News

The Government tonight held its third consultation session on the draft of the proposed National Security law, gathering opinions from the education, youth, health and other sectors. The Government announced the consultation for the bill on Wednesday and held two consultation sessions, the first on that day and then last night. Tonight’s session was attended by more than 570 representatives from 147 entities. The fourth session will be held on Monday evening and will be attended by representatives from the transport, real estate, technology and energy sectors. As with the previous consultations, the Chief Executive, Mr Edmund Ho Hau Wah, introduced the need for the legislation. The Secretary for Administration and Justice, Ms Florinda Chan, and the Director of Legal Reform Office, Ms Chu Lam Lam, also gave details of the bill. The session was attended by senior officials, including the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Mr Chui Sai On; the Chief of the Office of the Chief Executive, Mr Ho Veng On; the Chief of the Office of the Secretary for Administration and Justice, Ms Cheong Chui Ling; the Chief of the Office of the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Mr Tam Chon Weng; Advisor of the Office of the Secretary for Administration and Justice, Mr Zhu Lin, Mr Zhao Xiangyang and Mr Marques da Silva, and Advisor of the Office of the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Mr Cheang Cheng Peng. The Government will hold a session for the general public on Wednesday (5 November), from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Residents may register for the session by calling 28750680, fax 28750813, or by e-milling consultation@gri.gov.mo. Copies of the proposed law are also available at the Public Service and Information Centre and the service points of the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau.
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This Authority noticed that the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) made an announcement today (24 October 2008) about revoking the appointment of the manager for Delta Asia Credit Limited (DAC) and the proposed revocation of DAC’s authorization as a deposit-taking company in Hong Kong. These measures are taken in accordance with the rules and regulations of Hong Kong and only applied to DAC which was incorporated in Hong Kong. The business operations of Delta Asia Bank Limited, as the parent of DAC, will not be affected. This Authority reiterates that the Macao banking system remains sound and robust. Meanwhile, the SAR Government has committed to giving full protection for all customer deposits held with banks in Macao, and providing liquidity and even capital support to banks if such need arises.
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The officers and a working group of the Asian Association of Convention and Visitor Bureaus (AACVB) held a two-day meeting in Macau on 23 and 24 October to discuss the new strategic plan of the organization towards its commitment to promote Asia as one of the world's leading regions for meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE). Macau’s meeting follows the AACVB 20th Annual General Meeting, held in the beginning of the month in Bangkok, which re-energized the association and its purpose to drive the future of the regional MICE industry. The new officers and working group of the Asian Association of Convention and Visitor Bureaus gathered at The Venetian Macau - Resort - Hotel to finalize the new strategic plan and discuss AACVB's action plan. Participants at the meeting included AACVB President Natwut Amornvivat, Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) President, Vice-President Daniel Corpuz, Executive Director of the Philippines Convention and Visitors Corporation (PCVC), the association's Secretary/Treasurer João Manuel Costa Antunes, Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO) Director, and Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) Conventions and Exhibitions Manager Tina Cheng. Also joining the meeting were TCEB Director-Conventions, Suprabha Moleeratanond, Deputy Director of MGTO, Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, MGTO adviser for Business Tourism, Gary Grimmer, among others. AACVB was founded in 1983 in Manila, the Philippines and Macau has hosted the headquarters and permanent secretariat of the Association since 1987.
