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The Macau SAR Government has decided to extend the "Plan to Support Macau Tourism Industry" to the end of March, 2010 to stimulate leisure tourism, business tourism and the aviation industry so as to maintain the momentum and competitive edge Macau has been building as an international destination.
The Macau SAR Government spares no effort to promote the development of the tourism industry and support the travel trade in tackling the current challenges. To be in line with the celebrations of the 10th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Macau SAR, Macau Government Tourist Office initiated the "Plan to Support Macau Tourism Industry" on May 18 and launched a revision committing more resources from August to the end of the year. All the program under the plan will be extended from December 31, 2009 to March 31, 2010.
Support to Leisure Tourism The key projects under "Support to Leisure Tourism" are Celebrate Macau Tours and World Heritage "Historic Centre of Macau" Free Guiding Service. Results from the launch of the plan on May 18 till December 28 show that more than 33,000 Celebrate Macau Tours have been organized (29,803 groups staying one night and 3,258 groups staying two nights or more) involving 807,604 visitors and a budget of over MOP$68 million, while 26,670 visitors had enjoyed the Free Guiding Service.
From August till December 28, over 30,000 guiding services were supported by the plan, involving a budget of close to MOP$6.8 million.
The budget for Support to Leisure Tourism from January to March 31 of 2010 is MOP$72.75 million. Support to Business Tourism The "Strategic MICE Market Stimulation Program" that MGTO introduced in May included three categories: Meetings and Conventions, Exhibitions and Incentives. From May 18 to December 23, the program has supported 31 meetings and conventions, 19 exhibitions and 26 incentive travel events, involving a budget of MOP$18.6 million. In addition, the program has also received 22 applications for events to be held between 2010 and 2012, involving a budget of MOP10.4 million. A total of 98 events have been supported by the program, with a total budget of MOP$32.6 million.
The budget for Support to Business Tourism from January to March 31 of 2010 is MOP$21.83 million.
Support to Aviation Industry In the tourism aspect, MGTO focuses on supporting the marketing activities of the airlines. The budget for Support to Aviation Industry from January to March 31 of 2010 is MOP$20.75 million.
Support to Revive Sichuan's Tourism Industry MGTO will continue its efforts in supporting the recovery of Sichuan’s tourism industry. The budget for the support plan to Sichuan tourism from January to March 31 of 2010 is around MOP$8 million.
Support to Industry Training MGTO supports training initiatives organized by travel trade associations for tourism employees to enhance the service quality of the industry. The amount of support will depend on proposals submitted to MGTO for evaluation by the travel trade associations. MGTO has received proposals submitted by two travel trade associations involving an amount of MOP$2.26 million.
The overall budget of the "Plan to Support the Macau Tourism Industry" from January to March 31, 2010 is MOP$126.4 million.
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According to statistics released today by the Monetary Authority of Macao, on a monthly basis, money supply M2 continued to grow in October. Although total deposits with banks exhibited a rise, the loan-to-deposit ratio still increased from a month ago on a strong growth of external loans. Money supply
