News

Hosted by the Government of Macao Special Administrative Region, the 2014 Macao International Environmental Co-operation Forum and Exhibition (2014MIECF) was opened today (27 March) at the Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel. The opening ceremony was officiating by Mr. Chui Sai On, Chief Executive of Macao SAR and other guests of honour. The three-day green event was held under the theme "Energizes Green Business Growth". In his welcome remarks, Mr. Chui Sai On, the Chief Executive of the Macao SAR said that the Macao SAR Government has set as its major policy this year to "Increase the Overall Capacity and Promote Sustainable Development" and that, with the support of the Central Government, the Macao SAR Government has been developing towards becoming a World Tourism and Leisure Centre as well as a trade and economic co-operation service platform between China and the Portuguese-speaking Countries. The city also aims at implementing long-term policy mechanisms to strengthen environmental co-operation, building "ecological civilization" and making full play of Macao´s own advantages to enhance the overall capacity. The Chief Executive added that, on the basis of the three principles of the "Environmental Protection Planning of Macao (2010-2020)", namely, Enhancing the Environment for Living and Tourism, Promoting a Society for the Saving and Recycling of Resources as well as the Building of the Environmentally-friendly High-Quality Region, the Macao SAR Government has actively carried out relevant work to improve the environment and foster the development of the environmental industry, to be in line with the city's orientation as a World Tourism and Leisure Centre. He said that the annual MIECF attracted a great number of Mainland, local and overseas operators of the environmental industry to participate in the green exhibition and green forum and exchange opinions and ideas on environmental issues. MIECF has indeed played an effective role in the exchange of information and technology in the field of environmental industry. The Chief Executive visited the MIECF exhibition venue before the opening ceremony. At the opening ceremony, thematic speeches were given by three guest speakers. Mr. Feng Liang, Deputy Inspector of Department of Resource Conservation and Environmental Protection of the National Development and Reform Commission of the People´s Republic of China said that environment and development are the common challenges that the world faces nowadays and that the promotion of green development represents the confluence of interests of all countries. He pointed out that there is a huge market in the environmental industry for all countries, regions and enterprises of all over the world. He added that China considers the environmental industry as an important factor of the country´s opening up policy, and therefore China will continue to strengthen its co-operation with other countries, regions and organizations, to introduce and learn from the advanced concepts, treatment technology and management model of the said industry. He also believed that the annual organisation of MIECF by the Macao SAR Government plays a vital role in the promotion of the green and low-carbon concepts, and fosters the international and regional exchange and co-operation in energy saving and environmental protection industry. Another keynote speaker, Mr. Tu Ruihe, Deputy Director General of the Department of International Co-operation and Deputy Director of Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office, Ministry of Environmental Protection of the People´s Republic of China, representing Mr. Zhou Shengxian, Minister of Environmental Protection of the People´s Republic of China, said that, nowadays, the development of the green economy and the environmental industry has already become the common goal of all countries, creating a huge market and ample business opportunities in the environmental field, providing valuable opportunities for countries and enterprises to work together. He also stressed that MIECF´s theme – Thinking Green, Going Clean and Living Cool – is consistent with the ecological civilization concept that China is implementing vigorously at present. He said that, after a lapse of six years, since he last participated in MIECF, he was very pleased to see that both the size and attractiveness of the event have significantly enhanced, as denoted by the increasing number of visitors. Lastly, he hoped that the operators of the environmental industry in China could seize this opportunity to exchange views with their counterparts from all over the world and look for business opportunities. Mr. Paulo Lemos, Secretary of State of the Environmental Affairs of Portugal said in his speech that Portugal and China has established long-term friendly relationship and co-operation since long time ago and that, on this basis, the two sides have been working together to develop the environmental industry. He also said that, at present the world is facing severe environmental problems and therefore there is a need putting more focus on the green industry, given that there is a huge market for the environmental technology industry with enormous business opportunities. In view of this, Portugal hopes that it will make progress in the development of new environmental technology through the country´s own efforts, and contribute to the growth of the global green industry. The officiating guests of the 2014MIECF also included Ms. Qiu Hong, Deputy Director-General of the Liaison Office of the Central People´s Government in the Macao SAR, Mr. Feng Tie, Deputy Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People´s Republic of China in the Macao SAR; Mr. Chen Zhaoxiong, Executive Vice-Governor of the People´s Government of Hunan Province, Mr. Xu Ruisheng, Vice-Governor of the People´s Government of Guangdong Province, Mr. Huang Ribo, Vice President of the People´s Government of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Mr. Luo Lihui, Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People´s Political Consultative Conference of Yunnan Province, Mr. Wong Kam-Sing, Secretary for the Environment of Hong Kong SAR, Mr. Tam Pak Yuen, Secretary for Economy and Finance of Macao SAR, Mr. Lau Si Io, Secretary for Transport and Public Works of Macao SAR, Mr. Wu Qing, Deputy Secretary General of the People´s Government of Guizhou Province, Mr. Jiang Xiaoting, Director-General of the Environmental Protection Department of Sichuan Province, Mr. Yu Pinghe, Deputy Director-General of the Environmental Protection Department of Fujian Province, Mr. Liao Zhengwei, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Land Environment & Resources of Hainan Province, Ms. Shi Jing, Chief Engineer of the Environmental Protection Department of Jiangxi Province as well as Professor Joseph Stiglitz, Recipient of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences and Former Chief Economist of the World Bank. Various activities will be held during the three-day event including Green Forum, Green Showcase, Environmental Industry Networking Meeting, Seminars and Presentations as well as the Green Public Day, with the objective of promoting the development of the environmental industry.
…

