News

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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The 16th Macao International Trade and Investment Fair (MIF) continue to be open to the public today (22nd October). As this is the weekend, the MIF has drawn huge numbers of local residents and visitors, and many exhibition areas and booths were lined up with queues of shoppers. Upon conclusion of the third day, a total of 333 sessions of business matching have been conducted and 7 protocols signed. The 8th World Summit of Chinese Entrepreneurs
The 8th World Summit of Chinese Entrepreneurs was inaugurated this morning. The summit organizer has invited Dr. Chui Sai On, Chief Executive of Macao SAR to be the officiating guest. About 1,400 representatives of Chinese Entrepreneurs Associations from 36 countries and regions attended the summit and took part in the exhibition and programme of activities. Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute and Macao Economic Services Bureau have hosted dinners for the Chinese entrepreneurs to enhance business relations. Professional Forums and Networking Cocktail Receptions being held
Entering the third day, a number of trade and economic summits and forums were being held, which included "The Third Ceremony of Macau Businesswomen Association Supervisory Board" And "The 5th Macau Honor Board – Creative coffee shop contest awards Ceremony", "New Fortune (Macau) Forum: Macao SME Industry Investment and Development Forum & Hengqin International Trade and Investment Transfer Port Development Plan Seminar", "How can SME Achieve Expansion by Franchising", "Latin American Business and Tourism Seminar", "Managing the Risks of External Trade Business", and "Small Home Appliances Networking Cocktail Reception", among others. Trade visitors who are participating in the "One Trip, Multi-Stop" trips to Nansha, Zhuhai's Hengqin, Canton Fair and Macao excursion tours have embarked on their trips today. The same itineraries will be offered tomorrow. Meanwhile, the Jiangsu Week series of activities being held include the "Jiangsu-Macau Traditional Chinese Medicine Industry Seminar", "The Best Photo of Traveling in Jiangsu", "Jiangsu-Macau Cultural and Creative Industry Seminar" and "Seminar on Exchange between Calligraphers & Painters of Jiangsu and Macao". Hongmu (Mahogany/Rosewood) Furniture Pavilion showcases exquisite collections of mahogany/rosewood furniture and displays the mahogany/rosewood culture
The MIF this year features a large number of exhibition pavilions which include the Hongmu (mahogany/rosewood) Furniture Pavilion. This afternoon the organizer of the Pavilion held The Luxury of Hongmu (Mahogany/Rosewood) Furniture Development International Forum as well as a networking cocktail reception. The person in charge said that by organizing the extensive range of mahogany/rosewood furniture collections to be displayed in the MIF, it is hoped that by taking advantage of the strong influence of MIF in international trade and investment domain for the promotion of luxury mahogany/rosewood furniture brand culture, it will serve to promote business cooperation. More Business Matching Conducted and More Protocols Signed
On 22nd October, the 16th MIF conducted 333 sessions of business matching and 7 protocols were signed. The protocols signed are related to an agency contract of marine night vision systems, an agreement on the development and sales of waste water recycling and sea water desalination equipments, a letter of intention of sales agency of lighting products, an agreement on the establishment in Macao for the wholesaling and retailing of Jomoo brand intelligent, anti-bacterial and environmental toilet, a catering investment cooperation contract, and an agreement on cooperation of human resources. Upcoming Activities
The programme of activities for tomorrow include "Macao Brand Show", "CPTTM Fashion Design and Manufacturing - 2010/2011 Diploma Programme – Grad Show", and "The Best Photo of Traveling in Jiangsu". On 23rd October, there will be a lucky draw in which all residents and visitors are welcome to join. Visitors to the 16th MIF may enjoy up to 4 hours free parking at the guest car park of the Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel. Also, free shuttle bus service to and from the MIF venue will be available for both trade visitors and the public. For further enquiries about The 16th Macao International Trade and Investment Fair (MIF), please contact us at the hotline tel: (853) 2882 8711, fax: (853) 2882 8722 or visit our website at: www.mif.com.mo
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The 16th Macao International Trade and Investment Fair (MIF) is open to the public today (20th October). A wide range of forums, seminars and presentations continue to be held. The different pavilions and exhibition areas have attracted the visits of many local residents, bringing good businesses to the sales areas. At the end of today, a total of 509 sessions of business matching have been conducted and 54 protocols signed, which are related to co-operation in tourism, framework agreement on Tongliao livestock park zone, separation and purification of high levels allicin with supercritical countercurrent-extraction jointed molecular distillation, distributorship of health food products, food waste recycling equipment, Paul Niehans development project, investment and sales of crystal and gemstone, intention to station in a shopping mall, waste recycling project, cultural collection project, supermarket expansion project, sole distributorship of waterfree urinals, cooperation in the establishment of a post-production filming company and digital filming technology training agreement, real estate project, meat processing, import of iron ore, among others. SME International Business Days – offer 4 thematic programmes of activities to nurture the SMEs in the exploration of business opportunities.
