News

The Institute For Tourism Studies and Shatec Institutes Macau signed the Agreement for Collaboration on 5 November. President of IFT, Dr. Fanny Vong and Chairman of Shatec Institutes Macau, Mr. Kevin Ho presided over the ceremony. Macao tourism industry is developing rapidly in recent years. Many international hotel complexes have landed in Macao, providing various facilities from leisure entertainment to business event. To sustain the development, the industry has an increasing demand for high caliber professionals. IFT is offering a variety of courses which are tailored made to satisfy this demand. In addition to this, IFT strives to look for cooperation opportunities with international institutes and certification bodies, to provide training courses which are recognised globally and nurture professionals with international qualifications. For this, IFT is collaborating with Shatec Institutes Macau to co-organise different training programmes which can further raise the standard of our human resources. Shatec Institutes Macau is set up as a partnership between Shatec Institutes Singapore and local investors in 2009. Shatec Institutes Singapore was set up in 1983 and specialises in hospitality trainings. Till now the Institute has already trained 25,000 professionals from 5-star hotels in over 20 countries, including Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand and China. It is a first class hospitality and tourism educational organisation. As a division of the Singapore based Institute, Shatec Institutes Macau will carry on the teaching concept and approach to provide flexible and customised human capital development solutions to the local industry, to train professional with the highest global standard. The collaboration of IFT and Shatec Institutes Macau can better enhance academic exchange. Student and staff exchange programmes are in plan and faculties from both Institutes are encouraged to do joint research and co-publish their findings. Resources can also be utilised more efficiently, for instance by sharing libraries and programme information. The two Institutes are going to co-organised various seminar, conference and short-term certificate courses, which provides the industry more training opportunities to meet the objectives in building up our local pool of talents.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service indicated that the total number of licensed vehicles reached 187,096 at the end of September 2009, a year-on-year increase of 3%, of which 54% (101,117) were motorcycles and 39% (72,445) were light private cars. New registration of vehicles decreased by 22% year-on-year to 12,020 in the first nine months of 2009, with motorcycles and light private cars accounting for 68% and 26% respectively. From January to September 2009, the total number of traffic accidents dropped by 3% year-on-year to 9,316 cases, resulting in 3,357 victims and 10 of them were killed. Traffic flow by land between Macao and Mainland China decreased by 9% to 2,606,108 vehicle trips in the first three quarters of 2009, with vehicle traffic through the Border Gate (82% of the total) registered a 7% drop. Commercial flight movements at the Macao International Airport fell by 23% year-on-year to 27,813 in the first nine months of 2009. The major routes were Taiwan, China; Mainland China; Thailand and Malaysia, accounting for 39%, 24%, 10% and 9% of the total commercial flights. Helicopter flights between Macao and Hong Kong dropped by 9% year-on-year to 11,679 whereas those between Macao and Mainland China increased by 20% to 2,454. Passenger transport by sea between Macao and Hong Kong rose by 29% year-on-year to 82,341 ferry trips and that between Macao and Mainland China totalled 15,928 trips, up by 2% compared with the first nine months of 2008. From January to September 2009, seaborne container throughput totalled 65,688 TEU or 47,992 containers handled, down by 32% and 30% respectively year-on-year. Gross weight of seaborne containerized cargo fell by 48% to 130,655 tonnes, with 9,550 tonnes of transshipment goods. Gross weight of containerized cargo by land dropped notably by 50% to 42,366 tonnes, including 10,515 tonnes of transit goods. Outward air cargo fell sharply by 45% year-on-year to 18,247 tonnes in the first three quarters of 2009. The main destinations were Taiwan, China; and Mainland China that accounted for 73% and 8% of the total respectively. Concurrently, inward air cargo decreased by 35% to 8,729 tonnes, with those from Taiwan, China taking a predominant share of 85%. In addition, transit air cargo tumbled by 76% year-on-year to 8,796 tonnes. At the end of September 2009, the number of mobile telephone users rose by 14% from a year earlier to 1,004,733 whereas fixed-line telephone users decreased by 3% to 172,656. As regards internet services, number of subscribers reached 137,764 and the cumulative duration of usage totalled 248 million hours in the first nine months of 2009, up by 7% and 36% respectively.
