News

Owing to the flooding in Victoria of Australia, Macao Post announced that mail delivery services (including Correspondence, Printed Matters, Small Packet, Parcel and EMS) from Macao to Victoria, particularly the areas with postal codes as below are subject to delay until further notice. Postal Code
Victoria:
3875, 3953, 3844, 3854, 3856, 3840, 3858, 3860, 3971, 3847, 3862 and 3851 Thank you for your kind attention.
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"2012 Science Express Camp – A Kickoff of Biomedical Engineering", organized by Macau Society of Biomedical Engineering and IEEE-EMB Hong Kong - Macau Joint Chapter, co-organized by Biomedical Engineering Laboratory of University of Macau and Communications Museum, wraps up this year's series of summer activities. Its objective is to inform students on the development and prospects of Biomedical Engineering in order to broaden their visions of what may prove beneficial to their future studies. The summer camp is targeted to students promoting to Form 4 or above. Grasp this great opportunity and come to register. * please fine the attached file.
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Macao Consumer Council, together with Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Chongqing, Hong Kong, China Consumer News, and 21 other consumer organizations/councils, announce consumer alerts periodically and work closely on protecting consumers' rights and safety. The 22 consumer organizations remind all consumers to check the racks they use for supporting outdoor air conditioner compressors. Before turning on the air conditioner, the soundness of the supporting rack must be thoroughly checked and any loosened bolts must be fastened. For air conditioners which have been installed for a long period of time, consumers should generally check the supporting rack or replace with a new one after the first five years. The 22 consumer organizations also state that businesses bear the responsibility to provide safe products and good services to consumers and ensure the safety of the supporting racks. Further, Consumer Council reminds consumers to check the soundness of supporting racks and to choose a trusted supplier/engineering company when installing or replacing air conditioners and their racks. It is also important to check whether the installation complies with respective regulations. Consumer Council hotline: 8988 9315.
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Owing to the earthquake in the Italy, Macao Post announced that mail delivery services (including Correspondence, Printed Matters, Small Packet, Parcel and EMS) from Macao to Italy, particularly the areas with postal codes as below are subject to delay until further notice. Area Region - Emilia Romagna City - Bologna, Modena, Forlì, Reggio Emilia and Mantova Postal Code
41034, 41035, 41036, 41037, 41038, 42010, 42015, 42016, 42018, 42042, 42044, 42046 and 42047 Thank you for your kind attention.
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According to statistics released today by the Monetary Authority of Macao, on a monthly basis, broad money supply continued to grow in April. As deposits grew faster than loans, the overall loan-to-deposit ratio of the banking sector dropped from a month earlier.
Money supply
Currency in circulation and demand deposits grew 2.2% and 6.3% respectively. M1 thus increased 5.6% from one month earlier. Concurrently, quasi-monetary liabilities rose 1.4%, pushing M2 to increase by 2.0% to MOP316.7 billion. On an annual basis, M1 and M2 rose 12.4% and 18.3% respectively. The share of Pataca (MOP) in M2 stood at 25.8%, up 0.1 percentage point over a month ago but down 1.1 percentage points from a year earlier. The share of Hong Kong Dollar (HKD) in M2 was 55.1%, up 0.5 percentage points month-to-month and 1.0 percentage point year-on-year.
Deposits
Resident deposits grew 2.0% from the preceding month to MOP309.7 billion. Of which, MOP deposits and HKD deposits increased at respective rates of 2.3% and 2.9% while other foreign currency deposits dropped 1.2%. Concurrently, non-resident deposits grew 2.4% to MOP127.6 billion and public sector deposits with the banking sector increased 6.1% to MOP32.6 billion. As a result, total deposits with the banking sector rose 2.4% from a month earlier to MOP470.0 billion. The shares of MOP and HKD in total deposits were 21.0% and 44.6% respectively.
Loans
Domestic loans to the private sector increased 1.3% on a monthly basis to MOP172.5 billion. Among which, MOP46.3 billion was MOP-denominated and MOP110.2 billion was denominated in HKD, representing 26.8% and 63.9% of the total respectively. On the other hand, external loans rose 0.6% to MOP183.3 billion; of which, loans denominated in MOP and HKD accounted for 0.6% (MOP1.2 billion) and 27.4% (MOP50.3 billion) respectively.