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The Government tonight held its second consultation session on the draft law on the proposed National Security law, gathering opinions from the business and labour sectors. The Government held the first consultation session last night, after announcing the consultation for the bill in the afternoon. Tonight’s session was attended by more than 230 representatives from 38 entities. The third consultation session will be held tomorrow evening and will target representatives from the education, youth, health, charity, culture, sport, social work and tourism sectors. As with the first consultation, the Chief Executive, Mr Edmund Ho Hau Wah, introduced the need for the legislation. The Secretary for Administration and Justice, Ms Florinda Chan, and the Director of Legal Reform Office, Ms Chu Lam Lam, also gave details of the bill. The session was attended by senior officials, including the Secretary for Economy and Finance, Mr Francis Tam Pak Yuen; the Chief of the Office of the Chief Executive, Mr Ho Veng On; the Chief of the Office of the Secretary for Administration and Justice, Ms Cheong Chui Ling; the Chief of the Office of the Secretary for Economy and Finance, Ms Lok Kit Sim; Advisor of the Office of the Secretary for Administration and Justice, Mr Zhu Lin, Mr Zhao Xiangyang and Mr Marques da Silva, and Advisor of the Office of the Secretary for Economy and Finance, Mr Gonçalo Jorge Cabral Lourenço da Silva. The Government will hold a session for the public on Wednesday (5th November), from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Residents may register for the session by calling 28750680 and fax 28750813, or by e-milling consultation@gri.gov.mo. Copies of the proposed law now are distributed at the Public Service and Information Centre and the service points of the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau.
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“Science is by your side: Vote for Your Favourite Local Science Researches”, an activity initiated by the Macao Science Center recently, seeks to promote a better understanding of local science projects among the public. Macao Science Center will collaborate with research entities whose projects receive the most votes in transforming their projects into exhibits, as special features in the Macao Science Center. First round results of the poll will be announced in the middle of December, where projects not selected in this round will still be eligible for the next round. In order to showcase local achievements and advances in science, Macao Science Center will establish an exhibition area for local science researches as a conduit for public awareness, in the original and interesting local ideas. The 34 science researches featured in this round of voting are from fields of engineering, computing, biomedical and environmental sciences, provided by the University of Macau, Macau Polytechnic Institute and Macau University of Science and Technology. Three researches will be selected in the first round of voting and will be exhibited at the Macao Science Center. Interested parties are invited to visit our website at www.msc.org.mo/vote for more information and they are encouraged to cast votes for their favourite projects.
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According to the statistics published today by the Monetary Authority of Macao, international banking business in the local banking industry continued to grow at a fast pace. As a result, the share of international assets in total banking assets increased to 83.5% from 79.8% at end-June 2007, while the share of international liabilities in total liabilities rose to 78.5% from 75.0%. Foreign currencies remained as the dominant denomination in international banking transactions. At end-June 2008, the shares of Pataca (MOP) in total international assets and total international liabilities were merely 0.5% and 2.5% respectively. Hong Kong Dollar and Other Foreign Currencies accounted for 41.1% and 58.4% of total international assets respectively. Their shares in total international liabilities were 45.9% and 51.6% respectively. International Banking Assets
At end-June 2008, total international assets increased 35.5% from a year earlier to MOP316.5 billion (USD39.4 billion). Within this total, external assets and local assets in foreign currencies increased by 31.1% and 52.6% year-on-year to MOP243.6 billion and MOP73.0 billion respectively. Placements of Macao banks with their overseas affiliates were classified as other external assets. Being a major component of international assets, other external assets grew by 7.9% over a year earlier to MOP130.0 billion. International Banking Liabilities
At end-June 2008, total international liabilities grew by 35.2% from a year earlier to MOP297.3 billion (USD37.0 billion). For the first time in the record of Macao International Banking Statistics, external liabilities displaced local liabilities in foreign currencies as the largest component of total international liabilities. The former increased by 82.2% year-on-year to MOP155.1 billion. Of this total, external deposits increased 72.8% to MOP130.1 billion as external deposits from banks jumped 422.2% to MOP55.3 billion. Local liabilities in foreign currencies edged up 5.6% to MOP142.3 billion. Breakdown of External Banking Assets and Liabilities by Region
The majorities of external assets and liabilities have been claims on and liabilities to Asia and Europe. At end-June 2008, with regard to external assets, claims on Hong Kong and Mainland China occupied respectively 30.6% and 20.1% of the total. Claims on Portugal, Germany and the Netherlands took up respective shares of 20.8%, 3.8% and 1.2%. Regarding external liabilities, those to Hong Kong and China occupied 46.9% and 10.7% of the total while liabilities to France, Portugal and Germany took up respective shares of 12.9%, 8.9% and 2.4%. The compilation of International Banking Statistics follows the methodology advocated by the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) in order to facilitate Macao SAR’s participation in the “Locational International Banking Statistics” project of the BIS.
