News

The Government of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) was confirmed by the Immigration Department of the Republic of Fiji that holders of the Macao SAR Passport can be exempted from visa requirements when entering the Republic of Fiji for a maximum stay of 4 months. At present, a total of 102 countries and territories have agreed to grant visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to the Macao SAR passport holders, while 9 countries have agreed to grant the visa-free access to the Macao SAR Travel Permit holders.
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Three PhD students of the University of Macau's (UM) Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences (ICMS), who are no strangers to giving quality evaluation on Chinese medicines, were recently put on the receiving end of quality evaluation at their oral defenses. They passed the oral defenses with flying colours, receiving unanimous praise from Examination Committee members from the United States, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Macao. According to Examination Committee member Prof. Karl Tsim, who is from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), the quality of the UM candidates is so high that it compares favourably with the quality of his top PhD students at HKUST. The three PhD candidates highly praised by the international experts on the Examination Committee are Qian Zhengming, Huang Weihua and Chen Xiaojia. Qian's thesis is titled "Analysis of Global Components in Water Extracts of Ten Valued Traditional Chinese Medicines Using Liquid Chromatography System with Multiple Columns and Detectors". Chen's thesis, titled "Development of Microscale Separation Techniques for Quality Control of Chinese Medicines", focuses on the analysis of flavonoids and nucleosides in selected Chinese medicines using microscale separation techniques including capillary electrophoresis and capillary electrochromatography. Both the theses are helpful for the overall quality control of traditional Chinese medicines. Huang's thesis is titled "Chemical Study of Oplopanax horridus", and focuses on the discovery of active substances from Oplopanax horridus to make the use of this traditional medicine safer and more efficient. Apart from Prof. Tsim, other members on the Examination Committee included UM's Vice Rector (Research) Prof. Rui Martins; ICMS and the State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine (UM) Director Prof. Wang Yitao; Prof. Li Shaoping, Prof. Lee Ming-Yuen, Prof. Zheng Ying and Dr. Zhang Qingwen from ICMS; Prof. Ziad El Rassi from Oklahoma State University, U.S.; Prof. Frantisek Svec from the University of California, Berkeley, U.S.; Prof. Jun Haginaka from Mukogawa Women's University, Japan; Prof. Yeong Shik Kim from Seoul National University, South Korea; Prof. Zhang Yukui from the Chinese Academy of Sciences; and Prof. Yu Rongmin from Jinan University, China.
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The Global Chinese Real Estate Congress (GCREC) and the University of Macau's (UM) Faculty of Business Administration recently held a gala dinner at Grand Hyatt Macau in celebration of the fourth annual conference of GCREC. During the dinner, three Doctoral Dissertation Awards and fourteen Best Paper Awards were presented. The gala dinner received generous sponsorship from the Melco Crown Entertainment. In her speech on behalf of Melco Crown Entertainment's Co-chairman and Chief Executive Mr. Lawrence Ho, Ms. Akiko Takahashi, executive vice president and chief human resources/corporate social responsibility officer, emphasized the company's commitment to life-long learning, as demonstrated by various learning initiatives for the employees and scholarships extended also to the employees' immediate family members. Prof. Rose Neng Lai, chair of GCREC's 2012 annual conference, indicated that the conference had been widely publicized via different media in the Greater China region. In addition to the six sessions, with nine concurrent paper sub-sessions in each, there were six roundtable panel discussions hosted by professional entities, during which participants discussed real estate issues from academic, policy-making and social perspectives. All the sessions were well received and enriched the outcome of the conference. During the dinner, twelve groups of postgraduate students from universities in the Greater China region, including Tsinghua University (Beijing), Chengchi University (Taipei) and Zhejiang University (Hangzhou), were invited to perform on stage. Three Doctoral Dissertation Awards and fourteen Best Paper Awards, sponsored by E-House (China) Holdings Limited, were presented. The closing dinner came to a grand finale when Prof. Feng Changchun, chair of GCREC's 2013 annual conference, director of the Real Estate Research Institute and associate dean of the Capital Development Research Institute of Peking University, expressed his congratulations on the success of the 2012 annual conference and conveyed his best wishes for the next year's conference. The conference provided a platform for experts, scholars, industry practitioners and postgraduate students to have in-depth discussions on the opportunities and challenges facing the real estate sector under macro-control.
