News

Macao health officials held a video conference with their counterparts in Mainland and Hong Kong this morning to discuss preventive measures against swine influenza, which had spread rapidly and claimed lives in several countries. They assessed the developments of the virus, shared their knowledge and discussed quarantine arrangements, drugs, vaccine, and speed test for the virus. They agreed to build a contact list to jointly facilitate information exchanges to help prevent the possible pandemic. The Director of the Health Bureau, Dr Lei Chin Ion, Director of Hospital Conde S. Januário, Dr Chan Wai Sin, and experts from Macao’s Centre for Disease Control and Prevention took part in the meeting. The World Health Organization (WHO) raised the level of influenza pandemic alert from phase 3 to phase 4 today, which meant that the virus could transmit from human to human, and indicated that the likelihood of a pandemic had increased. The health authorities continued to urge the health, educational and social welfare institutions and the public to follow the guidelines issued by the Government. Individuals are also asked to maintain good personal hygiene. A round-the-clock hotline of the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, at 853-28561122, has been set up for enquiries.
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After its proclamation on 18th May 1977, the International Council of Museums designated 18th May as the International Museum Day. This date has been celebrated by many museums around the world. Since 2000, the museums in Macao have taken the initiative to promote International Museum Day as proposed by the International Council of Museums and held celebrations according to the specific theme designated for each year. This year’s theme is “Museums and Tourism” and, indeed, the museums in Macao will work tirelessly together to contribute to the society, the culture and tourism. To celebrate the annual International Museum Day on 18 May, admission to all the museums in Macao will be free from 16th May (Saturday) to 18th May (Monday). Each museum will prepare a series of special features and promotional activities in May, including seminars, thematic exhibitions and workshop, etc. in order to let Macao citizens feel the unlimited power of the museums to the society. For details of free admission and special activities, please visit the portal of The Museums of Macao (http://www.museums.gov.mo). One of the most important celebrations this year is “The Museum Fair of Macao, Hong Kong and Guangdong Province 2009” at the Cultural Center Plaza from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on 3rd May. Museums from the Guangdong Province and Hong Kong were invited to participate and attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony that will be held at 15:00. In addition to several exhibitions and booth games, there will be many types of comprehensive performances arranged for the visitors to quickly experience the characteristics of the museums from the Guangdong Province, Hong Kong and Macao simultaneously. There will be dynamic shows with great variety, including music, dancing, and Cantonese pop singers for the whole afternoon. There will be also lucky draws with rich and attractive prizes, including cultural trips, net books, digital cameras, book coupons, USB thumb drives, Taiwan round-trip air tickets sponsored by TransAsia Airways. Macao Post will issue a commemorative envelope for free distribution to the public and provide commemorative cancellation service for stamp collectors at the Temporary Postal Counter from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Another activity jointly organized by all the museums in Macao and the Macao Digital Photography Association, the Exhibition of ‘Museums and Tourism’ Photography Competition, has received more than 100 entries. The 40 best entries selected by the judging panel will be awarded and showcased in the gallery on the Ground Floor of the Macao Museum of Art. Through this activity, the organizers hope to transmit the message of the International Museum Day and to reveal to visitors the city’s unbounded affection and respect for the museums through the lenses of the talented candidates. The organizers of the celebrations of International Museum Day 2009 are: Communications Museum of Macao, Dr. Sun Iat Sen’s Memorial House in Macau, Fire Services Museum, Grand Prix Museum, Handover Gifts Museum of Macao, Heritage Exhibition of a Traditional Pawnshop Business, Lin Zexu Memorial Museum of Macao, Macao Museum, Macao Museum of Art, Macao Science Center, Macao Tea Culture House, Maritime Museum, Museum of the Holy House of Mercy, Museum of the Macao Security Forces, Museum of Sacred Art and Crypt, Museum of Taipa and Coloane History, The Natural and Agrarian Museum, The Taipa Houses-Museum, Treasure of Sacred Art and Wine Museum.
