News

According to the results of the Employment Survey released by the Statistics and Census Service, the unemployment rate for April-June 2008 was 2.8%, down by 0.1 percentage point over the previous period (March-May 2008) and by 0.2 percentage point year-on-year. The underemployment rate remained unchanged from the previous period, at 1.6%, but up by 0.6 percentage point year-on-year. Total labour force was 330,000 in April-June 2008; the labour force participation rate stayed at 70.5%, same as that in March-May 2008, but up by 1.8 percentage points year-on-year. The employed population rose by 1,700 over the previous period to 321,000, with increases in the number of persons working in Wholesale & Retail Trade and Construction, but slight decrease in Hotels, Restaurants & Similar Activities. The unemployed population was 9,100, a decrease of 500 from the previous period, with 600 (6.2% of the total) searching for their first job, up by 2.3 percentage points over the previous period. In addition, the unemployment rate of local residents (excluding non-resident workers) stood at 3.4% for April-June of 2008, and the respective labour force participation rate was 64.1%.
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The final jury meeting of the Competition was held today (22 July) at the Macao Business Support Centre. Upon consideration of technical team opinions and more than three hours of intense discussions, the jury finally decided on the “Lanterna do Coelhinha” as the champion, while “ Dancing Lotus” and “ Glitter” as second and third prizes of the Competition respectively. The championship will be blueprints of Macao Pavilion at the 2010 Shanghai World Expo. It will showcase Macao’s recent economic developments, social and cultural achievements through advanced multimedia technology and interactive features. It is expected to be one focal point at the Expo Site. Significance of the Competition: Macao Pavilion will be a symbol that represents Macao. The Macao SAR Government held the Competition as a forum for architectural elites to bring forth their abilities and innovation. Putting to use the winning entry as blueprints for Macao Pavilion actually realizes the original ideas of “Macao Pavilion built by Macao people” and shows to the international audience the leap forward in Macao’s innovation, uniqueness and high quality. “Lanterna do Coelhinho”, Macao and China Pavilion Macao Pavilion is one self-built pavilion of China Pavilion. Representing Macao on one side, it also has to harmonize the connotation conveyed by the China Pavilion. China Pavilion, titled “Oriental Crown”, shall deduce the spirit and temperament of Chinese civilization. “Lanterna do Coelhinho” employs a legendary Chinese fairy tale and uses the “Oriental Crown” as a metaphor for the “South Gate” that separates the worlds of mortals and eternity in the fairy tale. “Lanterna do Coelhinho” is the celestial rabbit that greets guests in front of the “South Gate”. “Lanterna do Coelhinho” has combined the outer design of a traditional rabbit lantern in the southern part of China with modern advanced technology and environmental architectural design to showcase Macao’s cultural multiplicity. The “South Gate” fairy tale also artfully illustrates that Macao is part of China, with special administrative arrangements under “One Country, Two System”. The theme of “Lanterna do Coelhinho” echoes that of Macao Pavilion, and is capable of showcasing the same heritage that China and Macao share. It also echoes the theme of Macao Pavilion, i.e. “Macao – Spirit of Cultures, Essence of Harmony”. All three winning entries have reached international standards. The background of participants in fact reflected Macao’s unique cultural multiplicity. The design team of “Dancing Lotus” is made up of two young architects, namely Chio Wai Tong and Loi Mang Chon, who grew up in Macao and studied abroad. One of them works in Macao and another works overseas. They have blended architectural cultures of two different places into an extraordinary entry. The design team of “Glitter” was led by Carlos Macedo e Couto, Macao’s distinguished Portuguese architect. Its team members are Chio Wa Cheng, a young local architect, and Ana Filipa Ramos da Fonseca, a Portuguese designer. The design team of “Lanterna do Coelhinho” was led by another distinguished Macanese architect, Carlos Marreiros, with two local architects, Tang Meng Wai and Lei Sai Cheong. Keystone of assessment criteria: The assessment concentrated on the following keystones: (1) Feasibility: “Lanterna do Coelhinho” was graded the highest in feasibility, by means of building costs, construction technology and construction duration (6 to 9 months) set by the Expo. (2) Extendibility to other related items: Given the construction of Macao Pavilion is only the first step toward