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Owing to the flooding in Krasnodar Krai of Russian Federation (Russia), Macao Post announced that the mail delivery services (including Correspondence, Printed Matters, Small Packet, Parcel and EMS) from Macao to that area are subject to delay until further notice. Thank you for your kind attention.
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The SAR Government will carry out a series of work in preparation for the planned new pedestrian passageway between Macao and Zhuhai, a project that would enhance Macao's long-term development, the Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, said this evening.
Speaking to reporters upon his return from a three-day visit to Beijing, Mr Chui said the Secretary for Transport and Public Works, Mr Lau Si Io, would lead an inter-departmental working group to discuss the planning of the new project with Guangdong Government shortly.
He said the two governments would then jointly propose the application of the new passageway to the Central Government.
A series of work would have to be carried out in the pre-planning stage, such as relocating the Nam Yue Wholesale Market site situated in the northern part of the territory, said Mr Chui.
Meanwhile, he also revealed that more ad hoc working groups would be set up to work towards approval for building the new channel.
Mr Chui was in Beijing from 15-17 July and visited three ministerial departments, namely the Ministry of Public Security, the General Administration of Customs and General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine. He introduced to officials the advantages of the new project which would benefit Macao's entire development and to ease the flow of people passing through the Gongbei Checkpoint.
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Consumer Council recently conducted a price check on over-the-counter drugs. Selling prices of the surveyed items sold in various outlets differed, consumers are advised to check with the Council's price survey for reference. In response to the demand of consumers to remedies for cold and flu, cough syrup, and stomachache medicine, etc., Consumer Council surveyed selling prices of 6 different over-the-counter drugs and increased the number of surveyed outlets from 26 to 28 in the current survey. Consumer Council conducted its price check on over-the-counter drugs on 12th July, survey result showed that prices of the surveyed drugs had been stable in these two months but certain brands still recorded different levels of price increases and decrease. In the current survey, the lowest price difference recorded for the surveyed items was 18.7% while the highest was 51.2%; the figures recorded in the last survey were 14.9% and 81.8% respectively. Consumer Council indicates that its specific price survey aims at helping consumers make price comparison for the same product, consumers are therefore advised to check with the report prior to making purchase. The specific price survey on over-the-counter drugs is now available on the Council's website (www.consumer.gov.mo).
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The Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, met with the Vice Minister of Commerce, Mr Zhong Shan, in Beijing today and exchanged views on the supply and safety of Mainland's farm products to Macao. Mr Chui expressed his gratitude to the Ministry of Commerce for its long-term support, especially on ensuring the supply of the quality farm products to Macao. The Ministry had also backed Macao's drive in diversifying its industrial spectrum, especially in areas of conference industry and links with the Portuguese-speaking countries, Mr Chui said. The Vice Minister told Mr Chui the Ministry would work in accordance with the policies of the Central Government in supporting the development of the Macao SAR. As for the supply of agricultural products, he said the Ministry would spare no efforts in getting the job done. Mr Chui and Mr Zhong also exchanged ideas on expanding the current food supply and implementing the recently signed CEPA Supplement IX. Mr Chui and his delegation later attended a banquet hosted by the Ministry. Ministry figures for 2011 showed that farm products from the Mainland accounted for 100 per cent of live pig, live cattle and live chicken consumed in Macao; 27 per cent of pork; 74 per cent of mutton; 48 per cent of chilled or quick frozen chicken; 67 per cent of live fish; 67 per cent of flour; 88 per cent of eggs; 81 per cent of vegetables, and 19 per cent of fruits and nuts.
