News

Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that the unemployment rate for July-September 2011 held stable at 2.6%, same as the previous period (June-August 2011); the underemployment rate was 1.0%, up slightly by 0.1 percentage point. Total labour force was 344,000 in July-September 2011 and the labour force participation rate stood at 72.5%, with the employed population increasing by about 300 over the previous period to 335,000. Analyzed by industry, employment of the Transport, Storage & Communications Sector saw increase, while that of Retail Trade and the Gaming Sector registered decrease. Number of the unemployed decreased slightly by 100 from the previous period to 8,900, with 16.6% being fresh labour force entrants searching for their first job, up by 1.3 percentage points over the previous period. In comparison with July-September 2010, the unemployment rate and the underemployment rate dropped by 0.3 and 0.6 percentage point respectively; meanwhile, the labour force participation rate rose by 0.7 percentage point. In the third quarter of 2011, the unemployment rate of local residents held stable as the previous quarter, at 3.3%; the labour force participation rate of local residents rose by 1.0 percentage point to 67.8%.
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A test on 12 different brands of quick boil kettle by the Consumer Council showed that all samples passed the tests on 19 criteria for safety but 2 samples lacked Chinese or Portuguese instructions in their product labels. Consumer Council has already requested the retailers to follow up on this. Quick boil kettle is quick, energy-saving, and has become popular in modern households. Since the power of this kind of kettle ranges from 1000W to 2000W, it is crucial to guarantee this kind of electrical appliance functions safely as it is prone to causing accidents. The Consumer Council recently spot checked 12 different brands and tested 19 safety criteria of them including electric current, burning resistance, humidity resistance, and structure, etc. Results of all tested samples were satisfactory. However, 2 samples were found to include only instruction manuals in English and the concerned retailers have been informed to provide instruction manuals either in Chinese or Portuguese, as it is stated in Article 5 'Obligations of the Producer' of Administrative Regulation No. 17/2008 "General Regulations for Product Safety" that one of the official languages of Macao SAR Government must be used in giving essential instructions to consumers so that they can evaluate and prevent any kind of danger. Results of the test on quick boil kettle can be found in the new issue no. 217 of Consumer Report. Online group-buying has become a crucial topic in the work of consumer protection nowadays. Consumptions are made by consumers grouped together online through both local and overseas websites. As the trend of group-buying is increasing, suggestions are addressed to consumers by China Consumers' Association and extracted in the new Consumer Report. Consumer Report is now available free of charge at the two offices of Consumer Council, Public Information Centre at Vicky Plaza and libraries. Consumers may also access the resources online at the Council's official website (http://www.consumer.gov.mo). For enquiries, please call 8988 9315.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service indicated that a total of 13,011 Wholesale & Retail establishments, market stalls and fixed stalls on the street were operating in 2010, an increase of 574 compared with 2009. At the end of 2010, total number of persons engaged went up by 7% year-on-year to 44,081. Total Receipts and Expenditure amounted to MOP52.96 billion and MOP47.78 billion, up by 20% and 18% respectively year-on-year. Gross Value Added that measures the sectoral contribution to the economy increased by 48% to MOP10.48 billion, while Gross Fixed Capital Formation fell by 48% to MOP627 million. There were 11,150 Wholesale & Retail establishments operating in 2010, an increase of 520 year-on-year, of which, 859 establishments were engaging in the Sales of Motor Vehicles & Automotive Fuel (+32), 4,524 in Wholesale Trade (+78) and 5,767 in Retail Trade (+410). Number of persons engaged totalled 40,805, up by 7% year-on-year. In view of rising domestic demand and increase in visitor spending, Sales and Other Receipts of Wholesale & Retail establishments reached MOP51.78 billion, up by 20% year-on-year. Analyzed by industry, receipts of Retail establishments surged by 29% to MOP29.75 billion; Sales of Motor Vehicles & Automotive Fuel amounted to MOP3.76 billion (+18%) and receipts of Wholesale at MOP18.27 billion (+9%). Analyzed by size of establishment, receipts of those small establishments (9,849) with less than 5 workers amounted to MOP 8.60 billion (17% of total), down by 9% year-on-year; however, receipts of the large establishments (230) with 20 or more workers rose significantly by 31% to MOP 31.86 billion. Total Expenditure of the establishments increased by 18% year-on-year to MOP46.79 billion. Analyzed by expenditure item, Purchase of Goods & Commission Paid (MOP37.61 billion), Compensation of Employees (MOP3.70 billion) and Operating Expenses (MOP5.48 billion) increased by 20%, 14% and 5% respectively year-on-year. Gross Value Added of the establishments amounted to MOP10.24 billion, up by 49% year-on-year; however, Gross Fixed Capital Formation decreased by 48% to MOP 627 million. There were 1,861 market stalls and fixed street stalls operating in 2010, an increase of 54 year-on-year, comprising 768 market stalls and 1,093 fixed stalls on the street. Number of persons engaged totalled 3,276, with only 427 being paid employees. Receipts and Expenditure of the stalls amounted to MOP1.18 billion and MOP987 million respectively, both went up by 8% year-on-year; Gross Value Added increased by 11% to MOP235 million.