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With funding from the Science and Technology Development Fund, the University of Macau, the Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau and the Environment Protection Bureau jointly carried out a research project namely the “Project Study of Air Quality in Macao with Mobile Laboratory for Monitoring the Situation of Air in Real-Time”. Air qualities were recorded in different areas of Macao during 18 to 24 February 2009. Upon completion of the research project, a ceremony for the research achievement will be held at the Science and Technology Development Fund at 3 pm on 4th November 2009, followed by a workshop which aims to provide trainings to the relative participants, and to demonstrate to the public the different strategies planned with respect to the Macao air quality in the near future, as well as the changes of air quality in different areas of Macao. In this project, extensive field measurements of air quality were carried out using a mobile platform fully equipped with modern instruments. The project has given local students experience in performing research with state-of-the-art facilities. The data generated is the first most comprehensive result to include the majority areas in Macao, which can also be offered to other entities for their future planning of environmental strategies and for studies in greater depth. Averaged 75 percentile concentrations of major species monitored within the project period for nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone (O3), carbon monoxide (CO) and sulphur dioxide (SO2) were 110, 98, 2950, and 77ug/m3 respectively. The results measured from the present project are compatible to those recorded from the Macao air monitoring stations. In summary, the results indicated that during the monitoring period the air quality of Macao is within the necessary qualification of a national heritage city. During the project a frontal system arrived in Macao after midnight from 02 to 03 am on February 20th 2009. This provided an excellent opportunity to study the variation of aerosol characteristics from regional air transport. PM10 recorded at the SMG monitoring station gradually increased from a low level of 20 to a high level of 100 ug/m3 during the day; simultaneously the mobile laboratory also recorded the same increase of PM10 in Macao. Aerosol size distributions were also monitored for the first time in Macao. Aerosol mass density deduced from the size distributions and mass concentrations monitored by SMG are 1.1 and 1.8 g/cc for fine aerosols below 2.5 um diameter and coarse aerosols between 2.5 to 10 um respectively. In addition, the organizers would like to express their sincere thanks to the following organizations who had offered their support during the implementation of this project, including: The Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau, the Transport Bureau, the Public Security Police Force, the Education and Youth Affairs Bureau, the Macao Sport Development Board, the Macao Electricity Company and the Escola Luso-Chinesa Técnico-Profissional.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that the average daily wage of construction workers was MOP523 in the third quarter of 2009, down by 4.4% quarter-to-quarter. The average daily wage of skilled & semi-skilled workers (MOP562) fell by 3.1%, of which structural iron erectors (MOP648), welders (MOP645) and scaffolders (MOP632) were earning higher average wages; meanwhile, the average daily wage of unskilled workers (MOP350) registered a decrease of 0.8%. After discounting the effect of inflation, the wage index of construction workers for the third quarter of 2009 was 97.5 in real terms, down by 1.0% over the previous quarter. As regards construction materials, the average price of spiral and round reinforcing steel bars rebounded by 2.3% quarter-to-quarter to MOP4,217 per tonne, and that of cement increased slightly by 0.5% to MOP653 per tonne; however, the average price of concrete registered a decrease of 5.6%, at MOP304 per cubic metre. In the third quarter of 2009, the price index of construction materials for residential building rose by 3.6% quarter-to-quarter to 125.7, putting an end to three consecutive quarters of decline; in particular, the price indices of steel and electric wires increased by 2.3% and 12.5% respectively, while the price indices of concrete and timber went down by 5.4% and 0.5%. Compared with the same quarter of 2008, the price index of construction materials for residential building registered a decrease of 20.1%.
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In accordance with the exercise plan approved by the “Facilitation and Security Committee” at the beginning of 2009, a “Full Scale Emergency Exercise” was carried out in Macau International Airport from 03:30 to 08:00 on 31 October 2009. The exercise was deemed satisfactory and achieved its goal. The exercise simulated an aircraft, en-route to Macao, made an emergency landing at the runway under unfavourable weather conditions of turbulence and thunderstorms with heavy rain. An incident occurred upon the landing which led to damages to certain parts of the aircraft. Alert by this incident, the airport declared emergency and the Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) was immediately activated to conduct search and rescue work at the first instance. All the passengers and crew members, being injured to varying degrees, were rescued through the coordinated efforts rendered by the EOC. With a participation of 200 people, this exercise was coordinated by the Administration of Airports, Ltd. and joined by Unitary Police Force, Macao Customs Services, Public Security Police Force, Fire Services Bureau, Health Bureau, Maritime Administration, Civil Aviation Authority, Air Macau Company Ltd., CAM-Macau International Airport Company Ltd, Macau Security Company Ltd. (airport security), and Menzies Macau Airport Services Ltd. In accordance with the Standards and Recommended Practices of International Civil Aviation Organization, Macau International Airport performs a full scale emergency exercise on a regular basis, with the objectives of testing and assessing the effectiveness of the Airport Emergency Plan and the Operational Plans of the responding entities in respect to command and control, coordination, communications, resource allocation and so on, so that measures contained in the Airport Emergency Plan can be reviewed and amendments be made to improving search and rescue work.