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Ms. Echo Chan, Executive Director of IPIM participated in the 22nd Asian Trade Promotion Forum (ATPF) in Xiamen, China from 23 to 24 April. The Forum was organised by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) and attended by representatives from trade promotion organisations from 15 economic regions in Asia including Australia, Bangladesh, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Macao, Malaysia, Mongolia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam. Chaired by the Vice Chairman of CCPIT, Mr. Yu Ping, the theme of the 22nd ATPF was “TPO Synergy against Financial Crisis” and participating TPO members gave presentations on “TOP’s Role and Solution during Financial Crisis” and “Trade in Service”. Ms. Echo Chan gave a keynote presentation on “TOP’s Role and Solution during Financial Crisis – New Challenges, New Strategies” at the Forum. She said that being the trade promotion organization in Macao, there are several ways to assist enterprise during the Financial Crisis, these are: 1. Join promotion in emerging market; (2) Updated market information and broaden network; (3) Strengthen the effectiveness of exhibition through establishment of Partner fair/join exhibition; (4) Promote convention and exhibition, cultivate new industries benefit to SMEs; (5) Create markets and seize new opportunities. TPO members from different regions also engaged in discussions and experience-sharing on various topics. Australia, China, South Korea and Taipei shared their solutions during the financial crisis while Hong Kong, India, Japan, Malaysia and Thailand introduced their latest regulations on trade in services. To conclude, APTF members felt that dialogue and cooperation on the basis of mutual trust is a better way to recover from this financial crisis. Therefore, ATPF being a trade enabling body will play a more proactive role in regional economic recovery through promoting trade activities. The meeting ended on 24 Apr and the 23rd ATPF Annual Meeting will be held by the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency next year. ATPF was founded by the Japan External Trade Organization in 1987. Its members come from different trade promotion organizations in Asian countries. It aims to enhance communications and regional cooperation between its trade promotion members. IPIM is the member of ATPF since 1999 and organized the 19th ATPF meeting in 2006. Aside the annual meeting, the Capacity Initiative Building Program and the ATPF Joint Exhibition are the activities aims to strengthen the cooperation and communication between all the TPO’s member. CCPIT and IPIM hold the Capacity Initiative Building Program last year together, provide training and experience-sharing with all TPO’s members. Besides, IPIM also participated the ATPF Joint Exhibition in the International Gift Fair in Tokyo last year. The upcoming ATPF Joint Exhibition will be held next year.
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To cope with the Open Day of the Military Camp in Commemoration of 10th Anniversary of the People’s Liberation Army Macau Garrison, Macao Post announced that a Temporary Post Counter will be set up at the Philately Shop located at Macao Post Headquarters at 13H00 to 18H00 on 1st May 2009 providing the commemorative postmark cancellation service for the “Open Day of the Military Camp in Commemoration of 10th Anniversary of the People’s Liberation Army Macau Garrison”. A commemorative envelope will be distributed to public, and various philatelic products will also be available for sale during the above activity. Welcome to visit and collect Macao Stamps.
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The Chief Executive, Mr Edmund Ho Hau Wah, has called on businesspeople in Anhui and Macao to step up co-operation and seek out more business opportunities. Mr Ho made the call when he met the Secretary of the CPC Anhui Provincial Committee, Mr Wang Jinshan, in the province today. Mr Ho said both Macao and Anhui could enhance co-operation in trade and investment in the future. In response, Mr Wang said he believed that co-operation between the two sides would be enhanced. Before the meeting with Mr Wang, Mr Ho visited a software engineering company in the New and High Technology Industrial Development Zone in Hefei. After the meeting, Mr Ho went to Anhui Exhibition and Conference Center and toured Macao’s exhibition section at Expo Central China 2009. He attended a banquet hosted by the organisers of the exposition, followed by a cultural performance. Mr Ho is scheduled to attend the tomorrow's opening ceremony of the exposition and Forum on Thousands Investors Going West.
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In response to the notice issued by the Chinese Embassy in Mexico to Chinese citizens concerning Swine Influenza, the Tourism Crisis Management Office has sent out an SMS alert to Macao residents currently traveling in Mexico, USA, Canada and New Zealand to be attentive to the latest news concerning Swine Influenza, and to avoid crowded public areas.