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The Tourism Crisis Management Office today advised Macao residents to reconsider plans to visit Bangkok in the immediate future due to the flooding situation in the Thai capital and neighbouring provinces. It also urged them to keep abreast of announcements on the developments and consider adjusting their travel plans. And those who were already in the country should avoid travelling to areas seriously affected by flooding and pay close attention to the most updated information (Thailand National Disaster Warning Centre website: www.ndwc.go.th, Hotline:192) and their own safety. For assistance, residents may call the Chinese Embassy in Thailand, on +66 854 833 327, or ring Macao Tourism Hotline, on +853 28333000. According to Macao tourism industry information, there are three package tour groups consisting of about 60 people in Thailand: they are scheduled to return to Macao tomorrow or the day after. There is no tour departing for Thailand imminently. Package tour travellers who had to travel to Thailand by Air Macau can apply for refunds via their travel agencies, while those who had purchased Air Macau flight tickets for Thailand may extend their tickets' validity to 31 December 2011.
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The result of The 17th International Postage Stamp Design Contest with the theme – Sharing Hope, organized by Korea Post was announced. This year, a total of 93 design works were submitted through the mailing by Communications Museum. We would like to extend our congratulations to Cheong Pok Man, student of Pui Ching School and Wong Chan, designer, whose works have won the Special Award of Youth Category and the Honorable Mention of General Category respectively. Communications Museum will continue to work hard on promoting this international activity in order to enhance international cultural exchange and stamp collection, as well as to encourage stamp collection.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service indicated that total visitor arrivals increased by 17.8% year-on-year to 2,166,627 in September 2011. Same-day visitors (1,145,615) accounted for 52.9% of the total visitor arrivals, with 665,447 coming from Mainland China. Analyzed by place of residence, visitors from Mainland China surged by 39.3% year-on-year to 1,246,256 (57.5% of total), mostly from Guangdong Province (625,475), Fujian Province (82,364) and Hunan Province (47,262); Mainland visitors travelling to Macao under the Individual Visit Scheme totalled 449,098, up by 31.7% year-on-year. On the contrary, visitors from Hong Kong (582,025); Taiwan, China (101,047); Japan (35,623) and the Republic of Korea (26,677) decreased by 2.7%, 0.6%, 12.1% and 9.5% respectively; however, visitors from Singapore (23,118) registered a notable increase of 36.2%. Total visitor arrivals reached 20,662,153 in the first three quarters of 2011, up by 11.2% year-on-year. Visitors from Mainland China (11,752,830), Hong Kong (5,777,244) and the Republic of Korea (302,530) went up by 19.8%, 3.0% and 21.4% respectively, while those from Taiwan, China (943,742); Japan (283,224) and Malaysia (221,402) decreased by 4.9%, 9.2% and 5.6% respectively. In the first nine months of 2011, same-day visitors accounted for 53.6% of the total, at 11,072,005. Analyzed by mode of transport, visitor arrivals by sea totalled 8,163,927 in the first nine months of 2011, up by 6.7% year-on-year. Visitors arriving at the Outer Harbour increased by 10.2% to 5,232,459, but those arriving at the Provisional Ferry Terminal in Taipa decreased by 2.3% to 2,586,404. Visitor arrivals by land went up by 15.8% to 11,248,602 in the first nine months of 2011, with 10,403,084 arriving through the Border Gate. Visitor arrivals by air rose by 2.0% year-on-year to 1,249,624. Visitors arriving at the Macao International Airport increased by 1.8% to 1,230,713, with the majority coming from Mainland China (37.6%); Taiwan, China (35.0%); and Malaysia (5.8%).