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In 1989, legendary racing driver David Brabham beat the likes of Michael Schumacher, Mika Hakkinen, Eddie Irvine – not to mention his own brother Gary – to take victory in the blue riband Formula 3 Macau Grand Prix. To help celebrate the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Macau SAR, Brabham, this year’s Le Mans 24 Hours winner and American Le Mans Series Champion will return Macau two decades after this memorable win there. The youngest son of three-time Formula 1 World Champion, Sir Jack Brabham, who this year celebrates the 50th anniversary of his first title in 1959, brothers Geoff and Gary are also both successful racing drivers. Sir Jack competed at Macau in the famous Race of Giants, held to celebrate the 25th Macau Grand Prix in 1978, along with legends Stirling Moss, Jackie Ickx, Thailand’s Prince Birabongse, and Macau’s own Teddy Yip. David Brabham still has fond memories of his win at Macau, and believes the event has lost none of its cache in the last 20 years, saying recently: “For a Formula 3 driver, Macau is the Holy Grail. I think everybody recognises it’s a tough race to win. It’s still seen as the place for a young driver to demonstrate his talent. “I was fortunate enough to win Macau and Formula 3, and then I went from Formula 3 to Formula 1. Macau can do that to your career.” First getting behind the wheel at the tender age of eight, driving a Holden on the family farm at Wagga Wagga, Australia, Brabham began his racing career in karts in 1983. In what was a rapid climb up the motorsport ladder, he quickly graduated to single seater racing before moving to Europe to further his career in 1989, the year he won both the British F3 Championship and the Macau Grand Prix. He made his Formula 1 debut in 1990 with the Brabham team, founded by his father in 1962, however the outfit struggled to keep pace with better-funded rivals, and he was afforded just a single season. The following year, Brabham embarked upon what would be a stellar career in sports and touring cars, taking victory in the Spa 24 Hours, and the following season the 24 Hours of Daytona. The victories keep on coming, evidenced by his dream season in 2009, highlighted by an outright victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans as well as claiming the ALMS title. In addition to his own successful racing career, Brabham also runs a young driver programme, the MSA British Race Elite. This year, two of his students are entered in the Macau Formula 3 Grand Prix: Sam Bird and Alexander Sims, and each hopes to achieve what his mentor did 20 years ago – take a coveted FIA Formula 3 Intercontinental Cup victory. Having not set foot in Macau since 1989, Brabham believes it is time to go back and revisit the event which played such an integral part in his career: “Sometimes you get a flashback, something you read or you bump into someone, and it’s always nice to think about Macau.” The Windsor Arch 56th Macau Grand Prix will be held from November 19-22, and will feature the Macau Formula 3 Grand Prix, the final rounds of the FIA World Touring Car Championship, the Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix, and a host of supporting races. The official Macau Grand Prix website at www.macau.grandprix.gov.mo Macau Grand Prix Committee
November 2, 2009
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Since the academic year of 2006/07, Venetian Cotai Limited supports the Institute For Tourism Studies by establishing the “Venetian Cotai Scholarship”, which reward students who participate in overseas exchange programmes with excellent academic achievements. This year, the cheque presentation ceremony was held on 30 October at IFT. Mr. Timothy Chan, Executive Director of Human Resources of the Venetian Macau Limited presented the cheque to President of IFT, Dr. Fanny Vong, while the scholarship will be presented to 5 outstanding local students at the graduation ceremony on 4 November. Being one of the large enterprises operating in the comprehensive entertainment complex, Venetian Cotai Limited does not only invest remarkably in various projects but also offer copious employment opportunities and contribute to the development of Macao’s tourism industry. Through offering the scholarship to IFT, Venetian Cotai Limited is pleased to affirm the students for their efforts and encourage more students to participate in the overseas exchange programme. It also hopes to forge the future tourism professionals through supporting the higher education in Macao. IFT is grateful for the continued sponsorship of the Venetian Cotai Limited. For many years, IFT was supported by various associations, individuals and corporations to grant a wide range of scholarships to over 60 distinguished students. IFT anticipates that, with the establishments of various scholarships, students are encouraged to learn and achieve higher academic goals, to be prepared for their future responsibilities in the tourism industry. IFT has been actively developing student exchange programmes with global higher education organisations, to expose both teachers and students to academic exchange opportunities. At the same time, IFT strives to expand and maintain cooperative relationship with the tourism industry to provide more internship opportunities to students and to meet the demands of human resources in the industry.