On 21st October, at noon, the 16th MIF organized the SME International Days Opening Ceremony. The "Business Days" feature a rich variety of services and thematic activities to help local SMEs expand their customer network and broaden business co-operation opportunities using the MIF platform. The activities include (1) Promotion of Macao Ideas; (2) SME Service Corner; (3) SME Promotion Incentive Package; and (4) seminars and presentations on topics of "franchising", "e-commerce" and "innovation and entrepreneurship as well as brand management". In addition, the Organiser has especially invited business consultants from Macao, Hong Kong and Taiwan to provide free on-site consultancy services to the SMEs on franchising and brand development. Meanwhile, the Organiser also provides a variety of information and advisory services, such as the One-Stop Service for doing business in Macao, provision of world market information, Macao and Mainland China legal advisory service, and advisory service for CEPA, convention and exhibition activities and franchising. Strengthen the Cooperation between Guangdong and Macao by Seizing the Opportunities in the Development of Hengqin Island and Nansha
To demonstrate our continuous support and assistance to Macao's business sectors for making investments in Hengqin Island and Nansha, the MIF has held the "Policy Innovation and Investment Promotion Seminar of Hengqin New Area" and "Nansha New Zone Investment Environment Seminar". Mr. Jackson Chang, President of Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute, Mr. Niu Jing, Director of The Administrative Committee of Hengqin New Area of Zhuhai, and Mr. Chen Guangjun, Director of Zhuhai Investment Promotion Bureau were present and delivered their speeches at the "Policy Innovation and Investment Promotion Seminar of Hengqin New Area", while Ms. Echo Chan, Executive Director of Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute and Mr. Fan Yue Hua, Director of Bureau of Economy and Trade, Nansha Economic and Technological Development Zone attended and spoke at the "Nansha New Zone Investment Environment Seminar".
The Organiser hopes that through the above seminars, it will effectively help Macao enterprises to understand the related policies and the various types of incentives and costs of investment in order to seize the business opportunities arising from the opening up of Hengqin Island and Nansha. Seminar on EU-Macao Business Opportunities "Cultural and Creative Industry Co-operation－Inspire, Innovate, Motivate"
On the second day of the 16th MIF, the "Seminar on EU-Macao Business Opportunities" was organized jointly by Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM), Institute of European Studies of Macau (IEEM), European Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong (ECCHK) and European Union Business Information Programme (EUBIP). It is the intention of the organizers of the seminar to give full play to Macao's advantage as a trade and business service platform in promoting the trade and economic exchange and collaboration between the cultural and creative industries of EU and Macao. The seminar has adopted the theme of "Cultural and Creative Industry Co-operation - Inspire, Innovate, Motivate". During the seminar, Mrs. Irene V. K. Lau, Executive Director of Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute delivered her welcome address. Moderated by Mr. José Luís de Sales Marques, President of Institute of European Studies of Macau (IEEM), member of the Committee of Cultural Industries of the Macao SAR Government, the seminar has invited Professor Pan Zhichang, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Arts of Macau University of Science and Technology, member of the Committee of Cultural Industries of the Macao SAR Government, Ms. Veronica Llorca, Project Director of European Union Business Information Programme (EUBIP), Mr. Gianluca Cinquepalmi, Managing Director of 1618 Group, Mr. Daniel Gumpert, Operations Director of RMJM architectural practice, Mr. Bruno Simões, Executive Director of SmallWorld Experience, and Mr. Ray Granlund of Panda Artist Management (Asia), to speak on the theme of the seminar: exploration of the latest development trends of the cultural and creative industries of EU and Macao, and the prospects and opportunities for cooperation among the cultural and creative industries in EU, Macao, Hong Kong and neighbouring regions. Some 110 representatives from the enterprises and chambers of commerce of EU, Mainland China, Macao and other countries and regions attended the seminar. Thematic Trade and Economic Promotional Activities to Develop Business Opportunities Apart from the above activities, the other thematic trade and economic seminars and