News

A memorandum concerning strategic cooperative relations in the field of record management was signed between the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao Special Administrative Region and the People’s University of China. Under the agreement, both parties will cooperate on a mutually beneficial and complementary basis in planning and implementing joint projects focusing on technical and theoretical issues, capacity building and other aspects in the field of archival and records management. The signing ceremony took place in the auditorium of the Cultural Affairs Bureau at 4pm on February 17th. On behalf of their institutions, President of Cultural Affairs Bureau, Dr. Ung Vai Meng signed a MOU with Vice Rector of the People’s University of China, Professor Feng Huiling. The agreement comes following negotiations between the two institutions, after contacts between the Historical Archives of Macao, a unit of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, and the School of Information Resource Management of People’s University of China with the goal of establishing comprehensive and intensive strategic and cooperative relations in the field of record management. In the spirit of "mutually beneficial cooperation, complementary advantages, shared achievements, progressive development and an emphasis on effectiveness", both parties will cooperate in planning and implementing joint projects focusing on technical and theoretical issues, strengthening of capacity building, policy formulation and the development of systems and standards, all in the field of archival and records management. Dr. Ung Vai Meng noted that the Historical Archives of Macao will make full use of its resources and advantages to actively provide opportunities to the School of Information Resource Management of the People’s University of China in terms of teachers’ research and study and student internship, while the School of Information Resource Management of the People’s University of China will provide the Historical Archives of Macao with services in the areas of theoretical guidance, technical support, capacity building, plan and policy formulation and system and standard establishment. The School of Information Resource Management of the People’s University of China is a specialist institution for teaching and research activities in the field of information resource management, information systems, and archival studies in China. It has played a key role in the development and implementation of China’s national strategies for electronic records management.
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The drive by Macau to stage more major international events beyond 2011 stepped into top gear this week through its presence at Australia’s vital 19th annual AIME, the premier meetings and incentives gathering in the Asia-Pacific region. Leading industry delegates converged on the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre to learn more about Macau’s established and ever-increasing number of sophisticated and, in some quarters, unique venues, hotels, attractions, restaurants, activities and industry programs. On the Macau Government Tourist Office/Macau Business Tourism Centre stand were representatives from such leading hotels as the Mandarin Oriental Macau, The Venetian Macao Resort Hotel, Grand Hyatt Macau and Sofitel Macau at Ponte 16. Off-Site Connections Event Management (Macau) Ltd. was also represented at the two-day exhibition/workshops along with DOC DMC Macau and Macau Able Tours Ltd, “AIME is vital for taking enquiries and bookings for future events in Macau,” said Helen Wong, Representative of the Macau Government Tourist Office in Australia and New Zealand. “Much important business took place throughout the event. It’s an exciting meeting point for those wanting to know more about Macau and its credentials to host quality events beyond 2011.” In addition to its presence at AIME, Macau hosted a gala luncheon for industry figures and media at Crown Hotel as well as organise an exclusive press conference at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. “During the media conference, attendees learn about the exciting new developments as well as those established – and unique – projects, UNESCO World Heritage-protected sites, contemporary attractions and shows, and activities,” said Ms Wong. ”It truly is an ideal time for us to showcase Macau to the expanding MICE market. Exciting times are ahead for Macau and its unique features.” Among the highlights for visitors to AIME were the forums involving keynote speakers, seminars and networking opportunities.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service indicated that per-capita spending of visitors amounted to MOP 1,812 in the fourth quarter of 2010, similar to the same quarter of 2009. Analyzed by place of residence, per-capita spending of Mainland visitors topped at MOP 2,902; per-capita spending of those from Southeast Asia; Taiwan, China; and Hong Kong amounted to MOP 1,864, MOP 1,414 and MOP 1,001 respectively. Per-capita spending of tourists (MOP 3,307) and same-day visitors (MOP 682) went up by 24% and 8% respectively year-on-year. In the fourth quarter of 2010, per-capita non-shopping spending (excluding gaming expenses) of visitors decreased by 21% year-on-year to MOP 866, of which expenses on Accommodation and Food & Beverage accounted for 46% and 33% respectively. Meanwhile, per-capita shopping spending increased by 33% to MOP 947, with Local Food Products (21%), Clothing (21%) and Jewellery/Watches (20%) being the more popular shopping items. Per-diem spending of visitors amounted to MOP 1,812 in the fourth quarter of 2010, an increase of 8% year-on-year. Mainland visitors had the highest per-diem spending of MOP 2,902 and the respective spending of visitors from Southeast Asia; Taiwan, China; and Hong Kong was MOP 1,707, MOP 1,414 and MOP 1,001. The average length of stay of visitors stood at 0.9 day, down by 0.2 day from the fourth quarter of 2009, with Mainland visitors staying an average of 0.9 day. Average length of stay of tourists and same-day visitors held stable at 1.7 days and 0.3 day respectively.