Currency in circulation noted a decline of 1.3% whereas demand deposits increased 5.1%. M1 thus rose 4.0% compared with the previous month. Meanwhile, quasi-monetary liabilities edged up by 0.8%. The sum of these two items, i.e. M2, grew 1.3% to MOP211.0 billion. On an annual basis, M1 and M2 rose 40.5% and 11.3% respectively. The share of Pataca (MOP) in M2 stood at 28.0%, down slightly by 0.1 percentage point over a month ago and stayed flat when compared with the same period last year. Concurrently, the share of Hong Kong Dollar (HKD) in M2 was 53.8%, up 0.4 percentage points month-to-month or 2.2 percentage points year-on-year. Deposits
Resident deposits rose 1.3% from the previous month to MOP206.2 billion. Of which, MOP deposits and HKD deposits grew at respective rates of 1.0% and 2.1%, while other foreign currency deposits dropped by 0.4%. Concurrently, non-resident deposits edged up 0.2% (to MOP72.8 billion) while public sector deposits with the banking sector dropped slightly by 0.1% (to MOP13.4 billion). As a result, total deposits with the banking sector increased 1.0% from the previous month to MOP292.4 billion. The shares of MOP and HKD in total deposits were 22.0% and 45.6% respectively. Loans
Domestic loans to the private sector grew 0.7% month-to-month to MOP97.1 billion. Among which,
MOP23.0 billion was MOP-denominated and MOP67.4 billion was denominated in HKD, representing
23.7% and 69.4% of the total respectively. Meanwhile, external loans rose by 8.4% to MOP80.2 billion;
of which, loans denominated in MOP and HKD accounted for 1.3% and 48.0% respectively of the total, at values of MOP1.0 billion and MOP38.5 billion. Loan-to-deposit ratios
As resident deposits rose at a faster pace than domestic loans to the private sector, the loan-to-deposit ratio for the resident sector at end-October 2009 decreased by 0.2 percentage points month-to-month to 44.2%. The ratio for both the resident and non-resident sectors, however, increased by 1.8 percentage points to 60.6%
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service indicated that the total number of visitor and non-resident arrivals was 2,387,522 in November 2009; visitor arrivals for November 2009 increased by 2.7% year-on-year to 1,890,252. Analyzed by place of residence, visitors from Mainland China grew by 14.6% year-on-year to 1,016,411 (53.8% of total visitor arrivals), with 385,256 travelling to Macao under the Individual Visit Scheme, fell by 18.7% from November 2008 (473,625). Visitors from Taiwan, China (115,468) and Malaysia (37,976) rose by 15.8% and 5.1% respectively; however, visitors from Hong Kong (506,464); Japan (34,308); and Singapore (27,259) decreased by 14.5%, 7.9% and 14.3% respectively. Same-day visitors (951,923) accounted for 50.4% of the total visitor arrivals, with 501,101 coming from Mainland China. The cumulative visitor arrivals totalled 19,716,894 in the first eleven months of 2009, down by 6.2% year-on-year. Visitors from Mainland China (9,978,844), Hong Kong (6,125,890), Taiwan, China (1,178,344) and Malaysia (286,566) dropped by 7.2%, 3.8%, 2.8% and 24.6% respectively, while those from Japan (340,949) registered an increase of 4.6%. Cumulative number of same-day visitors accounted for 52.6% of total visitor arrivals, at 10,365,717. Analyzed by mode of transport, visitor arrivals by sea totalled 7,819,178 in the first eleven months of 2009, down by 5.8% year-on-year. Visitors arriving at the Outer Harbour decreased by 19.1% to 5,415,667 and those arriving at the Provisional Ferry Terminal in Taipa rose by 68.3% to 2,142,878. Visitor arrivals by land decreased by 6.7% year-on-year to 10,441,523 in the first eleven months of 2009; those arriving through the Border Gate totalled 9,690,753 and the majority were visitors from Mainland China (77.7%) and Hong Kong (14.3%). Visitor arrivals by air went down by 4.6% year-on-year to 1,456,193 in the first eleven months of 2009. Visitors arriving at the Macao International Airport dropped by 4.7% to 1,424,208, with the majority coming from Taiwan, China (38.6%), Mainland China (25.6%), Malaysia (7.9%) and Thailand (6.8%).