Loan-to-deposit ratios
As resident deposits grew faster than domestic loans to the private sector, the loan-to-deposit ratio for the resident sector at end-April 2012 dropped 0.5 percentage points month-to-month to 50.4%. The ratio for both the resident and non-resident sectors was 75.7%, down 1.1 percentage points from the previous month. For enquiry, please contact:
Research and Statistics Department, Monetary Authority of Macao (Tel: 83952532; Fax: 28353042)
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Consumer Council conducted a price check on 12 brands of beverages. Result shows that selling prices of beverages among retail stores vary significantly; prices of certain brands of bottled water differ for over 200 percent. Consumer Council conducted its specific price survey on 12 brands of beverages from 25 supermarkets and convenience stores on 1st June. Surveyed items include soft drinks, bottled water, beer and other kinds of beverages. Different levels of price differences were recorded for all 12 beverages sold in various retail outlets. 'Cool Distilled Water (750ml)', which was sold at $2.00 to $6.20, recorded a price difference of over 200 percent. 'Watsons Water Pure Distilled (430ml)' and 'Bonaqua Mineralized Water (770ml)' also recorded price differences of around 130 percent. The smallest price difference was recorded in prices of 'Vita Lemon Tea Drink (250mlx6)', which differed for about 28 percent, or $4.70. Survey result shows that selling prices of the same beverage sold in convenience stores are much higher than that in supermarkets and grocery stores. Also, selling prices of the same product are found to vary in different regions under the same supermarket chain stores. Consumers are advised to check with the data provided by the Council on its website (www.consumer.gov.mo) and its 'Supermarket price platform' apps to make price comparisons. The specific price survey on beverages is now available on the Council's website (www.consumer.gov.mo). For enquiry, please call 8988 9315.
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The Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, today submitted to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress for approval or record two bills he signed relating to the selection method of the Chief Executive and the election method of the Legislative Assembly. A statement from the Government Spokesperson Office said the bills were signed after they were approved by more than the required two-third members of the Legislative Assembly yesterday. The Chief Executive said since the two bills were in accordance with the Basic Law and the related decision made by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, he signed them yesterday and asked officials to bring the bills and documents to the Office of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council in Beijing today, addressed to the Standing Committee of the NPC. The revisions of the selection method of the Chief Executive and the election method of the Legislative Assembly will be an important step in the constitutional development of Macao, and would be beneficial to the stability of Macao's political system and its long-term prosperity, the statement said.
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Today (6 June) the University of Macau (UM) held two seminars on moral education, namely Seminar on Ethics and Integrity of University Students with Post-secondary Students, and Seminar on Students' Character and Social Responsibility with Secondary School Principals, hoping to promote the importance of moral education and reinforce such core values as honesty, integrity and social responsibility. The University of Macau (UM) places equal emphasis on expertise and character development, and has launched relevant courses and a series of activities in order to nurture caring and socially responsible students. The two seminars are part of UM's "Whole Person Development in Character and Expertise" Activity Series. UM Rector Wei Zhao, Vice Rector (Academic Affairs) Simon Ho, Faculty of Education Dean Fan Xitao, Commission Against Corruption's Education and Dissemination Division Head Wong Chi Hou, UM Alumni Association General Assembly President Ao Peng Kong, and local secondary school principals and university students attended the seminars. UM Rector Wei Zhao noted that UM places equal emphasis on expertise and character development. He said that since early this year, UM has launched a series of student development activities, such as formulate and release ethics guidelines for students, Financial Guidelines Briefing for Student Organizations, Dialogue between Student Leaders and University's Top Management: Justice, Integrity and Responsibility, an advanced course in student affairs, and a workshop on student affairs planning, in an attempt to nurture students with both expertise and integrity. In his speech entitled "Ethics and Integrity: The Role of University and Its Students", UM's Vice Rector (Academic Affairs) Simon Ho stressed that in order to help students develop honesty and integrity, UM has adopted a new "4-in-1" education model, launched general education courses, and implemented a pilot residential college programme. Simon Ho said that UM adds moral elements into academic courses, and hopes to create an inspiring, multi-cultural environment to nurture caring and socially responsible students with the ability to reflect on their shortcomings, by making full use of various internal and external factors, such as management of student organizations, activities on and off campus, the influence and guidance of moral leaders and teachers, and campus environment and culture. Wong Chi Hou and Ao Peng Kong gave speeches entitled "Honesty and Integrity, Our Common Pursuit" and "From Caterpillar to Butterfly: The Pain and Wonder of Spiritual Growth", in which they cited real-life examples and quoted lines from classic Chinese works such as The Book of Changes and the Analects of Confucius to explain in simple language the profound role integrity plays in one's life. In his speech entitled "Future Development Considerations", Faculty of Education Dean Fan Xitao noted that the traditional teacher training model is not mature on the professional, psychological, cultural and social levels. He highlighted some weaknesses of the traditional training model, including insufficient time to cover all the intended content of a given course, insufficient time for teaching practice, and lack of professional maturity. The seminars attracted many local secondary school principals and university students, who shared views on moral education-related issues.
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In order to provide diversified training opportunities for industry professionals and further enhance management quality of the local service industry, Institute for Tourism Studies (IFT) and Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL) co-orgainsed two 2-day Executive Development Programme on Housekeeping Management from 5 - 8 June. The module gives participants the insight on all the critical aspects of managing the Housekeeping department covering a diversity of important aspects from required skills and competencies to the introduction of new techniques and methodologies to improve profit levels. The importance of personal development and career planning for housekeeping staff is also explained. IFT has the honour of inviting Prof. Rose-Marie Bannenberg, an experienced professional in Housekeeping area within the hospitality industry for more than 12 years being the facilitator of this programme. At EHL, she was the Executive Housekeeper for 2 years, her first position after completing her bachelor's degree at EHL. After this period and carrying out the spirit of her entrepreneurship, she acquired Hôtel des Vouageurs in Lausanne which she owned and managed for a period of 10 years. Passionate for sharing her rich experience in the industry, she decided to return to the EHL in the year 2000 as a Professor of Housekeeping Management; teaching Laundry & Cleaning of Support Centers and General Supervision. She is also a Swiss Federal Examiner for Hospitality Industry Programmes. The mindset of the programme is to help participants to understand the importance of efficient housekeeping systems for delivering excellent customer service and valuing job functions by increasing professionalism. Programme topics include:
 Define the new trends in housekeeping, laundry and public area operations.