As per the World Health Organization, since 18 March 2009 various districts in Mexico have reported human cases of Swine Influenza H1N1 virus; while the states of California and Texas in the USA have also reported several cases. The Tourism Crisis Management Office has sent out an SMS alert through the four local mobile telecommunications service providers to remind Macao mobile network users currently in Mexico, USA, Canada and New Zealand to be attentive to the latest news on Swine Influenza, and to avoid crowded public areas with poor ventilation. Residents planning to travel to the above areas should closely monitor news related to Swine Influenza and to take all necessary precautions. If necessary, residents can call the Chinese Embassy in Mexico’s 24-hour emergency hotline (52-15554073017), the Macao Health Bureau’s Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (853-28561122) or the Macao Tourism Hotline (853-28333000).
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The Crisis Management Office reminds Macao residents currently traveling in or planning to travel in the near future to Mexico, California and Texas to be attentive to news concerning Swine Influenza, and to take all necessary precautions. As per the World Health Organization, since 18 March 2009 various districts in Mexico have reported human cases of Swine Influenza H1N1 virus, which has to date resulted in at least 47 cases of pneumonia and 12 deaths; while the states of California and Texas in the USA have also reported several cases. The Crisis Management Office reminds Macao residents currently traveling in or planning to travel to the above areas to closely monitor news of Swine Influenza and to take all necessary precautions. For enquiries, please call the Tourism Hotline (853) 28333000.
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The Chief Executive, Mr Edmund Ho Hau Wah, said he expected the election date for the Chief Executive election would be announced in mid May. Speaking to the press at the airport before departing for the Expo Central China 2009 in Anhui Province, Mr Ho said he expected all the members of the Chief Executive Election Committee will be known tomorrow and names of the members would be published on the Macao SAR Gazette in early next month. After the announcement of the election day, the Electoral Affairs Committee for the election of the Chief Executive would formulate a timetable for the nomination of candidates. Mr Ho said people who meet the requirements stipulated in the Basic Law are eligible to run for the Chief Executive and he expected that interested people would announce their candidacy in due course.
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Following the lifting of the state of emergency in Bangkok and its environs, GGCT has noted that tour groups from Macao to Thailand will resume next Tuesday. However, the Office reminds residents to remain attentive to the latest situation of the country, and ensure personal safety. For enquiries, please call the Tourism Hotline (853) 28333000. Since Wednesday 22 April, GGCT has not received further enquiries about the situation in Thailand; and from 10 to 21 April, the Office has handled 41 enquiries and 1 request for assistance.
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With the purpose to enable expatriates living in Macao to better understand the Labour Relations Law in force, the Labour Affairs Bureau (DSAL) has published an English booklet on Labour Relations Law. Interested parties can obtain the booklet free of charge at DSAL, Legal Affairs Bureau (DSAJ) and its subordinated Legal Information Stands, Macao Chamber of Commerce (ACM) and Macao Federation of Trade Unions (FAOM). The English Version of Labour Relations Law is for reference only. As a result of economic development, the numbers of foreign investments and foreigners coming to trade or live in Macao have been rising. In order to make them have a better understanding of Macao’s Labour Relations Law in force, DSAL has recently translated the law into English. The English translation has been uploaded on its website at the end of last year. Foreigners can browse DSAL’s website to get to know more about the law. Meanwhile, the law has been put in print for the public to obtain free of charge. Venues to obtain the booklet include DSAL, DSAJ, ACM and FAOM. Interested parties can download the full-text of the law by clicking “LABOUR RELATIONS LAW” on DSAL’s English website (www.dsal.gov.mo). In the meantime, the text can also be downloaded from DSAJ’s website (www.dsaj.gov.mo) and Macao Law Web (www.macaolaw.gov.mo). Labour Relations Law has been published as a single volume edition in Chinese and Portuguese. Copies are available free of charge at the aforementioned departments and associations. The English version of Labour Relations Law is for reference only.
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