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Macao Post announced that the mail delivery services (including Correspondence, Printed Matters, Small Packet, Parcel and EMS) previously affected by the strike action taken by postal workers in Sierra Leone have resumed as normal. Thank you for your kind attention.
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From 26 February to 8 May 2011, the Cultural Affairs Bureau will present Written in Water – Works by Erik A. Frandsen This exhibition, housed at the Tap Seac Pavilion will showcase some twenty pieces of art, including stainless steel engravings, mosaics, and installation works. Erik A. Frandsen is a self-taught artist from Denmark. His creative method favours the ingenious combination of different media and materials. By combining multiple layers of resources with an assortment of images, Frandsen creates new and innovative visual effects. Throughout his creative career, he has continued to explore the application of new and novel materials, and searched for fresh and creative working methodologies. The stainless steel engravings featured in the forthcoming exhibition highlight the unique properties and characteristics of the material. Icy cold colours and tranquil motifs combine with the reflections of the viewing audience to create a variety of illusory moving images. In the series of mosaics, Frandsen explores themes from everyday life. His careful observations, and the exploration of distinct lines create a unique perspective, which is central to his artistic expression. With his series of stainless steel works painted without brushes, colour or canvas, Frandsen offers a highly original take on contemporary painting.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that a total of 8,818 building units were purchased and sold at MOP19.37 billion in the fourth quarter of 2010 according to Stamp Duty records, up by 51.0% and 83.3% respectively quarter-to-quarter. There were 5,084 residential units amounting to MOP16.00 billion, up by 39.3% and 94.7% respectively over the previous quarter, of which 1,567 residential units were purchased and sold under Intermediate Transfer of Title, up by 59.9% quarter-to-quarter, and the total value surged by 1.5 times to MOP9.96 billion. In the fourth quarter of 2010, the average transaction price of all residential units amounted to MOP33,397 per square metre of usable area, up by 10.1% quarter-to-quarter. The average price of residential units in Taipa increased by 34.8% quarter-to-quarter to MOP39,876 per square metre, attributable to a lot of new units were sold at higher prices. Meanwhile, the average price of those in the Macao Peninsula stood at MOP29,664 per square metre and the price of those in Coloane was MOP64,398 per square metre, both up slightly by 0.5%. With regard to transaction of residential units under Intermediate Transfer of Title, the average price stood at MOP49,298 per square metre, up by 8.7% from the preceding quarter. For the whole year of 2010, a total of 29,617 building units valued at MOP56.75 billion were purchased and sold, up by 71.1% and 1.2 times respectively year-on-year, of which 17,989 were residential units amounting to MOP45.94 billion, up by 59.1% and 1.1 times respectively. Among the residential units, 13,528 were situated in the Macao Peninsula and 3,532 in Taipa. As regards the price of transaction, a total of 5,252 residential units were sold for over MOP1,000,000 to MOP2,000,000, and 5,209 units for MOP1,000,000 or less. Analyzed by year of completion of building, 6,722 residential units were completed in 2000 and after, with 7,089 