Macao’s participation in the World Expo, the entire project also includes related items such as production of internal exposition, entertainment, cultural performance, parades, Online Expo and souvenirs. The extendibility of “Lanterna do Coelhinho” into these related items is large due to its innovative design. The design includes powerful exposition features like a simulated internal exhibition room, a ceiling-screen resting theatre and children sliding. The design is highly aesthetic and practical. (3) Uniqueness and attractiveness: The World Expo will have more than 200 pavilions. While Macao Pavilion will be situated between two rectangular pavilions, “Lanterna do Coelhinho” can easily stand out given its balloon head and tail that can be hoisted and moved with music. Furthermore, the transparent outer wall of the design makes it possible to use lightings and colors to give different aesthetical effects in all angles. (4) Practicality in later implementation. It is of pivotal importance that the concept design can be put into actual construction technically. (5) Environmental concern: Macao Pavilion is a temporary construction, so it is more than necessary to bring in environmental concerns to avoid squandering. “Lanterna do Coelhinho” is powered by solar energy and steel-made. Usage of water is minimized and materials can be recycled. Monograph of quality entries will be published The champion of the Competition will receive MOP180,000; the second and third prizes will receive MOP60,000 and MOP30,000 respectively. All winning entries will be exhibited at a documentary exhibition on World Expo and 2010 Shanghai World Expo to be held in Macao coming October. Due to the high quality of entries received, the organizer plans to publish a monograph that embodies the works of the participants. The organizer will arrange a detailed introduction of the winning entries at a later time.
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The Macao Government today sent a third medical team which comprised 15 medical professionals to Dujiangyan, Sichuan, to provide supporting works. The Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Mr Chu Sai On, saw them off at the airport, and encouraged them to do their best to help the people. Mr Chu told the press that the SAR Government is in close contact with the Sichuan Provincial Government to arrange reconstruction works, in particular with projects to be supported by the Macao Government, over the next five years. He said the Government would soon announce the names of members appointed to the ad hoc group and the total outlay to be used in these projects. The third medical team, of 11 doctors and four nurses, were sent to Dujiangyan, one of the most seriously affected disaster area rocked by the catastrophic earthquake on 12 May. It is expected to stay there for two weeks. Mr Chui said the Government would continue to send medical teams to Sichuan, according to their requests. The Government has sent medical teams on 23 May and 3 June, respectively to help look after the victims.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service indicated that the Composite CPI for June 2008 rose by 9.05% year-on-year to 124.72, of which the price indices of Food & non-alcoholic beverages, Health and Transport soared by 18.16%, 14.63% and 12.94% respectively. Among the subgroups of Food & non-alcoholic beverages, notable increase was observed in the prices of canned meat (+83.32%), fresh beef (+75.08%), rice (+69.54%), edible oil (+55.94%), fresh pork (+45.46%), chilled or frozen pork (+41.22%), fresh water fish (+36.01%), noodles (+30.43%), vegetables (+18.66%) and charges for meals bought away from home (+15.35%). For the subgroups of Health and Transport, charges for medical consultation service (+25.65%) and prices of unleaded gasoline (+32.75%) registered marked increase. Despite Government’s pay out of electricity subsidy to all households, the price index of Housing & fuels rose by 7.96%, as a result of the substantial surge in the prices of LP Gas (+26.47%), charges for maintenance & repair services of dwelling (+27.18%) and rentals for housing (+14.87%). On the contrary, the price indices of Communication and Education registered year-on-year decrease of 6.86% and 5.83% respectively, due to reduced charges of mobile phone services and higher government subsidies to students studying in schools that did not join the free education network. The CPI-A and CPI-B for June 2008 were 126.55 and 124.16, up by 9.06% and 8.98% respectively year-on-year. The average Composite CPI for the first half year of 2008 went up by 9.00% over the same period of 2007. For the 12 months ended June 2008, the Composite CPI rose by 7.71% over the preceding period. The Composite CPI for June 2008 increased by 1.11% month-to-month, of which the price indices of