 Identify the characteristics of public areas and the need for an efficient team in the cleaning of these areas.  Describe the importance of maintaining linen and equipment inventory.  Organise, manage and evaluate each Housekeeping Department.
 Describe the effects of efficient communication; with guests, interpersonal and inter-departmental communication. As the tourism and hospitality industry is growing swiftly in Macao, so will the demand for knowledgeable professionals. This course offers key insights on how to establish valid procedures and organisation standards to anchor consistent service level which at the end increases customers' satisfaction. IFT is always striving to enhance its research and teaching so as to contribute to the industry and the society. By organising seminars and workshops, IFT constantly shares with the industry the most updated information and research findings about the future development of Macao's tourism industry and ways to enhance it.
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The internal consumer market in Mainland China has been growing in recent years, the expansion and stimulation of internal consumption has become the priority work under the 12th Five-Year Plan of the People's Republic of China. The rapid growing middle-class which leads to the surge in demand for all kinds of goods, together with the implementation of the Mainland and Macao Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA), has brought along substantial business opportunities to Macao enterprises. In order to assist local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to gain better understanding of the internal consumption market and further develop retail sales, the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM), in conjunction with the Foreign Trade and Economic Bureau of Guangdong Province, organised a Macao business delegation for a fact-finding visit from 29 to 30 May. The delegation comprised of 43 members and visited Jiangmen and Foshan, the second- and third-tier cities located in Guangdong Province. The visit, entitled "Exploring Retail Opportunities – Macao SMEs' Visit to Guangdong Internal Market", consisted of seminars on the environment of internal markets , site visits and experience-sharing sessions from Mainland enterprises, and enabled Macao SMEs to have a better understanding of the business opportunities available in the two municipalities. Members of the Macao business delegation come from several business sectors, including food and beverage, trade, banking, e-commerce, photography, gifts and souvenirs. A Series of Activities to Assist Macao SMEs to Gain Better Understanding of the Internal Market On the first day of the visit, members of the Macao business delegation attended a seminar on current Jiangmen´s investment environment and internal consumption. Sun Bin, Deputy Director of Guangdong Board of Investment, made a presentation on the investment environment of the province. Other speakers included Zhou Wen, Director of the Jiangmen Foreign Trade and Economic Co-operation Bureau, Huang Jianmin, Deputy Director of the Jiangmen Economic and Information Technology Bureau, Chen Xiaogang, Deputy Director of the Jiangmen Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarentine Bureau, and Qiu Bozhu, Director of the Jiangmen Division of Customs Processing Trade Management Supervision. They shared their experiences with the Macao business delegation and answered their enquiries regarding wine tariffs, procedures and taxes for the import of gold, as well as brand and patent registrations. IPIM hosted a dinner on the same evening, to provide exchange opportunities for members of the Macao business delegation. Over 10 members of the Jiangmen business community were invited and they shared their insights with the Macao entrepreneurs, in a relaxed mood. During their visit to Foshan , members of the delegation participated in an exchange session with members of the local government and were received by Song Deping, Vice Mayor of the Foshan People's Municipal Government. Jackson Chang, President of IPIM, gave a speech on Macao's investment environment and the development of MICE industry. He also expressed hope that Macao and Foshan entrepreneurs could jointly explore business opportunities and said that Foshan enterprises are always welcome to invest in Macao. During the interactive Q&A sessions, members of the business delegation discussed with local government representatives on issues regarding preferential policies, intellectual property, company registration and procedures for the import and export of merchandises. Site Visits Seeking for Business Opportunities The Organiser has also arranged site visits to several local enterprises, including Winall Industries Ltd, Olson Food Company (Jiangmen) Ltd, Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Co Ltd and the German Pool Kitchen Equipment Limited. The delegation also visited the central commercial districts to learn more about local internal consumption market and business environment, and made enquiries to participating enterprises on market potential as well as human resources supply, in order to get themselves better prepared for the future development of the markets. Members of the delegation included Jackson Chang, President of IPIM, , Echo Chan, Executive Director of IPIM, Shun Ka Hung, Director General of the Macao Productivity and Transfer Centre, Lei Chi Fong, President of Chancheng Region Friendship Association (Macau), Eduardo Ambrosio, President of the Executive Committee of the International Lusophone Markets Business Association, Chan San Tou, President of the Board of Directors of the Chaozhou Natives Association of Macau and Tylor Ian, Assistant Manager of IPIM´s SME Service Centre.
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