presentations held on the second day of the 16th MIF included "Beijing-Macao-EU Cultural & Creative Industry Cooperation and Promotion Meeting & Signing Ceremony", "Shaanxi-Macao Economics and Trade Symposium", "Inner Mongolia & Macao Economic and Trade Cooperation Promotion Conference", "The Conference on Investment in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region", "Invest Yunnan Workshop 2011, Macao", "Anhui & Macau Cooperation and Exchange Forum", "EU Wine & Food Products Networking Cocktail Reception", "Beijing Cultural and Creative Company Business Matchmaking Meeting & Specialized Buyers Meeting", "Cultural and Creative Industry - Networking Cocktail Reception", and "E-commerce Seminar", etc. By way of these activities, the Organiser hopes that the participating Chinese provinces and municipalities are able to further advance effectively the advantages of the regimes and networks, to help Beijing's cultural and creative industries in "going out" to explore the world market, particularly the EU and Portuguese-speaking countries, and also help the "coming in" of foreign enterprises and investors in their businesses in Mainland China. Besides, at the Macau Tower, the "Macau Jiangsu Week Opening Ceremony", "Jiangsu – Macao‧Portuguese Speaking Countries Business Forum" and "The Best Photo of Traveling in Jiangsu" were held. More Highlighted Seminars and Presentations to be Held Tomorrow The 16th MIF will be organizing a vast range of seminars and presentations on the third day (22nd October), including "The 8th World Summit of Chinese Entrepreneurs", "The Luxury of Hongmu (Mahogany/Rosewood) Furniture Development International Forum", "Third Ceremony of Macau Businesswomen Association Supervisory Board" And The 5th Macau Honor Board – Creative coffee shop contest awards Ceremony", "New Fortune (Macau) Forum: Macao SME Industry Investment and Development Forum & Hengqin International Trade and Investment Transfer Port Development Plan Seminar", and more. Open to Public Tomorrow and More Facilitating Services for Visitors Free Shuttle Buses: The 16th MIF will continue to be open to the public from 22nd to 23rd Oct. Free shuttle bus service to and from the MIF venue will be available for both trade visitors and the public.
Parking: Holders of MIF admission ticket may enjoy up to 4 hours free parking at the guest car park of the Venetian from 21st to 23rd Oct. For further enquiries about The 16th Macao International Trade and Investment Fair (MIF), please contact us at the hotline tel: (853) 2882 8711, fax: (853) 2882 8722 or visit our website at: www.mif.com.mo
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service indicated that the Composite CPI (111.48) for September 2011 increased by 6.51% year-on-year. The increment was driven by higher charges for meals bought away from home and dearer prices of gasoline. For the 12 months ended September 2011, the average Composite CPI increased by 5.11% from the previous period; the CPI-A and CPI-B rose by 4.78% and 5.28% respectively. In comparison with September 2010, significant increase was observed in the price index of Transport (+10.63%); Miscellaneous Goods & Services (+10.30%); Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages (+9.30%); and Clothing & Footwear (+7.00%) on account of dearer prices of gasoline, gold jewellery, airfare, women's clothing, fresh fish and fresh pork, as well as rising charges for meals bought away from home. On the contrary, price index of Communication decreased by 14.00% year-on-year upon lowered charges for internet service. The CPI-A (110.66) and CPI-B (111.85) for September 2011 increased by 6.15% and 6.75% respectively. The Composite CPI for September 2011 increased by 0.61% month-to-month, of which the price index of Education; Housing & Fuels; and Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages increased by 1.77%, 1.15% and 1.05% respectively. However, price index of Recreation & Culture and Clothing & Footwear fell by 1.39% and 1.36% respectively. The CPI-A and CPI-B increased by 0.78% and 0.60% respectively month-to-month. The Composite CPI for the third quarter of 2011 rose by 6.21% over the same quarter of 2010, with marked increase in the price index of Transport (+10.33%) and Miscellaneous Goods & Services (+10.14%). The CPI-A and the CPI-B increased by 5.89% and 6.41% year-on-year respectively. The average Composite CPI for the first nine months of 2011 increased by 5.49% year-on-year; the CPI-A and CPI-B rose by 5.15% and 5.68% respectively. The Composite CPI, with base year April 2008-March 2009, reflects the impact of price changes on the general population. The 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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