units in 1990-1999 and 4,178 units in 1989 and before. As regards floor area of unit, 8,489 units (47.2% of total) had an area of 50 to 99.9 square metres. For 2010 as a whole, the average price of residential units increased by 33.5% year-on-year to MOP31,016 per square metre; the average price of those purchased and sold under Intermediate Transfer of Title was MOP47,534, up by 29.5%. The average price of office units rose by 5.6% over 2009 to MOP22,857 per square metre, and that of industrial units went up by 14.5% to MOP6,962 per square metre. For the whole year of 2010, a total of 12,707 cases of real estate sale and purchase contracts were made, up by 39.5% year-on-year; the number of units transacted rose by 39.7% over 2009 to 16,128. Moreover, there were 8,500 cases of residential mortgage contracts signed, up by 50.8% year-on-year. In 2010, gross floor area of buildings completed totalled 1.27 million square metres, altogether providing 4,527 units (4,066 are residential units), 5,072 parking spaces for cars and 1,753 parking spaces for motorcycles. Information on transaction of building units covers units with Stamp Duty paid in the reference quarter, while data of the Financial Services Bureau refers to residential units with application for payment of Stamp Duty made in the reference quarter; hence, direct comparison of data is inappropriate.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service indicated that visitor arrivals in package tours increased by 7.8% year-on-year to 524,527 in December 2010. In comparison with December 2009, visitors from Mainland China (364,265), Hong Kong (35,331) and Republic of Korea (17,435) rose by 9.5%, 36.3% and 114.5% respectively, while those from Japan (21,568); Taiwan, China (20,388) and Malaysia (16,473) decreased by 14.3%, 19.9% and 2.1% respectively. For the whole year of 2010, visitor arrivals in package tours totalled 5,745,222, up by 23.6% year-on-year. In December 2010, Macao residents travelling outbound in package tours rose by 9.9% year-on-year to 27,685, with Mainland China (78.2% of total); Taiwan, China (6.3%); Republic of Korea (4.1%) and Japan (3.4%) being the most popular tour itineraries. For 2010 as a whole, residents travelling in package tours totalled 252,493, up by 22.4% year-on-year. Meanwhile, outbound residents travelling under own arrangements using services of travel agencies increased slightly by 0.2% year-on-year to 45,718 and the main destinations were Mainland China (34.3% of total); Hong Kong (31.1%); Taiwan, China (16.3%) and Thailand (6.9%). For the whole year of 2010, outbound residents travelling under such arrangements went up by 7.7% year-on-year to 500,133. At the end of December 2010, total number of available guest rooms of the hotel sector increased by 832 (+4.3%) year-on-year to 20,091 rooms. A total of 727,512 guests checked into hotels and guest-houses in December 2010, up by 4.3% year-on-year, with the majority coming from Mainland China (52.1% of total) and Hong Kong (20.2%). The average occupancy rate of hotels and guest-houses stood at 87.7%, up by 5.5 percentage points year-on-year; average occupancy rate of hotels reached 88.5%, with 4-star hotels leading at 94.4%. The average length of stay of guests decreased by 0.05 night to 1.4 nights. For the whole year of 2010, number of hotel guests increased by 15.5% year-on-year to 7,755,214; the average occupancy rate of the hotels and guest-houses surged by 8.4 percentage points to 79.8%. For the whole year of 2010, visitor-guests of hotels and guest-houses accounted for 61.1% of the total number of tourists, down from 61.5% in 2009.