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service indicated that the Composite CPI (101.65) for November 2009 decreased by 0.11% year-on-year. Apart from the 18.95% decrease of the price index of Education, lower rentals for housing and reduced charges for mobile phone services drove the price indices of Housing & Fuels; and Communication down by 2.31% and 2.0% respectively. On the contrary, price indices of Clothing & Footwear; Miscellaneous Goods & Services; and Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages increased by 8.81%, 4.08% and 3.15% respectively, attributable to dearer prices of new Autumn/Winter clothing for men and women, gold jewellery, as well as fresh fish and seafood. The CPI-A (101.35) for November 2009 decreased by 1.08% year-on-year, while CPI-B (101.67) increased slightly by 0.08%. The Composite CPI for November 2009 increased by 0.49% month-to-month, of which the price indices of Clothing & Footwear; Miscellaneous Goods & Services; and Housing & Fuels rose by 5.54%, 0.75% and 0.22% respectively on account of dearer prices of new Autumn/Winter clothing, higher gold prices and rising prices of LP Gas. However, price index of Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages decreased by 0.04% due to lower prices of fresh fish from October. Meanwhile, the CPI-A and CPI-B rose by 0.35% and 0.54% month-to-month. The average Composite CPI for the first eleven months of 2009 went up by 1.21% year-on-year. For the 12 months ended November 2009, the average Composite CPI rose by 1.61% over the preceding period. The Composite CPI reflects the impact of price changes on the general population. The 2008/2009 based CPI-A relates to about 50% of the households, which have an average monthly expenditure of MOP6,000 to MOP18,999. The CPI-B relates to about 30% of the households, which have an average monthly expenditure of MOP19,000 to MOP34,999.
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The Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, pledged today Macao would make the most of the advantages of the “One Country, Two Systems” policy and inherit good traditions and make innovations. Mr Chui said this as he delivered a speech at a reception at the Macau Tower to celebrate the anniversary of the Macao SAR, soon after he was sworn in as Chief Executive. The Chief Executive said that in the past 10 years, with the strong backing of the Central Government, the Macao SAR Government had earnestly implemented the policy of "One Country, Two Systems", “Macao people governing Macao”, and a high degree of autonomy. ‘This morning, President Hu Jintao delivered a very important speech, the essence of which we will profoundly grasp and thoroughly implement in the practice,’ he said. ‘In retrospect of Macao’s growth, Mr Edmund Ho Hau Wah, as the first-term and second-term Chief Executive of Macao SAR, took up the historic responsibility of opening a new era of "One Country Two Systems" and wrote a new chapter in Macao history together with Macao people. ‘As the pioneer of a new era, Mr Edmund Ho Hau Wah sized up the then complicated and changeable social and economic situation and carried out his promises in spite of the difficulties. He and his team pulled Macao out of its slump and laid a firm foundation for the future prosperity of Macao’s economy. ‘In the past 10 years, with the comprehensive support from the motherland, the joint efforts of the SAR Government headed by Mr Edmund Ho Hau Wah, and the Macao people, our internal environment has been continuously optimised. ‘At the ceremony this morning, the principal officials of the third-term Macao SAR Government were sworn into office. We will keep our oath, carry out our duties, and serve our motherland and our people whole-heartedly. ‘Macao’s achievements in the past 10 years are obvious to all. Looking to the future, there will be new opportunities as well as new challenges. Based on what we’ve already achieved, we will make the most of the advantages of the “One Country, Two Systems” policy, inherit from good traditions and make innovations. ‘We will adhere to people-based governance, and continue to take the improvement of people’s lives as an important goal of economic growth and government reform. Priority will be given to Macao’s fundamental and long-term interests, so that the fruits of social progress and economic development can be shared by Macao citizens. ‘With the support from the people, my team and I have confidence and determination to shoulder the responsibilities. We will take into consideration the overall interests of Macao, implement scientific decision-making, collect people’s opinions widely and be committed to the construction of an efficient and clean government. ‘We will work hand in hand with Macao citizens to build a harmonious society where there is harmony among different groups and communities, where there is inheritance, mutual respect and tolerance,’ Mr Chui said. Guests attending the reception included the former Chief Executive, Mr Edmund Ho Hau Wah, the Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao Special Administrative Region, Mr Bai Zhijian, the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the PRC in Macao SAR, Mr Lu Shumin, Commander of Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Garrison in Macao SAR, Major General Wang Yuren, the President of Legislative Assembly, Mr Lau Cheok Va, and the President of the Court of Final Appeal, Mr Sam Hou Fai. In the morning, more than 200 guests attended the flag raising ceremony at Golden Lotus Square.