Consumer Council conducted its 'Supermarket price survey' for March on 26th March for the implementation of Section 2b), Article 10, Law 4/95/M of 12th June. Surveyed locations included 10 supermarkets in Taipa 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.
…

The Macao Government is implementing long-term policies and mechanisms to enhance environmental protection and in building an ecological civilization, the Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, said today.
Mr Chui was addressing some 830 guests at the opening of the 2014 Macao International Environmental Co-operation Forum & Exhibition (MIECF) themed "Energizing Green Business Growth". "Faced with the global environmental problems, we must adhere to our sustainable development policy objectives to strike for a balance between conservation and development which cannot be achieved overnight," he said.
On the basis of the three principal themes under the "Environmental Protection Planning of Macao (2010-2020)", namely, "Optimizing the Environment Suitable for Living and Tourism", "Promoting a Conservation and Recycling-oriented Society", and "Integrating into the Green and Quality Region", the Macao Government worked actively to cope with its objectives and positioning as a "World Tourism and Leisure Centre," he said.
"Concurrently with the development of the local economy, we strive to improve the quality of the environment, promote the development of the environmental industry, and enhance the co-operation of the environmental industry regionally and internationally." The Chief Executive said MIECF had attracted thousands of domestic and foreign participants to Macao every year, to promote in-depth sharing of their experience on the current hot topics of environmental protection and environmental technology. "MIECF has played an active role in promoting and influencing information and technology exchanges in the environmental field between the Pan-Pearl River Delta Region and as well as the international market," he said.
Mr Chui toured the exhibition venue before attending the opening ceremony.
…

Following the start of the first classes on the new campus and the relocation of the first faculty, the University of Macau (UM) Sports Complex on the new campus opened for trial run on 18 March. A sports event for UM students and staff will be held in the Sports Complex during the trial run period, which will last until 29 March, to celebrate a new chapter in the university's history. The UM Sports Complex is open on a limited scale during the trial run period. The Training Hall inside the Sports Complex is open to UM staff and students in the evening Monday through Friday and in the afternoon on Saturdays. Currently the Training Hall is divided into one standard-sized basketball court and four badminton courts. UM staff think that the Sports Complex is very spacious, and the free trial use is very thoughtful. One colleague surnamed Wong who recently tried out the badminton court with his good friends, noted that on the whole he was very impressed and pleased with the badminton court on the new campus, which is light, airy and spacious, and he thinks the opening hours are good. A 3x3 basketball tournament and a badminton mixed doubles tournament will be held on 28 March, which will be the first sports events to take place in the UM Sports Complex on the new campus.
…

Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that the unemployment rate (1.7%) and the underemployment rate (0.4%) for December 2013-February 2014 held stable as November 2013-January 2014. Total labour force reached 382,400 and the labour force participation rate rose by 0.4 percentage points from November 2013-January 2014, at 73.4%. Total employment was 376,000, an increase of 3,900 from November 2013-January 2014. Employment in Retail Trade and the Construction sector increased by 4.5% and 2.5% respectively. Number of the unemployed decreased slightly by 100 from November 2013-January 2014 to 6,400; fresh labour force entrants searching for their first job accounted for 10.4% of the total unemployed, down by 4.2 percentage points. In comparison with December 2012-February 2013, the labour force participation rate increased by 1.4 percentage points; both the unemployment rate and the underemployment rate decreased by 0.2 percentage points.
…

