News

The Monetary Authority of Macao announced today that the preliminary estimate of Macao SAR's foreign exchange reserves amounted to MOP204.1 billion (USD25.45 billion) at the end of March 2011. The reserves rose by 4.0% from the revised value of MOP196.2 billion (USD24.44 billion) for the previous month. When compared with a year earlier, the reserves increased by MOP47.9 billion or 30.6%. Macao SAR's foreign exchange reserves at end-March 2011 represented 35 times the currency in circulation or 288.9% of Pataca M2 at end-February 2011. 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 0.49 points month-to-month and 2.80 points year-on-year to 87.72 in March 2011. For enquiry, please contact:
Research and Statistics Department, Monetary Authority of Macao (Tel: 83952532; Fax: 28353042)
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According to the monitoring data of Gamma Radiation recorded for the past 24 hours (14th April 10:01 till 15th April 10:00) by the Taipa Grande Station of the Macao Meteorological Bureau, the Gamma-ray absorbed dose rate per minute ranges between 0.1152 and 0.1300μGy/h (micro Gray / hour) which is far more below the warning level of 0.35μGy/h. The Macao Meteorological Bureau will continue to pay close attention to the radiation level in Macao. If any abnormalities being discovered, we will release related message to the public immediately and inform relevant government departments to adopt relative contingency measures.
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The 2010 World Programme on Population and Housing Censuses was approved by the Statistical Commission at its 36th session in 2005 and adopted by the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in resolution A/2005/13. The 2010 World Programme aims at ensuring that each Member State conducts a population and housing census at least once during the 2010 census round which spans the period from 2005 to 2014. Since the beginning of the round in 2005, 134 countries or areas have undertaken a census, enumerating around 5.5 billion people which represent 79% of the population of the world . This year, 2011, is the peak of the 2010 round with 77 countries conducting censuses, enumerating around 2.4 billion people (35% of the world population). On the other hand, 2010 marked the year with the most people enumerated – 2.5 billion people - in 43 countries or areas. (see the graph) By the end of the round in 2014, it is expected that almost 99% of the population of the world will be enumerated in 228 countries or areas. Only 6 countries or areas have not yet formally planned a census (Equatorial Guinea, Lebanon, Myanmar, Somalia, Uzbekistan and Western Sahara). This means a significant improvement over the 2000 round, when 27 countries did not conduct a census. New innovations The main innovations of the 2010 round are in terms of methods used to obtain the data and also use of technology. A recent UNSD survey on census methodologies for 2010 round of censuses shows that while the majority of countries or areas are still using the traditional census as the source for data on the total population count, an increasing number are producing census data with new approaches mainly using registers either alone or in combination with other data collection mechanisms. Some countries are using continuous sample surveys to produce data that have usually been collected through traditional censuses. On the technological side, the 2010 round witnesses a substantial number of countries that have adopted new technologies or more innovatively used existing technologies to improve the completeness, accuracy, timeliness, accessibility and over all quality of census results. The use of new technologies has also drastically shortened the time it takes between data collection and dissemination. For example, Brazil, Oman and India were able to release their provisional census results in about a month. In the 2010 census round, a number of countries or areas offer the option for self enumeration via the Internet while some have adopted computer assisted telephone interviews (CATI). More than 30 countries or areas are providing an option for Internet-based self-enumeration. Also, at least 13 countries or areas are using the PDA to collect data in the 2010 round of censuses. New technologies also provide opportunities to improve the management of field operations. In the current round of census, call centers and mobile telephone technology are used to build an integrated field communication system. In this system, the key issue is the timely flow of information among field staff and between them and the other levels of the census structure. Examples are the USA, the Philippines, Indonesia and Oman. During the 2000 round of censuses, many countries adopted scanning for data capture but with a lot of failures due to lack of adequate advance planning and testing. In the current round, further refinements in the scanning technology, coupled with lessons learned from the experience of the 2000 round have made use of optical data capture technology the most viable option for data processing for many countries, particularly those which have large populations such as China, India, and Indonesia. There is increased use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in different phases of the census operation, and also in combination with other geo-located sources such as handheld devices and mobile telephones. Recent decades have witnessed the dissemination of data through interactive online databases and GIS