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Owing to the impact of the earthquakes in the Northeastern regions of India, Macao Post announced that mail delivery services (including Correspondence, Printed Matters, Small Packet, Parcel and EMS) from Macao to those areas are subject to delay until further notice. Thank you for your kind attention.
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Owing to heavy rainfall in Honduras, Macao Post announced that mail delivery services (including Correspondence, Printed Matters, Small Packet, Parcel and EMS) from Macao to that country are subject to delay until further notice. Thank you for your kind attention.
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October 23 marks the Official Statistics Day of Macao. In celebration of the 2011 Official Statistics Day, the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) hosted a dinner on 21 October with members of the Consultative Committee on Statistics (CCE) and staff of DSEC, to show appreciation for their effort and contributions to Official Statistics, and conclusion of data collection for the 2011 Population Census. Besides, representatives of the lucky households who win the top three prizes from the "Cooperating Households Lucky Draw of the 2011 Census" are invited to receive the prizes. Director of DSEC, Kong Pek Fong points out that 2011 is a year full of challenges for DSEC, in addition to its plan of work, DSEC is given the responsibility to conduct the decennial population census, which has been completed smoothly with full dedication and commitment of the Census staff. On behalf of DSEC, she thanks the cooperation of the residents, total support of the local community and kind assistance of government departments that have contributed towards "Knowing the Present for a Better Tomorrow". Kong also extends her sincere gratitude to the members of CCE for their supervision and invaluable comments, and compliments the staff for their work of excellence. Regarding the upcoming plan of work for 2012, subsequent to the dissemination of the preliminary Census results in December 2011, DSEC will endeavour to prepare detailed results and the "2011 Census Geographical Information System" that are scheduled to be released simultaneously in April 2012; besides, information on "Population Projection of Macao, 2011-2036" will be published in the fourth quarter of 2012.
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The four-day 16th Macao International Trade and Investment Fair (MIF), has come to a close today (23rd Oct). The 17th Macao International Trade and Investment Fair (MIF) will be held from 18th to 21st October 2012. The 16th MIF has received over 95,000 visits, a 17% increase over the past year. The "Convention & Exhibition Through Train Service" and "Overseas Trade Visitors Incentive Plan" have registered the participation of over 5,700 trade visitors. Over the last 4 days, the MIF has conducted 1,502 sessions of business matching, resulting in the signing of 81 protocols. Meanwhile, a total of 47 forums, conferences, seminars & presentations were held with over 7,000 attendees. Larger in scale and more internationalized
The scale of this year's MIF has expanded by 18 %. There were altogether 850 local and overseas exhibitors from more than 60 countries and regions comprising more than 1,650 booths. Not only is the scale of the exhibition expanded, but there are also many new comers this year, such as Nepal, Kenya and Korea who have made their debut independent exhibitions while some Mainland China Provinces like Anhui and Jiangxi have set up their own exhibition areas for the first time. The variety of exhibits is more diversified the contents for display and exchange more extensive, internationalized, professionalized and market-oriented. Particularly, this year has seen many pavilions with the theme of cultural and creative industries and the exhibitors have come from many different regions, constituting a key component and a main highlight of the MIF this year. Not only are the specialized trades exhibition areas larger than before, but the categories of participating trades are more diverse this year. The contents on display and the exhibits are richer in variety and more high-end. These exquisite products have greatly enhanced the quality of the entire Fair, and have boosted the attractiveness to the target international markets and trade visitors. Summits, Forums and Themed Conferences