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The Monetary Authority of Macao announced today that the preliminary estimate of Macao SAR’s foreign exchange reserves amounted to MOP192.0 billion (USD23.92 billion) at the end of January 2011. The reserves rose by 0.9% from the revised value of MOP190.2 billion (USD23.73 billion) for the previous month. When compared with a year earlier, the reserves increased by MOP44.4 billion or 30.1%. Macao SAR’s foreign exchange reserves at end-January 2011 represented 35 times the currency in circulation or 282.1% of Pataca M2 at end-December 2010. 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, fell by 0.63 points month-to-month and 0.59 points year-on-year to 88.83 in January 2011. For enquiry, please contact:
Research and Statistics Department, Monetary Authority of Macao (Tel: 83952532; Fax: 28353042)
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From February 8 until 5p.m. of February 14, the Cross-departmental Working Team sealed three more premise suspected to provide accommodation illegally. During the operation, three operators and three overstayers were found while two occupants failed to fulfill their duty of cooperation. In addition, with the assistance of police, 5 people were taken away for further investigation. Meanwhile, one more operator who provided accommodation illegally was fined 200 000 patacas. Since the Cross-departmental Working Team started operations, to date, 1,251 premise-checks were conducted, involving 826 premises, of which 107 premises suspected to provide accommodation illegally were sealed, while 120 were normal residences. Ensuing investigations on the rest of the premises have been launched. Among the checked premises, some were vacant or unoccupied. Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO) and the Public Security Police Force (PSP) will continue investigation on unanswered doors, which are suspected to be used to provide accommodation illegally. Meanwhile, during investigations to other cases, PSP has found 23 premises suspected to provide accommodation illegally and informed the Cross-departmental Working Team to handle the cases. Since the law on "Prohibition of Providing Illegal Accommodation" took effect on August 13, Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO) has waged a total of 107 sanctions, among which two sanction proceedings have been completed and six operators who provided accommodation illegally were fined 200 000 patacas. Other cases are in different stages of sanction proceedings. To date, the operations involved 1,077 occupants, among whom 491 were occupants of premises suspected to provide accommodation illegally and were investigated, including 26 overstayers and 18 illegal immigrants. 18 operators, 14 touts, 19 persons who managed the premises that provide accommodation illegally (management staff) and 10 occupants who failed to fulfill their duty of cooperation were seized on site. MGTO has begun sanction proceedings on offenders according to the law on "Prohibition of Providing Illegal Accommodation". If the six operators who provided accommodation illegally, who were fined 200 000 patacas, do not pay within the statutory period, the Financial Services Bureau will enforce the collection of fine. Meanwhile, the 10 occupants who failed to fulfill their duty of cooperation were fined 3 000 patacas each, among which four have paid the fine. For those who fail to pay the fine within the statutory period, MGTO has notified the Financial Services Bureau to enforce the collection of fine and informed PSP that the involved persons should pay the fine or their reentry into Macau will be denied.
According to the law, operators and persons who manage the premises that provide accommodation illegally (management staff) incur a penalty of up to 800 000 patacas, touts can be fined up to 100 000 patacas, persons who fail to cooperate can be fined up to 20 000 patacas and occupants who fail to cooperate are fined 3 000 patacas.
Following the raid to premises suspected to provide accommodation illegally, MGTO began sanction proceedings on involved operators, touts and managing staff, and adopted provisional measures to cut the supply of water and electricity to the concerned premises and sealed the doors. Public can also call 2833 3000 to report suspected premises.
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To celebrate the Year of Rabbit, Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO) hosted a spring luncheon in Hong Kong to thank over 200 representatives from the Hong Kong travel trade, business partners and media friends for their support to promote Macau last year. Guests participated in the Spring Luncheon include Commissioner for Tourism of Commerce and Economic Development Bureau, Philip Yung, Deputy Director of Asia Tourism Exchange Centre, Li Xue Dong, Executive Director of Hong Kong Tourism Board, Anthony Lau, Chairman of Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong, Michael Wu and many others. Director of MGTO, João Manuel Costa Antunes expressed his New Year blessings and gratitude in his welcome remarks for the efforts of the local travel partners and the press for bringing over 7.4 millions of Hong Kong visitors to Macau in 2010. While Hong Kong remains the second largest tourist source market of Macau. The tourism industry of Macau enjoyed a steady growth last year, with provisional figures showing that visitor arrivals hit 25 millions in 2010, registering an increase of 15% compared with 2009. Entering 2011, Macau will leverage and develop directions to establish Macau as a quality tourism destination. Strategies include optimizing the role of industry management and enhancement of tourism service quality; participation in cross department cooperation, enhancement of tourism environment and facilities; promotion through creative means and creation of a brand new thematic image; opening up the regional level cooperation and creation of tourism platform at international level. In order to position Macau as an exciting and quality tourism destination, MGTO Hong Kong Representative (MGTO-HK) will continue to accord with MGTO’s marketing strategies. The office will carry out a wide range of promotional events and activities including product presentations, luncheons, thematic familiarization tours, seminars, roadshows and trade visits etc for the different target segments.
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