Due to high demand, the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao S.A.R. Government (IC, from the Portuguese acronym) will organise additional 25th Macao Arts Festival's (MAF) performances for the most sought after shows, namely, Venetians Want to Get a House, Dancing to the Sound of Naamyam, Animare, The Importance of Being Earnest, Special Creatures, Murder in San Jose, Imagine Toi and Rain of Stone, Song of the Sea. Tickets for these additional performances will be available from 10 am on March 29 at the Kong Seng Ticketing Network outlets (except the Av. Horta e Costa branch, where tickets will be available from 10.30 am), through the reservation website or the reservation hotline 2855 5555. An additional performance of Venetians Want to Get a House, by the Macau Experimental Theatre, will take to the Dom Pedro V Theatre's stage on May 4, at 3pm. The Long Wa Tea House opens its doors to Dancing to the Sound of Naamyam on May 9, at 8pm, in addition to the scheduled performances on May 10 and 11. Singapore's W!ld Rice theatre company will offer an extra performance of The Importance of Being Earnest on May 17, at 3pm, at the Dom Pedro V Theatre. Local company Theatre Farmers also takes to the Macao Cultural Centre Small Auditorium a supplementary performance of Murder in San Jose, to take place on May 25, at 3pm. Shows for the younger ones are among the most popular programmes in each edition of the MAF. Due to a high volume of ticket sales, the following shows will offer additional performances: Animare, by Shadow Play Theatre KAKASHIZA, on May 14, at 8pm, at the Old Court Building; Special Creatures, by Argentinean puppeteer Roberto White, on May 19, at 5.30pm, at the Old Court Building; Imagine Toi, by Julien Cottereau, on May 24, at 3pm, at the Dom Pedro V Theatre; and the puppet show Rain of Stone, Song of the Sea, by local company Step Out, on May 31 and June 1, at 8pm, at the Old Court Building. Tickets sales for these four children shows are limited to 4 tickets per person per performance. The Festival offers early bird discounts of up to 40% between 16 and 30 March, when buying tickets for at least 4 different performances or when buying 10 or more tickets for the same performance. After 31 March, purchasers meeting the same conditions will still receive a 30% discount. A 20% discount is also available on tickets to any show upon presentation of a Bank of China (Macau), Banco Weng Hang (Macau), LTD., Tai Fung Bank, ICBC (Macau), BCM Bank, Luso International Banking LTD. or BNU Credit Card or a Bank of China Tri-Currency Debit Card. For more information on the 25th MAF, please call 8399 6699 during office hours, or check the MAF booklet or website at www.icm.gov.mo/fam.
…

The University of Macau (UM) recently held a UM Family Day to give its students, staff, alumni, and their family members an opportunity to see the new campus before it is fully opened to the public. Approximately 1,000 people participated in the activity. Some alumni said that they appreciated the chance to keep abreast of the alma mater's latest developments and expressed their confidence that UM would become more and more international in the future. The Family Day brought together long-lost classmates and friends, who were excited to see each other again after all these years. UM staff brought their parents and children to let them see firsthand their future work environment. Several children rode bikes in the square outside the library, breathless with laughter. Dr. Jonathan Tseung-Hao Chow from the Faculty of Social Sciences said it was his first visit to the new campus library and he liked the design very much. "It is very spacious, and there are more books in the new library, which will be very helpful for academic research," Dr. Chow said. "The availability of more discussion rooms and study rooms will also benefit the students tremendously." Participants tried out the seats in the University Hall. They were very impressed after hearing PR Student Ambassadors explain that all the facilities in the University Hall meet the highest standards for cultural facilities in China, saying that they would definitely want to watch a concert in here in the future. Mr. Wong (transliteration), whose daughter is an alumnus of UM, said excitedly: "The new campus is very modern, and I'm confident that UM will become more and more international in the future." Class of 2004 graduates Christopher and Jennifer chimed in: "The Family Day brought us back to the alma mater. We are so happy to see that the university has developed so quickly since we graduated. There is a lot more space on the new campus, which I believe will help to attract more international students and bring more diversity to the campus. Cross-cultural interaction is very important for university students, and the residential colleges will certainly go a long way towards achieving that goal." The organisers arranged shuttle bus service on the UM Family Day, as the new campus is not fully open to the public yet. But some participants arrived at the new campus by bus (37U or MT3U) or taxi. Some participants toured the new campus on their own with the aid of a well-designed campus map prepared by the organisers, while others joined the campus tours guided by PR Student Ambassadors. Some even tried out the Food Paradise and the Pacific Coffee on the new campus. The UM Family Day was co-organised by UM's Communications Office, Human Resources Office, Student Affairs Office, and Alumni and Development Office.
…

