, but also quality. Admitted mainland students scored an average of 10 percent higher in the national university entrance examination than the admission marks required by the class-1 universities in their home provinces and cities. And for students admitted by the accounting programmes of the Faculty of Business Administration, this figure is more than 24 percent. UM Rector Wei Zhao says that UM is steadily improving its teaching and research and gaining recognition from the local and international communities, thanks to a series of proactive measures, including curriculum reform, the launch of general education and residential colleges, and the founding of the Honours College. Wei Zhao adds that UM is very happy that many outstanding local students have chosen Macao and UM for further education this year. This year, 466 local students, who ranked among the top 10 percent in their secondary schools, were recommended for direct admission by their principals, up 23 percent from last year. In the end 272 were accepted, all on scholarships. This year, UM increased both the quota for principal-recommended admission and the amounts of scholarships for students thus admitted, which leading to all students admitted through principals' recommendation being exempt from tuition, as compared to the original half-tuition treatment. In addition, to increase opportunities for local students, UM this year continues to implement the Preferential Admission Scheme for Admission Examination Candidates, granting bonus points to 185 local students with academic, athletic, musical and other talents. For non-local students, UM markedly raised the entry bar. A total of 2,779 applications from thirty-one provinces, cities and autonomous regions across the country were received. Among these applicants, 2,027 reached the admission marks required by the class-1 universities (key universities) in their home provinces and cities, with English marks reaching 110 or more. Admitted mainland students scored an average of 10 percent higher in the national university entrance examination than the admission marks required by the class-1 universities in their respective provinces and cities. And for students admitted by the accounting programmes of the Faculty of Business Administration, this figure is more than 24 percent, representing an all-time high among all programmes. The number of Hong Kong students applying for UM's undergraduate programmes is twice that of last year.
…

The distribution work of 2012 Wealth Partaking Scheme has basically finished on 6 July this year. In the course of the implementation, 96,401 beneficiaries have received the cash premium by means of bank transfer, accounting for MOP$ 672,231,000, while 518,671 crossed cheques have been mailed, which summed up to MOP$ 3,427,629,800. Until the present time, 455,487 cheques were withdrawn, representing 87.8% of the total number of cheques written out. In line with the scheme, a Support Centre for Wealth Partaking Disbursement entered into service on 23 April to cater for enquiries and deal with procedures related to the cash disbursement. As of 27 July, some 18,961 enquiries have been handled, with the majority of which being personal visits, summing up to 13,459 enquiries, around 71.1% of the total. The second most popular channel was telephone enquiry, which stands for 27.9% or 5,288 enquiries. Personal visits to the Centre were mainly for re-issuance of cheques, which totalled 4,525 cases, whereas 1,581 came for the purpose of alteration of address. The Support Centre will cease to provide services starting from 28 July. From 30 July onwards, residents can go to the Service Centre of Civil and Municipal Affairs Bureau located in Avenida da Praia Grande, China Plaza, 2/F for assistance regarding procedures associated with the Wealth Partaking Scheme of present and previous years. The opening hours of this Service Centre are from 9am to 6pm straight, Monday to Friday, except public holidays. Telephone enquiries are available at 8795 2675 and 8795 2676. The service hotline 2822 5000, fax 2822 3000 as well as the official website of Wealth Partaking Scheme http://www.planocp.gov.mo will be retained to provide relevant information. Support Centre for Wealth Partaking Disbursement
Number of people received
(From 23 April to 27 July 2012)
(* please find the attached file.)
…

Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that there were more people looking for work during the Summer Holiday; consequently, the unemployment rate for April-June 2012 increased slightly to 2.1% and the underemployment rate to 1.0%, up by 0.1 and 0.2 percentage point respectively from the previous period (March-May 2012). Total labour force was 346,000 in April-June 2012 and the labour force participation rate stood at 71.9%. Total employment was 339,000, an increase of 1,300 over the previous period. Analysed by industry, employment of the Gaming Sector saw increase, while that of the Transport, Storage & Communications Sector registered decrease. Number of the unemployed increased by 300 from the previous period to 7,200, with 10.2% being fresh labour force entrants searching for their first job, up by 2.3 percentage points. In comparison with the first quarter of 2012, the unemployment rate (2.1%) in the second quarter increased marginally by 0.1 percentage point; the unemployment rate of local residents stood at 2.7%, up by 0.2 percentage point. In the second quarter of 2012, total labour force decreased by 1,000 quarter-to-quarter, with total employment dropping by 1,400 but number of the unemployed rising by 400. Analysed by industry, 26.3% of the employed were working in Recreational, Cultural, Gaming & Other Services, and 15.4% in Hotels, Restaurants & Similar Activities. Median monthly employment earnings of the employed held stable at MOP11,000 in the second quarter of 2012, while that of local residents amounted to MOP12,500, a decrease of MOP500 quarter-to-quarter.
…

Macau Government Tourist Office launches the free Audio Guiding Service starting from 27th July to cater for visitors with different needs and to increase visitors' knowledge about Macau tourist attractions and World Heritage sites. Director of Macau Government Tourist Office, João Manuel Costa Antunes accompanied the media to use the new Audio Guiding Service. Nowadays, many visitors aspire to individual travel experience and the hand-carry audio guiding service launched by Macau Government Tourist Office matches the free style of individual travelers; visitors can walk around Macau spontaneously, visiting different tourist attractions and world heritage sites while knowing more about their historic background simultaneously through the Audio Guiding Service. The Audio Guiding Service can help to cater for visitors' different needs. It is believed that the use of the Audio Guiding Service can inspire more interactive experience and fun for visitors, at the same time increasing their knowledge about Macau tourist attractions. In the afternoon, Macau Government Tourist Office arranged media familiarization groups from Singapore, Malaysia and Guangzhou to be the first to experience this new service. The familiarization group members took a stroll around the Historic Centre of Macau and the tourist attractions nearby while carrying the audio guide device to listen to the explanation on their way. The Audio Guiding Service is provided for visitors in six languages at present, including Mandarin, Cantonese, Portuguese, English, Japanese and Korean. It is anticipated that the service will strengthen the foreign language guiding service in Macau. The Audio Guiding Service is available from 9:00am to 5:00pm daily and is free of charge. A deposit of MOP200 is required per audio guide device and will be refunded upon return of the device within three days. The information counter of Macau Government Tourist Office at Senado Square serves as the lending and return location for the audio guide device. In addition, Wine Museum and Grand Prix Museum now offers Audio Guiding Service for introduction about wine and Macau Grand Prix. Visitors are required to use the audio guide device within both museums only and return by the end of the day with a refund of deposit.
…

Once the summer vacation starts, quite a lot of parents will take their kids to travel, leading to an increase in the number of individual travelers. For the convenience of citizens and visitors, the Macao Museum is going to have a trial to open 30 minutes earlier from 31st July to 7th October in this summer. The opening hour will be changed from 10:00 to 09:30. During the trial of opening 30 minutes earlier, the Macao Museum will be having an exhibition with the theme of "Maritime Porcelain Road — Relics from Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao Museums." Citizens and visitors can take this opportunity to enjoy the major exhibition co-organized by the Guangdong Museum, Hong Kong Museum of Art and Macao Museum. Through exhibits, photos, related documentary films, remnants of ancient kilns, a series of multi-media displays, an educational zone and a game zone, the public can gain a better knowledge on the production process of Chinese ceramics and the history of trading of export porcelain ware in the ancient China. In addition, the Macao Chinese Orchestra will hold concerts in the Macao Museum during the summer vacation, and performances are scheduled on 10th August (Friday) and 7th September (Friday) at 5pm. The Macao Orchestra will also host concerts from 4th at 4pm and 5th August (Saturday & Sunday) at 2pm, the concert will take place in Museum Entrance Hall. Citizens and visitors are welcome to enjoy the shows. The Macao Museum closes every Monday and still opens on some public holidays including the National Day of the People's Republic of China and the day following Mid-Autumn Festival (1st October). The Day following National Day of the PRC (2nd October), and Chong Yeung Festival (23rd October). For inquiries about the opening hours of museum, please call us at 28357911 within our working hours or visit our websites at www.macaumuseum.gov.mo.
…