web-based mapping tools. In the 2010 round of censuses, around 80 countries plan to disseminate census data with GIS web-based mapping tools. Challenges Many countries in the world still face difficulties to undertake a census, often resulting in cancelling or postponement of census dates. Political and social instability, lack of financial resources, shortage of skilled staff are among the main issues faced by the NSOs. Since 2005 several countries have rescheduled their censuses at least once. For example, as of 2008, 64 censuses were expected to be conducted in 2010. The actual number of countries or areas that conducted a census in 2010 dropped to 43 and the rest were postponed mainly to 2011. Rapidly changing technology has created an increasing number of technological options for census taking. However, along with the relative advantages of speed and accuracy, adoption of new methodologies and technologies exposes data collection and processing systems to new problems and different sources and types of error. Privacy concerns have hampered census taking in some countries in the 2010 round. Privacy and governmental intrusion concerns seem to have eroded the political commitment in some countries for the indispensability of the census as a means for evidence-based policy-making. It is in part because of concerns of low participation of the general public in the census operation that some countries are adopting alternative methods to compiling census data. UNSD and the 2010 World Programme on Population and Housing Censuses For over six decades, the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD) has played a key role in supporting national census taking. UNSD, Secretariat to the 2010 World Programme on Population and Housing Censuses, works closely with countries and other relevant organizations to ensure successful implementation of the Programme. Major activities of UNSD in support of the 2010 World Programme include: (i) development of census methodological guidelines (UNSD has released 6 publications including Principles and Recommendations for Population and Housing Censuses, Revision 2.); (ii) assisting countries in improving their statistical capacity in census taking (UNSD has trained over 1000 participants from 140 countries in 33 workshops since 2006); and (iii) facilitating exchange of national experience. Exchange of national experience and know-how significantly contributes to the quality and efficiency of census operations. In this connection, a major focus of the Programme is on regional cooperation, including the fostering of South-to-South cooperation. The 2010 World Population and Housing Census Programme website of the UNSD (http://unstats.un.org/unsd/census2010.htm ) provides information on census related activities across the world, and the Census Knowledge Base, which serves as a repository of census methodology guidelines and documents pertaining to country good practices in census-taking. To date, the Census Knowledge Base contains more than 400 documents.
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The 2011 Population Census of Macao will be conducted from 12 to 26 August, and the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) is engaging in the final planning of the upcoming Census operation. Dr. Paul Cheung, Director of United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD) of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, visited Macao just four months before the Census, on the occasion to oversee the planning of Macao's population census. DSEC accords great importance to Dr. Cheung's visit. Mr. Mark Mak, Chief of Demographic, Social & Employment Statistics Department; and Mr. Frankie Lao, Chief of Computer and Information Department of DSEC explained to Dr. Cheung on the latest progress of the Census planning, the IT systems developed in-house and the IT equipment to be used in the 15th Population Census and the 5th Housing Census (2011 Population Census), while Dr. Cheung also gave comments and suggestions to the Census preparation. Besides, Dr. Cheung gave a keynote address to more than 70 DSEC staff who will participate in the 2011 Population Census, briefing them on Census experiences and the latest developments in official statistics. Ms. Vanessa Kong, Director of DSEC, pointed out that Dr. Cheung's visit has profound significance in providing expert advice to ensure smooth operation of the 2011 Population Census and strengthening the professional capacity of the Macao Census team. Prior to his appointment as Director of UNSD, Dr. Paul Cheung served as the Chief Statistician of the Government of Singapore (1991-2004), and has been the National Statistical Coordinator as well as the Chief Executive of the Singapore Department of Statistics. In his role as Director of UNSD, Dr. Cheung facilitates the development of the global statistical system and coordinates the work of the United Nations Statistical Commission. Currently, he is also the Senior Advisor to the National Bureau of Statistics of China. Dr. Cheung is well known in Asia and the Pacific region for his pioneering research in the fields of manpower, population, social planning and official statistics. His professional contribution has been recognized by the following national and professional awards: The Von Neumann-Spallart Medal awarded by the International Institute of Statistics (1999); The Public Administration Medal (Gold) awarded by the President of the Republic of Singapore (2001); The Honorary Doctorate Degree by the National University of Mongolia (2008).