Hosted by the Government of Macao Special Administrative Region, the 2014 Macao International Environmental Co-operation Forum and Exhibition (2014 MIECF) will be held at the Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel from 27 to 29 March. The National Development and Reform Commission of the People's Republic of China, the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China and the Ministry of Environmental Protection of the People's Republic of China are the Special Supporting Organisations for this event, with Co-organisers including the governments of the provinces and regions in the Pan-Pearl River Delta. Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) and the Environmental Protection Bureau (DSPA) are the Official Host-Co-ordinators. The theme of this year´s MIECF is "Energising Green Business Growth". Through a series of activities, including business matching, technical visits and Green Public Day, MIECF aims to create green business opportunities for the business community and publicise the concept of "Thinking Green, Going Clean and Living Cool". Environmental Professions Participate in the Green Forum A series of green forums will be held again this year on 27 and 28 March. It will consist of nine brilliant presentations, including two keynote speeches and seven panel discussions, in addition to two seminars. It will be a gathering of pioneers and experts in the environmental field, leaders of multinational environmental companies from around the world, as well as policy-makers in the region, will share their valuable insights and explore the current hot topics related to the environmental sector and promote communication and exchanges between representatives of governments, business concerns and community groups. Keynote speakers this year include Professor Joseph Stiglitz, Professor at the University of Columbia (USA), Recipient of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, Former Chief Economist of the World Bank and Honorary Doctor of Social Sciences of the University of Macau, as well as Mr James Jao, President of Long On Group, Senior Expert on Planning, State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs of the People's Republic of China and Steering Member of the United Nations Human Settlement Programme (UN-HABITAT). The theme of their presentations will be, respectively, "A Future of Green Growth: Why Sustainability and Equity Are Crucial for Saving the Environment" and "The Past, Present and the Future of the Chinese Three Star Green Building Rating System". Additionally, for the first time, two green forums will be organised in collaboration with the Ministry of Environmental Protection of the People´s Republic of China and the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA). The topics for discussion are "Ecological Civilisation and the Development of Low-carbon Economy" and "Corporate Social Responsibility and the Visitor Economy". The other five sessions of the Green Forum will focus on the following themes: "Retrofitting for Industrial and Commercial Energy Efficiency – The Business Behind the Change", "Incentives and Innovation behind Sustainable Transportation", "The Future of Smart Building Design – Optimising your Investment", "Water and Wastewater Efficiency Strategies" and "Waste No More – Efficient Way Forward". In the Pan-Pearl River Delta Region Session, the round-table discussion will focus on "Converge of Advantages, Synergistic Development". Leaders of the provinces and regions in the Pan-PRDR will take the opportunity to introduce the environmental industrial parks in their locations and discuss regional co-operation. The theme of the Green Chemical Forum is "Environmental Protection Technology: The Driver for Green Chemical Industry". Representatives of the environmental industry, government agencies and research institutes will exchange their ideas on new environmental technologies, equipment and products, and jointly explore a path suitable for the sustainable development of the petrochemical industry in China. The Green Forum last year was participated by 2,700 visitors. Green Exhibition Offers Ample Business Opportunities The exhibition venue of this year's MIECF covers an area of over 16, 000 square metres comprising of six major areas, namely, energy efficiency, renewable energies, green building, green mobility, waste and water management solutions as well as environmental services, with the objective of creating unlimited business opportunities for the participants and promote green business and technology development. Pavilions in the venue include the Pan-Pearl River Delta Region Pavilion, Europe Pavilion, USA Pavilion, International Pavilion, Macao Pavilion and a Distinguished Exhibitors´ Area, to showcase the characteristics of some leading brands. Three more pavilions will debut this year, namely, the China Environmental Protection Industry Pavilion, Guangdong Municipal Waste Treatment Industry Association Pavilion, Foshan Pavilion and Hsinchu County (Taiwan) Pavilion, to show the environmental technology and products in these areas. Around 400 exhibitors from 20 different countries and regions will present their products and services, including many well-known multi-national enterprises, such as Nam Kwong Natural Gas, PV Vacuum Engineering (from Singapore), Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (from Japan), New Energy, Xin Kan Shun Motors Ltd (Renault Cars), BMW (Macao), Melco Crown Entertainment, Chain Wise (from Taiwan) and Koelnmesse Ptd Ltd. First-time exhibitors include Macao New Environment Research Centre (a subsidiary of Nam Yue Technology Group), Donasonic (from the UK) and the Uniseal Creative Solutions (from Singapore). Products and services to be shown at the exhibition include renewable energies, energy efficiency, energy-saving products, green building services, power management and electric vehicles. During MIECF visitors from the environmental industry as well as the general public will have the opportunity to have test rides on electric vehicle with vehicles provided by Renault Twizy and Zhuhai Guangtong Automobile Co Ltd. Free Wifi access is available in all exhibition area and forum venues. Series of activities to promote co-operation Building on the experience of previous MIECF's, the Organiser will continue with the following activities: (1) Green Matching, to assist enterprises from around the world to promote their products and services and seek business co-operation and opportunities, (2) Hosted Buyer Programme, under which, buyers recommended by the exhibitors, or key buyers or large project developers identified through different channels, are invited to visit MIECF and business matching sessions will be arranged for them. (3) Setting-up of a Green Hotel Procurement Area, which is available for on-site procurement by local large and renowned environmentally-friendly hotels. (4) Several government departments, public sectors and public schools will participate in procurement negotiations. (5) Seminars and presentations, where exhibitors will promote their products and services to trade visitors. (6) Green Business Networking Cocktail Receptions, to provide platforms for the chambers of commerce and business associations to interact with the trade promotion agencies and organisations. (7) Green Gala Dinner, offering plenty of opportunities for the guests to build their contact networks. In the 3-day event last year 41 co-operation agreements were signed, a demonstration that MIECF has become a successful green platform to promote the development of the green industry and technology. Many co-operation agreements previously signed have been implemented. Public Participation and the Sharing of the Living Cool Experience The last day of the 2014 MIECF (March 29) has been designated as the Green Public Day, under the theme: "Reduce the Use of Plastic Bags to Make Our City Greener". In addition to visiting the exhibition, visitors can learn about the latest trends in environmental protection and participate in a series of related parent-child activities, such as Green Workshop and games. The "Green Living Station" on Green Public Day will, for the first time, be open to companies outside Macao. Green lifestyle products, such as personal care products, energy saving electrical appliances and drinking water purification equipment will be available for sale. Green Public Day aims to spread the concept of green and low-carbon living and promote green consumption. The Green Public Day last year registered 34,000 visitors the exhibition, who also did some shopping and other related activities. According to statistics, since its inception in 2008, there has been constant rise in exhibition data and improvements in all areas, to fully reflect that MIECF has steadily developed into an important exchange platform between the environmental industry in the Pan-Pearl River Delta Region and their counterparts abroad, while carrying on its mission to promote the development of green economy and technology, in line with the positioning of Macao as a World Tourism and Leisure Centre.
…