The guest speakers who are invited to give speeches at the forums and conferences of the 16th MIF are government officials, entrepreneurial leaders, elites of different trades, experts and scholars, and the professional level and results of exchanges have been constantly enhanced. The "International Trade and Investment Forum 2011" has invited not only the government representatives and business leaders from many countries and regions who gather in Macao to explore regional trade and economic investment cooperation, but has also invited this year Mr. Cao Yuanzheng, chief economist of Bank of China to deliver a thematic speech. "The 8th World Summit of Chinese Entrepreneurs" has been graced with the presence of over 1,000 guests and trade visitors from across the world. Moreover, the 16th MIF has also organized activities that regard Macao as a bridge in the collaboration and exchange among three places, such as the Portuguese-Speaking Countries-Fujian-Macao trade and economic exchange activities, "Beijing-Macao-EU Cultural & Creative Industry Cooperation and Promotion Meeting" and "Jiangsu – Macao‧Portuguese Speaking Countries Business Forum", as well as bilateral meetings and activities for exchange and cooperation between Macao and Mainland China and between Macao and other overseas countries, such as the meetings for "Inner-Mongolia-Macao" and "EU-Macao". These activities have resulted in the signing of numerous cross-regional cooperation agreements or memorandums of strategic cooperation among diverse trades and among the participating countries (regions). Looking at the various forums and conferences, and business networking and presentation activities of the MIF this year, in comparison with the past editions, apart from an improvement in the number and profile of participants, another distinctive characteristic is that the MIF this year has paid more attention to the supporting and interactive functions between the meetings and the contents of the exhibitions. In other words, the MIF is attaching more importance to the practical results of the meetings and activities. The MIF has also demonstrated the diversity and target orientation of the meeting activities. E.g. the MIF this year has introduced the networking cocktail receptions for certain trades, which provide a platform of direct exchange and business negotiations for the exhibitors and buyers of the trades concerned. Business Matching and Protocols
The number of business matching sessions conducted during the four-day period has recorded a bigger increase. There are a total of 1,502 sessions of business matching, up 30.5% year-on-year, comprised of 800 sessions of project matching, 485 sessions of purchasing matching and 217 sessions of specialized trade matching. During the period of the 16th MIF, a total of 81 protocols have been signed (a year-on-year increase of 30.65%), which include 15 contracts, 51 memorandums, 8 letters of intent and 7 memorandums. The trades and industries concerned include tourism, cultural and creative areas, convention & exhibition, information technology, manufacturing, chemical industry, heavy industry, real estate, trade and commerce, human resources cooperation, Chinese medicine, environmental protection, products distributorship, health products, animals pasturage, food processing, and friendly cooperation between governments and trade associations. The signing parties come from Macao (49.01%), Mainland China (39.74%), Taiwan and Portugal (1.32%), Hong Kong (5.96%), Switzerland (0.66%) and Canada (0.66%). Summarising the business matching and agreements signed during the MIF this year, the position of MIF in regional economic and trade exchange service shall be to continue serving Macao's SMEs to utilize Macao's platform, in a variety of flexible business forms to deepen Macao's economic diversification and reinforce the role of a regional platform, enhance external economic exchange, promoting cooperation of the market of Mainland China with the counterparts in ASEAN, EU and Portuguese-speaking countries. Themed Exhibition and Sales Areas for SMEs to Explore Business Opportunities
MIF has been dedicated to serving the SMEs. The "SME International Business Days" have attracted a great number of SMEs to participate in business matching and promotional presentations. The results of the SME Exhibition are encouraging with a wide range of products and trading services being promoted to the Mainland and overseas markets. The International SME Exhibition Areas have drawn innumerous residents and visitors to make their purchases. The contents of this year are more enriched and diversified compared to last year, bringing good businesses to the exhibitors. Thus, the exhibition has enjoyed high popularity among the local SMEs as well as among the residents and visitors.
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