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that the value of total exports of goods amounted to MOP703 million in September 2009, down by 51.2% year-on-year, with the value of domestic exports falling by 69.7% to MOP234 million and that of re-exports dropping by 29.9% to MOP470 million. The value of total imports of goods amounted to MOP3.36 billion, down by 6.6% year-on-year. A trade deficit of MOP2.65 billion was recorded for September 2009. In the third quarter of 2009, the value of total exports (MOP1.88 billion) and imports (MOP9.66 billion) went down by 56.9% and 14.8% respectively over the same quarter of 2008, resulting in a trade deficit of MOP7.78 billion. From January to September 2009, total value of merchandise exports fell by 55.1% year-on-year to MOP5.78 billion, of which the value of domestic exports and re-exports declined by 69.5% and 32.5% respectively; meanwhile, total value of merchandise imports slid by 19.3% to MOP26.45 billion. The trade deficit for the first nine months of 2009 widened by 3.9% year-on-year to MOP20.67 billion; the exports/imports ratio went down by 17.4 percentage points to 21.9%. Analyzed by destination of Macao’s exports, in the first nine months of 2009, the value of merchandise exports to the USA, the EU and Mainland China decreased by 79.3%, 59.6% and 45.4% respectively year-on-year. The value of Textile & garment exports declined by 72.7% year-on-year to account for 35.7% of the total exports of goods; meanwhile, the value of Non-textile exports dropped by 30.3%. Regarding the country of origin of imported goods, the value of merchandise imports from Mainland China dropped by 38.2% year-on-year, but that from the EU rose by 5.4%. The value of imports by Broad Economic Category registered year-on-year decrease, of which Raw materials & semi-manufactures and Fuels & lubricants fell by 40.9% and 25.7% respectively; meanwhile, the value of imports of Consumer goods recorded a mild decrease of 5.8%, with that of Food & beverages rising by 17.8%.
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The Monetary Authority of Macao announced today that the preliminary estimate of Macao SAR’s foreign exchange reserves amounted to MOP142.2 billion (USD17.82 billion) at the end of September 2009. The reserves rose by 0.8% from the revised value of MOP141.1 billion (USD17.68 billion) for the previous month. When compared with the same period last year, the reserves increased by MOP17.7 billion or 14.2%. Macao SAR’s foreign exchange reserves at end-September 2009 represented 30 times the currency in circulation or 241.7% of Pataca M2 at end-August 2009. The trade-weighted effective exchange rate index for the pataca, a gauge of the domestic currency’s exchange rates against the currencies of Macao’s major trading partners, fell by 0.47 points month-to-month but rose by 0.40 points year-on-year to 89.59 in September 2009. For enquiry, please contact:
Research and Statistics Department, Monetary Authority of Macao (Tel: 83952532; Fax: 28353042)
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According to statistics released today by the Monetary Authority of Macao, on a monthly basis, money supply M2 decreased slightly in August. As total loans rose at a faster pace than total deposits with banks, the loan-to-deposit ratio grew slightly from a month ago. Money supply
Currency in circulation noted a decline of 0.1% whereas demand deposits increased 3.6%. M1 thus rose 2.9% compared with the previous month. Meanwhile, quasi-monetary liabilities went down by 0.8%. The sum of these two items, i.e. M2, dropped 0.3% to MOP207.8 billion. On an annual basis, M1 and M2 rose 22.6% and 9.3% respectively. The share of Pataca (MOP) in M2 stood at 28.3%, up 0.6 percentage points over a month ago and a year earlier. Concurrently, the share of Hong Kong Dollar (HKD) in M2 was 53.5%, down 1.0 percentage point month-to-month or up 1.7 percentage points year-on-year. Deposits
Resident deposits fell slightly by 0.3% from the previous month to MOP203.1 billion. Of which, HKD deposits dropped by 2.1% while MOP deposits and other foreign currency deposits grew at respective rates of 1.8% and 2.0%. Concurrently, non-resident deposits rose 2.2% (to MOP74.0 billion) while public sector deposits with the banking sector slid 0.4% (to MOP13.3 billion). As a result, total deposits with the banking sector edged up 0.3% from the previous month to MOP290.4 billion. The shares of MOP and HKD in total deposits were 22.3% and 45.4% respectively. Loans
Domestic loans to the private sector grew 2.0% month-to-month to MOP95.3 billion. Among which, MOP21.1 billion was MOP-denominated and MOP67.8 billion was denominated in HKD, representing 22.2% and 71.2% of the total respectively. Meanwhile, external loans rose by 2.7% to MOP66.1 billion; of which, loans denominated in MOP and HKD accounted for 1.6% and 53.9% respectively of the total, at values of MOP1.0 billion and MOP35.6 billion. Loan-to-deposit ratios
Due to the decline in resident deposits and increase in domestic loans to the private sector, the loan-to-deposit ratio for the resident sector at end-August 2009 increased by 1.0 percentage point month-to-month to 44.0%. The ratio for both the resident and non-resident sectors stood at 55.6%, up 1.1 percentage points.
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