Consumer Council conducted its seventh 'Supermarket price survey' in March on 24th March for the implementation of Section 2b), Article 10, Law 4/95/M of 12th 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.
…

A group of officials assigned by tourism bureaux from Portuguese speaking countries will start today a training program at the Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO), carried out in cooperation with the Supporting Office to the Permanent Secretariat of the Forum for Economic and Trade Cooperation Between China and Portuguese-Speaking Countries (Macau). For the next two weeks, five government officials from tourism bureaux of Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique and East Timor will do an internship at several MGTO departments related to their scope of work. In May and June, another two groups with a total of 16 officers will follow, this time also including officials from Cape Verde. The trainees will do an internship at MGTO's Destination Marketing Department, Organisational Planning and Development Department, Licensing and Inspection Department and Administration and Finance Department. The internship also includes, among others, technical tours to Macau's heritage, and other tourism sites and infrastructures. The program aims to contribute to the training of tourism professionals of the participating countries, by providing participants the opportunity to learn first hand about the development of Macau's tourism industry and the daily operation of MGTO, while reinforcing mutual learning and exchanges. Following the signing of memorandums of understanding for tourism cooperation between MGTO and the tourism authorities of Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde in 2010, and with East Timor last year, MGTO already welcomed a total of 40 tourism bureau trainees from these Portuguese speaking countries between 2012 and 2013.
…