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The President, Mr Hu Jintao, accompanied by State Councillor Ms Liu Yandong and the Chief Executive Mr Chui Sai On this afternoon laid the foundation stone for the new campus of the University of Macau on Hengqin Island, Zhuhai. Speaking at the ceremony, Ms Liu said that building the university campus on Hengqin Island was a significant strategy of the Central Government in supporting Macao’s education development. She said she believed that as the MSAR’s biggest tertiary institution, the University of Macau played a vital role in nurturing local talent and the new Hengqin campus would further enhance this role by providing the university with more room for development. Re-iterating the President’s expectations for the university, Ms Liu stressed she hoped it would become one of the best tertiary institutions in the world, with world class facilities, faculties, talent and research. She also pointed out that the creation of the Hengqin campus was the result of collaborative efforts from different parties, especially Guangdong and Zhuhai. For his part, the Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, expressed his gratitude to the Central Government for approving the Hengqin campus project, giving a big boost to Macao’s sustainable development. He said the MSAR Government would use the project as a starting point for closer co-operation with Guangdong and regional integration in line with the Reform of the Pearl River Delta Region Development Plan. He also pledged that the MSAR Government would enhance investment in education and talent. Covering about 1.09 square kilometres, the Hengqin campus is about 20 times the size of the University’s existing campus. Upon completion in three years, it would be able to accommodate about 10,000 students. An underwater tunnel to be built to connect the campus with Macao will be open around the clock. With the MSAR Government having jurisdiction over the campus, local residents commuting between the new facility and Macao will not be subject to immigration or the usual cross-boundary checks.
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President Hu Jintao left Macao this afternoon on completion of his two-day visit to Macao. President Hu attended the Tenth Anniversary Celebrations of Macao’s Return to the Motherland and the Inauguration Ceremony of the Third-term MSAR Government this morning, at which Mr Chui Sai On was sworn in as Macao’s Chief Executive. Over these two days, President Hu met the outgoing Chief Executive Edmund Ho Hau Wah, the Chief Executive Chui Sai On, principal officials of the second-term and third-term SAR Government. Mr Hu also officiated the opening ceremony of Macao Science Center and laid the foundation stone of University of Macau’s campus on Hengqin Island. After presiding over the ceremony, Mr Hu was seen off by Chief Executive Chui Sai On and his wife, former Chief Executive Edmund Ho Hau Wah and his wife, principal officials and top officials of Guangdong Province. Afterwards, the Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao Special Administrative Region, Mr Bai Zhijian, spoke to the press and gave them a gist of the President’s visit He said we could draw out four points from President Hu’s two official addresses and remarks on different occasions. First, President Hu fully affirmed the achievements of Mr Ho and his team over the past decade, and the implementation of ‘One Country, Two Systems’ is a complete success for Macao. Second, the successful experience of Macao gave us five important messages, which are fully and accurately understand the principle of ‘One Country, Two Systems’, adhere to the Basic Law strictly, focus on development, maintain social harmony and stability, and nurture all kinds of talents. Third, President Hu asked Chief Executive Chui Sai On to learn from the success of the previous government and be brave and innovative in tackling problems and issues. Fourth, President Hu stressed that the motherland will give its full support to the implementation of the principle of ‘One Country, Two Systems’, Mr Bai said.