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The Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, said today that three Central Government ministries responded positively about the proposed new Macao-Zhuhai passageway. Mr Chui met respectively with the Minister of the Public Security of the People's Republic of China, Mr Meng Jianzhu, the Director of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ), Mr Zhi Shuping, and the Director of the General Administration of China Customs, Mr Yu Guangzhou. Mr Chui introduced to them the proposal of the new Macao-Zhuhai passageway, which Guangdong and Macao authorities had formally proposed to the Central Government previously, and exchanged ideas with them on this project. He said the new passageway would bolster Macao's drive to become a global tourism and leisure hub, benefit the general public, and help divert travelers flow from the current checkpoints. The Secretary for Transport and Public Works, Mr Lau Si Io, who was also in Beijing with Mr Chui, said the Government would follow up on the budget and timetable of the project when it received approval from the Central Government. The new passageway would not only expand and upgrade customs facilities but also enable the Government to find new means to shorten the time needed for people to cross into Zhuhai or Macao, he said.
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IFT's Tourism Research Centre (ITRC) is releasing today the latest results of the Macao Tourism Satisfaction Index or MTSI, covering the first two quarters (first half) of 2012. Reports can be downloaded from the ITRC website: http://www.ift.edu.mo/itrc/TSI.html. Subscribers will be emailed copies of the reports directly. ITRC has been collecting data on visitor satisfaction in Macao since 2009 and its database now span quarterly results for the last three years. Highlights of the latest findings are as follows: Visitor satisfaction in Macao—not worsening but not improving either As of the end of the 2nd quarter of 2012, the Tourism Satisfaction Index (TSI) for Macao stood at 69.5 out of a highest score of 100. This is slightly better than the 68.8 recorded in the 1st quarter of 2012 and not at all significantly different from satisfaction recorded in the last three quarters of 2011. In other words, visitors' satisfaction with their experience in Macao has neither worsened nor improved for already a sustained period of time. The current and recent levels of the MTSI, though stable, stand below the above-70 index scores achieved for the most part of 2010. Events and transport keep up the good work; heritage attractions post lower than average satisfaction for the first time For the 2nd quarter of 2012, overall MTSI performance was boosted by above-average satisfaction reported in the events, transportation, hotels and casino sectors, but favourable performance in these sectors were offset by below-average satisfaction reported in restaurants, heritage attractions, non-heritage attractions as well as by retail shops. Results for heritage attractions show unusually lower than historically average performance and therefore merit closer attention. Events are Macao's real attraction, a surprising turnaround in transport sector; restaurants, retailing and non-heritage attractions need re-thinking Looking at the sustained performance of all sectors over the last three years, Macao's events sector remains the most positive performer, with visitor satisfaction for this sector being sustained above average. The restaurant sector remains the laggard; visitors' satisfaction continues to be below average compared to all sectors. There seems to be a sustained turnaround for the transportation sector, with satisfaction ratings improving from Q4 2011 up to the most recent quarter. Compared to the first half of 2011, the first half of 2012 shows slight, but not significantly better, results. Efforts need to be maintained and strengthened so that the second half of 2012 would result in overall better results for the year compared to 2011. About the MTSI
Each quarter since 2009, ITRC has been measuring the level of visitor satisfaction in Macao across various sectors in the tourism industry. Results across all sectors are averaged to form an overall Macao Tourist Satisfaction Index (MTSI). The ten tourism related sectors include (a) casinos, (b) events, (c) heritage attractions, (d) hotels, (e) immigration services, (f) non-heritage attractions, (g) restaurants, (h) retail shops, (i) tour guides/operators, and (j) transportation services. The MTSI study is conducted by ITRC in collaboration with the Hong Kong Polytechnic University School of Tourism and Hotel Management. With similar studies conducted by partners in other countries, results obtained in Macao by ITRC are compared annually with those in Hong Kong, Singapore and Shenzhen, thereby allowing comparison in terms of competitive performance and benchmarking. Methodology
The MTSI is measured using a field survey in which respondents are selected and interviewed based on a systematic random sampling technique. Interviews with visitors are conducted at major tourist sites and transport terminals in Macao. In the first and second quarters of 2012, 1,145 and 1,154 interviews were conducted respectively. The TSI is an index comprised of the average responses to three questions asked in the survey for all sectors: overall satisfaction, performance compared with expectations and with ideal performance. Results for each sector are transformed and reported on a scale ranging from 0 to 100 points. The higher the score on the index, the higher the level of satisfaction. The overall TSI is the average of all ten sectoral TSIs.