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The Government tonight began its first consultation session on the proposed National Security Law to gather opinions from different sectors, hours after the bill was introduced. During the session, the Chief Executive, Mr Edmund Ho Hau Wah, had elaborated on the need for the legislation. The Secretary for Administration and Justice, Ms Florinda Chan, and the Director for Legal Reform Office, Ms Chu Lam Lam, also gave details of the bill. The session was also attended by the senior officials including the Secretary for Security, Mr Cheong Kuoc Va, the Chief of the Office of the Chief Executive, Mr Ho Veng On, and the Chief of the Office of the Secretary for Administration and Justice, Ms Cheong Chui Ling. The targets for tonight’s session were 17 entities with some 80 people, including principal officials of the Macao Special Administrative Region Government, members of the Executive Council, the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the MSAR, the Judicial Council, the Public Prosecutors Council, the Legal Reform Consultative Council, the Macau Lawyers Association, the Macao Basic Law Promotional Association, the media and other parties. The second consultation session will be held tomorrow night, to collect opinions from economic sector. To give the public a better understanding, copies of the proposed law are distributed at the service points of the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau and the Public Service and Information Centre.
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The Macao SAR Government today released a consultation paper on the draft of the national security law, kick-starting a 40-day public consultation on the proposed legislation. In a press conference to introduce the consultation paper this afternoon, Chief Executive Edmund Ho Hau Wah stressed that the need to legislate on safeguarding national security was prescribed by Article 23 of Macao’s Basic Law. “It is our constitutional obligation to safeguard the sovereignty, unity, territorial integrity and security of our country,” he said. Mr Ho said he hoped the draft law could pass in the legislature before he leaves office by the end of next year. Since the Handover of Macao, the legal provisions concerning national security in the Penal Code of Portugal has ceased to apply in Macao, leaving behind a legal void in the safeguarding of national security in the SAR. According to the Chief Executive, the drafting of the national security law, which is intended to fill the legal void in this area, has struck a balance between safeguarding national security and basic rights of residents. Mr Ho also assured that the freedom of speech, of the press and of publication guaranteed by the Basic Law of Macao would not be compromised under the new law. The consultation paper released today consists of three parts: the draft of the national security law containing 15 articles; the background and guiding principles of the legislative work; and a comparative study on similar laws in other countries that follow the civil law tradition. The public consultation exercise will last until 30 November 2008. In order to promote public engagement in the consultation, the government will organise six introductory sessions on the draft law and provide various channels for the public to make suggestions. Opinions collected in the exercise will be reviewed extensively before a final draft of the national security law is submitted to the Legislative Assembly. According to Article 23 of Macao’s Basic Law, “the Macao Special Administrative Region shall enact laws, on its own, to prohibit any act of treason, secession, sedition, subversion against the Central People's Government, or theft of state secrets, to prohibit foreign political organizations or bodies from conducting political activities in the Region, and to prohibit political organizations or bodies of the Region from establishing ties with foreign political organisations or bodies”.