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Consumer Council conducted a test on the accuracy of fuel meters at gas stations in Macau. Among all the fuel meters located in 18 gas stations, accuracy of 1 tested specimen exceeded the standard requirement; overall pass rate of the test amounted to 94%. The Zhuhai Supervision Testing Institute of Quality and Metrology was commissioned to conduct the mentioned test based on the national standard JJG 443-2006 for petrol machines. According to the standard requirement, each fuel meter needs to be tested thrice consecutively in order to calculate the difference between the actual output volume of fuel and the volume stated on the meter; such differences should not exceed ±0.3%. The test was conducted by filling 20 litres of petrol into the testing container from one randomly selected machine in each of the local 18 gas stations. Result showed that 1 tested specimen exceeded the national standard limit by +0.35%; though this did not affect the rights of consumers, Consumer Council had written to the concerned oil company to accurately adjust its petrol machines. The oil and petrol industry is advised to carefully monitor the accuracy of petrol machines for the sake of protecting the rights of consumers. Consumers are also welcome to approach the Council should they have any doubt or question about the operation of petrol stations.
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According to the monitoring data of Gamma Radiation recorded for the past 24 hours (13th April 16:01 till 14th April 16:00) by the Taipa Grande Station of the Macao Meteorological Bureau, the Gamma-ray absorbed dose rate per minute ranges between 0.1160 and 0.1291μGy/h (micro Gray / hour) which is far more below the warning level of 0.35μGy/h. The Macao Meteorological Bureau will continue to pay close attention to the radiation level in Macao. If any abnormalities being discovered, we will release related message to the public immediately and inform relevant government departments to adopt relative contingency measures.
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The Institute for Tourism Studies Career Day 2011 was held on 14 April at Taipa Campus. The exhibition aimed to provide graduating students more information on the employment trends in the tourism and service industries, thus, increasing their chance of success in job hunt. Sixteen organisations with more than 2,000 job vacancies from the tourism and service industries joined the exhibition. These included Coffee Concepts (Macau) Limited, DFS Cotai Limitada, Four Seasons Hotel Macao, Galaxy Entertainment Group, Grand Hyatt Macau, Holiday Inn Macau, L'Arc MACAU, Lisboa Hotels Complex, Melco Crown Entertainment, MGM MACAU, New Yaohan, Pizza Hut, Shun Tak Holdings (Macau) Limited, The Venetian-Macao-Resort-Hotel, Wing On Holiday and Wynn Macau. Representatives from the organisations provided students and alumni information about job openings in their companies and distributed application forms to those who were interested, on site interviews were also arranged. The graduates-to-be and alumni were enthusiastic about the exhibition. Questions regarding employment trends and employers' expectation were raised and discussed in the fair. The employment rate of IFT graduates is always satisfactory. A graduates' employment survey was conducted in 2010, targeting the Bachelor and Diploma and Certificate programme graduates of 2008/09. According to the results of the survey, 90.8% were currently employed, 67% had placements in the tourism and service sector and the average salary was MOP10,500. The Career Day 2011 aimed to be the platform for communication between students and employers. It allowed the graduating students to have a better view of the job market and maximised the chance of success in their career path.