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The President, Mr Hu Jintao, presided over the inauguration ceremony of the Third-term Government of the Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR) this morning at the Macao East Asian Games Dome. Addressing the gathering, the President first expressed his confidence that, building on past achievements, Macao would go from strength to strength under the leadership of the newly sworn-in government. He also paid tribute to Mr Deng Xiaoping, who proposed the concept of ‘One country, two systems’, as well as Mr Jiang Zemin, who contributed to the concept’s successful implementation. President Hu pointed out that Macao had faced different challenges over the past decade but it had emerged from each one of them stronger and better thanks to the steadfast support of the central government and the concerted efforts of Macao people. Reflecting on Macao’s extraordinary journey in the last 10 years, he summed up five lessons for Macao. “First and foremost, it is important to have a correct interpretation of the principle of ‘One country, two systems’ and enforce it accordingly. The key here is to build a solid political foundation for Macao’s long term stability and prosperity by promoting unity under the banner of loving the country and Macao. “Secondly, it is important to strictly abide by the Basic Law of Macao, which reigns supreme in the legal system of the MSAR. “Thirdly, it is important to focus on spurring development. Through the wisdom and efforts of all Macao people, we can devote more attention to the all-round, coordinated and sustainable development of Macao, enhancing its resilience to all kinds of financial risks. “Fourthly, it is important to safeguard social harmony and stability by all means possible…Last but not least, it is necessary to nurture different types of talent to raise the competitiveness of Macao,” said the President. For his part, Chief Executive Chui Sai On stressed that he would adhere to the principle of ‘putting people first’ in his governance – bearing in mind both continuity and innovation. In his inaugural speech, Mr Chui also noted that he would proactively facilitate the optimal diversification of the local economy in the coming five years. In addition, the new administration will be committed to improving the quality of life in Macao by increasing investment in healthcare, education, public housing and urban planning. “We will also enhance our governance by promoting public consultation and fostering integrity in government while building both an official accountability system and a fiscal reserve system,” he said. The Chief Executive underlined that his ultimate goal was to enable every resident of Macao to share in the fruits of the region’s economic growth. Rounding up his speech, he thanked the central government on behalf of the MSAR for its generosity in presenting a pair of pandas to the region. The ceremony began at 9:30 am at the Macao East Asian Games Dome and was attended by about 1400 guests.
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The President, Mr Hu Jintao, held a meeting with the newly sworn-in Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, and principal officials of the Macao SAR this morning, where he spelt out his aspirations for the new administration. After congratulating Mr Chui on his inauguration, the President told him that the Central Government had full trust in him and hoped he would not let people down in uniting Macao and leading it towards a better future. On the new administration, Mr Hu said he hoped it would adhere to the following points -- putting people first, uniting as one, enhancing government efficiency and upholding integrity. He also urged the new administration to live up to the expectations entrusted to it by more than half a million Macao residents under the leadership of the Chief Executive. In a separate meeting with representatives from different sectors in Macao, including the former chief executive, Mr Edmund Ho Hau Wah, the President called for social unity and asked people from all walks of life to support the new administration in promoting growth and stability. He told the gathering that one of the factors which underlined Macao’s rapid growth was the unity and cohesion of its people. According to the President, Macao would be able to scale new heights if its people stand more united. He added that the achievements made by Macao in the past decade stood testimony to the success of the principle of ‘One country, two systems’. “We will continue to follow this correct path in future,” he noted.
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The President, Mr Hu Jintao, arrived in Macao today to attend tomorrow’s Tenth Anniversary Celebration of Macao’s Return to the Motherland and the Inauguration Ceremony of the Third-term MSAR Government. He was greeted by a cheering crowd as he descended from his chartered plane at Macao International Airport. Mr Hu, who is also the Chairman of the Central Military Commission and General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that Macao had grown with the motherland over the past decade and he was glad to see that every sector in Macao was flourishing. “During this visit, I want to see for myself the developments and changes that have taken place in Macao. I also want to join people from all walks of life here in reviewing Macao’s successful implementation of the principles of ‘One country, two systems’, ‘Macao people governing Macao’ and a high degree of antonomy, so as to chart a path for Macao’s long term stability and prosperity,” he added. Mr Hu was welcomed on the tarmac by the Chief Executive, Mr Edmumd Ho Hau Wah. Ms Lau Wai Ching, wife of Mr Ho, the Third-term Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, Ms Fok Wai Fun, wife of Mr Chui, the Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao Special Administrative Region, Mr Bai Zhijian., the President of the Legislative Assembly, Mr Lau Cheok Va, and other principal officials of the MSAR Government and central government officials posted in Macao. Shortly after his arrival, the President and his entourage headed to San Chok Un guesthouse, where he is staying for his two-day visit, for a meeting with the Chief Executive. Mr Hu last visited Macao in 2004 to mark the fifth anniversary of the region’s return to China.
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