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International event and conference organizers in Australia now have eyes on Macau after Viva Macau Airlines, the only airline flying direct between Australia and Macau, and Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO) today led a delegation to Sydney to showcase Asia’s newest capital of MICE (Meetings, Incentive, Conferences, Events). Macau’s biggest integrated hotels and resorts – offering world-class event and convention facilities - joined a special Macau promotional tour flying Viva Macau Airlines to meet with key Australian MICE organizers to promote opportunities for the booming city that has fast become the destination for leisure, entertainment, international events, conferences and conventions. At the “Introduce the New Macau” luncheon held in New South Wales Parliament House, the Macau delegation, including senior representatives from the Macau Government Tourist Office, Viva Macau Airlines, The Venetian Macao Resort Hotel, City of Dreams/Crown Macau, Sheraton Macao, Macau Fisherman’s Wharf/The Rocks Hotel and The Westin Resort Macau, were welcomed by The Hon. Tony Stewart MP, Minister for Small Business New South Wales Government and The Hon. Jodi Mckay, Minister for Tourism New South Wales Government. Also joining the luncheon was Madame Zhao Xuefang, Deputy Consul General for The Consulate-General of the People’s Republic of China in Sydney. Deputy Director of Macau Government Tourist Office, Ms Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes said, “Apart from being a popular destination that gives new surprises to its visitors, Macau is also emerging as a new international MICE player with its extensive development of luxury hotels, resorts and MICE facilities. We would like to show to the event and conference organizers in Australia that Macau is committed to develop business travel and the MICE industry and is now well suited to host various kinds of MICE activities. Already for a few centuries, Macau has been a historical 'meeting place', albeit of a different nature. The Macau of today builds on this platform with modern MICE amenities, but without sacrificing its old world charm - the unique culture and heritage that marks the difference of Macau." Viva Macau Chief Executive Officer Con Korfiatis said,” Viva Macau offers the convenience of value-for-money direct flights to excitement, glitz, glamour, heritage and world-class convention facilities of the new Macau, which is also only one-hour ferry away from Hong Kong and neighbor to the Pearl River Delta region of Mainland China for those who are interested in a side trip,” Korfiatis added. “Although we are low-fares airline, we provide a two-class product, Premium and Economy Class, catering to different corporate needs of the sophisticated MICE market in Australia. In addition to the very competitive airfares, event organizers are offered a quality product and service,” Korfiatis added. Viva Macau’s Premium Class on Sydney flights features a generous 50-inch seat pitch, complimentary hot meals and beverages, complimentary pillows, blankets and headsets as well as broadcast in-flight entertainment system that provides a variety of movie and video programs. Economy Class offers 32-inch seat pitch that is comparable to premium airlines, food and beverage on-demand as well as in-flight movie and video programs. “The new Macau, the ideal MICE destination in Asia and Viva Macau Airlines provide a first-class product and experience for event organizers in Australia,” Korfiatis said Viva Macau currently flies four times direct between Sydney and Macau. Flights depart from Sydney to Macau every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday and depart from Macau to Sydney every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service indicated that number of operating cooked-food stalls in the markets, restaurants and similar establishments totalled 1,537 in 2007, engaging 17,508 workers. Sales & Other Receipts of the industry amounted to MOP 3.87 billion; Total Expenditure amounted to MOP 3.74 billion, of which expenses of Purchase of Goods (MOP 1.51 billion) and Compensation of Employees (MOP 1.26 billion) accounted for 40.4% and 33.6% of the total. Gross Value Added, a gauge of the sector’s contribution to the economy, amounted to MOP 1.40 billion, and Gross Fixed Capital Formation totalled MOP 330 million. There were 1,494 restaurants and similar establishments in 2007, of which 1,147 were eating-places that shared 76.8% of the total. Total number of persons engaged was 17,429 at the end of 2007, with 9,439 (54.2%) working in eating-places. Sales & Other Receipts of restaurants and similar establishments was MOP 3.85 billion; Total Expenditure amounted to MOP 3.74 billion, with expenses of Purchase of Goods (MOP 1.51 billion), Compensation of Employees (MOP 1.26 billion) and Operating Expenses (MOP 973 million) accounting for 40.3%, 33.7% and 26.0% of the total respectively. Meanwhile, Gross Value Added stood at MOP 1.39 billion. In addition, a total of 43 cooked-food stalls, with 79 workers, were operating in municipal markets in 2007. Sales & Other Receipts of these stalls totalled MOP 13.96 million; Total Expenditure amounted to MOP 7.87 million, of which the expenses of Purchase of Goods (MOP 6.03 million) took up 76.7% of the total. Moreover, Gross Value Added amounted to MOP 6.60 million. This survey covered all licensed restaurants, eating & drinking places, as well as cooked-food stalls in municipal markets in 2007, but excluding hotel-operated restaurants and similar facilities, and the street hawkers.
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