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According to the monitoring data of Gamma Radiation recorded for the past 24 hours (13th April 10:01 till 14th April 10:00) by the Taipa Grande Station of the Macao Meteorological Bureau, the Gamma-ray absorbed dose rate per minute ranges between 0.1160 and 0.1283μGy/h (micro Gray / hour) which is far more below the warning level of 0.35μGy/h. The Macao Meteorological Bureau will continue to pay close attention to the radiation level in Macao. If any abnormalities being discovered, we will release related message to the public immediately and inform relevant government departments to adopt relative contingency measures.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service indicated that visitor arrivals in package tours increased slightly by 0.5% year-on-year to 466,843 in February 2011. Visitors from Mainland China (332,349), Hong Kong (19,880), Japan (19,453) and Malaysia (9,191) decreased by 1.2%, 1.5%, 11.4% and 9.0%. On the contrary, visitors from Republic of Korea (25,596); Taiwan, China (24,895) and India (8,374) increased by 85.0%; 16.0% and 61.2% respectively. In the first two months of 2011, visitor arrivals in package tours decreased by 1.6% year-on-year to 908,904. In February 2011, Macao residents travelling outbound in package tours rose by 2.6% year-on-year to 20,724, with Mainland China (69.8% of total), Malaysia (7.6%) and Thailand (4.9%) being the most popular tour itineraries. In the first two months of 2011, outbound residents in package tours totalled 38,956, up by 17.9% year-on-year. Meanwhile, outbound residents travelling under own arrangements using services of travel agencies increased by 12.4% year-on-year to 42,123 and the main destinations were Mainland China (38.3% of total); Hong Kong (26.4%); Taiwan, China (17.0%) and Thailand (7.4%). In the first two months of 2011, outbound residents travelling under such arrangements increased by 29.1% year-on-year to 85,169. At the end of February 2011, total number of available guest rooms of the hotels and guest-houses increased by 1,146 (+6.1%) year-on-year to 20,083 rooms, with that of 5-star hotels (11,992) accounting for 59.7% of the total. Hotels and guest-houses received 600,248 guests in February 2011, up by 3.7% year-on-year, with the majority coming from Mainland China (55.1% of total) and Hong Kong (18.8%). The average length of stay of guests increased by 0.04 night to 1.5 nights. The average occupancy rate of hotels and guest-houses was 82.2%, up by 4.4 percentage points year-on-year; average occupancy rate of hotels stood at 82.9%, with 4-star hotels leading at 85.4% when the average of the 5-star hotels reached 82.3%. Number of guests decreased slightly by 0.2% year-on-year to 1,241,083 in the first two months of 2011, while the average occupancy rate of hotels and guest-houses stood at 80.8%, up by 1.0 percentage point compared with 79.8% from a year earlier. In the first two months of 2011, visitor-guests of the hotels and guest-houses accounted for 60.1% of the total number of tourists (overnight visitors), higher than 59.4% in the same period of 2010.
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Recently, a group of bank customers complained to AMCM that their margined forex trading contracts were compulsorily squared by their bank. Regarding such complaints, AMCM has started a series of follow-up according to current policy statement relating to complaint handling (access is made possible via our website: http://www.amcm.gov.mo/pledge/ePledge.htm). Initial results of the investigation show that the aforementioned compulsory position squaring was conducted on 17 March 2011 when the market exhibited tumultuous fluctuations arising from the strong earth quake and subsequent nuclear leakage of Japan. Currencies involved included Japanese Yen and Swiss Franc, particularly the Yen. There were 822 customers affected by the incident, of whom some started FX trading with the bank involved as early as 1992, the latest started in June 2010. The above complaints are now being handled by the bank involved. AMCM will follow closely the process and result. We hereby emphasize that should the bank violate the rules, they would be penalized under relevant legislations. At the same time, we would like to specially remind the general public that fluctuations in the FX market are frequent and unpredictable, there are great risks involved. Cautions should be exercised in FX investments, particularly margined FX tradings.
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