For more information
Please contact Ms. Virginia Hong or Ms. Wendy Tang (itrc@ift.edu.mo).
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The exchange visit of 19 award-winning students and teachers of the first short film competition for all Macao secondary school students on "Consular Protection and Consular Services" to Beijing led by Mrs. Zhang Jinfeng, Deputy Commissioner of the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China in the Macao SAR, and Mrs. Ao Ieong U, Deputy Director of the Identification Services Bureau of the Macao SAR, came to an successful end on the previous Friday (13th July 2012). Under the arrangements of the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Macao, the delegation are substantially benefited. They have visited the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, attended the press conference of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and even had an unusual ocassion to meet with the Foreign Ministry Spokesman of China at an exchange seminar during the five consecutive days of exchange. In addition, the delegation was arranged to visit the High School attached to Tsinghua University for an interactive exchange, experiencing the local learning lives in person. The delegation obtained a valuable experience and a very unique learning opportunity. Moreover, the delegation visited a number of historic landmarks including the National Stadium (the "Bird's Nest") for the 2008 Olympic Games, the Tiananmen Square, the Summer Palace, the Forbidden City and so on. In addition, the delegation also visited the Marco Polo Bridge (Lugou Bridge) and Yuanmingyuan Ruins Park. Through having on-site visits at the historic landmarks of China, students could have better understanding of the history of China and cultivate their patriotic feelings and senses of belonging and mission towards the motherland. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Macao have been doing their utmost in supporting and intensively assisting the Special Administrative Region Government on the promotion of consular protection and consular services all the time. With the guidance of the Department of Consular Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China and the Government of the Macao Special Administrative Region, the first "Consular Protection and Consular Services Promotion Week" jointly organized by the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Macao and the Identification Services Bureau of the Macao Special Administrative Region was held in November 2011. Its purpose is to enhance Macao citizens' knowledge on consular protection and consular services, making them understand the services provided to Chinese citizens by overseas embassies or consulates of China as well as the relation between consular protection and themselves, so that they can request assistance from the overseas embassies or consulates of China in emergency. Students of the delegation mentioned that the exchange tour to Beijing is an eye-opening journey to them. They are no longer be limited to the textual and pictorial descriptions of books. Such visit allows them to step on the ground of the motherland in person and experience the national condition. Experiences like having a face-to-face interactive exchange with local students and participating in the press conference of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs bring numerous advantages and a very special meaning to the students. At the same time, the organiser encourages the students to share their experiences of the visit with their classmates and families when they got home and to promote the knowledge of consular protection so that their friends and families will travel more safely and be better protected. Furthermore, the visit to Beijing has not only widened the horizon of Macao students and enriched their knowledge but also successfully diversified the promotion of consular protection and consular services. The Identification Services Bureau looks forward to work hard on promoting the knowledge of consular protection persistently, making Macao citizens better understand the need of preparation before going abroad and the self-responsibility and obligation when travelling overseas. In addition, Macao citizens need to raise the awareness of potential risks in foreign countries, so that they can avoid unnecessary dilemmas resulted from inadequate perceptions towards the foreign country and the lack of self-defense awareness.
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