Clothing & footwear, Food & non-alcoholic beverages and Transport rose by 2.86%, 1.97% and 1.33% respectively, as a result of higher prices of new arrivals of Summer clothing and footwear, dearer prices of vegetables because of heavy rain and continuous rising of gasoline prices. Meanwhile, the CPI-A and CPI-B increased by 1.23% and 1.08% respectively month-to-month. The Composite CPI for the second quarter of 2008 increased by 8.91% over the same quarter of 2007, with marked increase in the price indices of Food & non-alcoholic beverages (+18.45%), Health (+14.24%) and Transport (+12.03%). The Composite CPI reflects the impacts of price changes on the general population. The CPI-A relates to about 49% of households, which have an average monthly expenditure of MOP 3,000 to MOP 9,999. The CPI-B relates to about 31% of households, which have an average monthly expenditure of MOP 10,000 to MOP 19,999.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service indicated that visitor arrivals totalled 2,343,451 in June 2008, a year-on-year increase of 22.0%. Visitors from Mainland China (1,358,912), Hong Kong (622,290) and Southeast Asia (128,058) rose by 36.6%, 0.6% and 42.3% respectively. Same-day visitors took up 53.1% of the total visitor arrivals, at 1,245,403. The majority of the visitors came from Mainland China, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia, which accounted for 58.0%, 26.6% and 5.5% of the total respectively. In view of the tightening of the Individual Visit Scheme, 490,727 Mainland visitors travelled to Macao under such policy in June, representing 36.1% of the visitor arrivals from Mainland China. In the first half year of 2008, visitor arrivals reached 14,925,604, up by 18.1% year-on-year. Visitors from Mainland China (8,776,232) and Southeast Asia surged by 27.1% and 56.6% respectively, but those from Hong Kong dropped by 1.4%. Same-day visitors shared 52.9% of the total visitor arrivals, at 7,902,844. Analyzed by mode of transport, visitor arrivals by sea went up by 10.3% over the same period of 2007 to 4,642,221. Among them, 4,139,005 arrived at the Outer Harbour (+4.8%), with 57.8% from Hong Kong and 22.4% from Mainland China. Visitor arrivals by land grew by 22.1% to 9,431,951. Visitors arriving through the Border Gate increased by 16.5% to 8,921,747 and the majority were visitors from Mainland China (79.5%) and Hong Kong (14.3%). In addition, visitor arrivals by air totalled 851,432, up by 20.6% over the same period of 2007. Visitors arriving at the Macao International Airport rose by 19.4% to 834,575 and the main users were visitors from Taiwan, China (35.4%), Southeast Asia (31.0%) and Mainland China (21.1%).
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The Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao SAR Government presents the 22nd Macao International Music Festival (MIMF) from October 5th to November 2nd, 2008. Each year the Macao International Music Festival brings internationally renowned artists from all over the world to Macao. Over the course of its decades-long history, it has gradually evolved into the major musical event in the territory. The MIMF seeks to promote a balanced range of performances in order to reflect the diversity and uniqueness of Macao. It also strives to enrich the cultural life of the region while meeting the expectations and aspirations of the community. This year’s programme embraces opera, symphonic, choral and chamber music, as well as contemporary, folk, pop and jazz music. Also offered is yet another dynamic encounter between East and West. Headlining and opening the programme of the 22nd MIMF is a British orchestra with worldwide renown. The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) has been for more than half a century "Britain's national orchestra" and has upheld the vision of its founder, Sir Thomas Beecham, bringing world-class performances of the greatest music ever written to a growing public, both at home and on its many tours across the globe. On their maiden voyage to Macao, the musicians of the RPO are led by renowned Principal Guest Conductor Leonard Slatkin (5/10, at the Macao Cultural Centre Grand Auditorium, 8pm). The symphonic programme of the festival proceeds with celebrated British conductor Bramwell Tovey, who returns to Macao to conduct the third largest symphony orchestra in Canada, of which he is now Music Director. The Grammy Award-winning (2008) Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (14/10, MCC-GA, 8pm) is joined by Grammy Award-winning violinist Hilary Hahn, who at the age of 28 is one of the most compelling artists on the international concert circuit. Still more international artists travel to the MSAR this year, presenting an MIMF edition rich in diversity. Seventeen programmes of traditional, classical, pop, jazz and new music from Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Hungary, Portugal, the USA, Canada, Australia and Mainland China bathe Macao's stages in both ancient and experimental sonic colours. Europe comes into view as a quintet, a quartet and a trio celebrate the classical chamber music tradition at Dom Pedro V Theatre. The much lauded Berlin Philharmonic Wind Quintet (7/10, Dom Pedro V Theatre, 8pm) is the first permanently established wind quintet affiliated with the famous German orchestra. The group continues to astonish audiences worldwide with its range of expression, tonal spectrum and conceptual unity, succeeding in virtually the entire range of the wind quintet literature. The no less celebrated Haydn Quartet returns to Macao (25/10, Dom Pedro V Theatre, 8pm) to delight the public with a programme featuring one of the Austrian composer’s masterpieces for four string players. The ensemble is destined to perform the entire cycle of Haydn's 69 string quartets in Vienna in 2009, for a special concert series celebrating the composer’s bicentennial. On October 8th (Dom Pedro V Theatre, 8pm) Trio Apollon ignites an emotional fuse leading to their native Germany, performing masterworks of the German Romantic repertoire. The trio has won over the hearts of audiences worldwide with performances at New York's Carnegie Hall, the Berlin Philharmonie, Tokyo's Suntory Hall and venues in London and Paris. On the jazz front, the festival's offering is rich and varied. The unique sound of Kolsimcha the World Quintet (9/10, Mount Fortress, 8pm) has captivated and enthralled demanding audiences at New York's Carnegie Hall and London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall, as well as those at the most renowned jazz, classical and world music festivals on three continents. Through their original musical language, the Swiss quintet shares enthusiasm and virtuosity, generating a concert atmosphere unlike any other. The sound of jazz soars from Mount Fortress once again played by the Pedro Giraudo Jazz Orchestra (19/10, 8pm). This big band from the USA has captivated listeners around the world with its unique blend of South American grooves, Argentine folk songs, the passion of tango and jazz improvisation. Mr. Giraudo, in the tradition of such composers as Duke Ellington and Carla Bley, highlights the unique talents of each band member, masterfully weaving together both pre-composed and improvised elements. World music is a must in the MIMF, and this year the genre is represented by Portuguese multi-instrumentalist and Latin Grammy Award-winner Júlio Pereira (24/10, Dom Pedro V Theatre, 8pm). This major figure in the world of late 20th-century Portuguese music strives to incorporate the sounds of his native land into the aesthetic currents that have characterised a varied succession of “contemporaneities” on the international scene. His oeuvre is devoted to reviving performance on nearly-lost traditional instruments, and he works toward a synthesis of traditional sounds with new and ever-changing acoustic possibilities. The festival’s programme would not be complete without Chinese Folk Music (26/10, Mount Fortress, 8pm). For the Dong and the Miao/Hmong minority groups, dwelling in remote villages in Guizhou Province has given rise to a truly remarkable musical tradition, which harkens back to a pre-literate society where history and culture were passed orally from generation to generation and every aspect of life was expressed in song. As always, the Macao Chinese Orchestra takes the stage in the company of an invited guest. This year they honour Hong Kong’s celebrated martial arts hero and pop star Adam Cheng with a musical stroll down the Festival's red carpet (10-12/10, MCC-GA, 8pm). Adam Cheng has spent the last thirty years leaping back and forth from the screen to the stage, switching between the roles of iconic wushu master and romantic Cantopop singer. Adam’s dreamy, soft voice, together with his charisma and perpetual smile, have charmed a multitude of fans since his first taste of success during the 1970s. The second appearance of the Macao Chinese Orchestra (18/10, MCC-GA, 8pm) is truly a one-of-a-kind concert, offering the public a “Golden Lotus Flower” from Macao Psalms and excerpts from The Bewitching Braid, two world premieres commissioned by the Cultural Affairs Bureau from renowned Chinese composers Tang Jianping and Guan Naizhong. The orchestra pays homage as well to such ancient instruments as the pipa and dizi, on a voyage into the sounds of Chinese tradition. The Macao Orchestra, in turn, invites the distinguished Hungarian Ars Nova Vocal Ensemble (17/10, St. Dominic’s Church, 8pm) for an all-Mozart programme celebrating some of the most appreciated sacred music from the Austrian genius. Ars Nova was founded in 1990 by Katalin Kiss, its Artistic Director, and has enjoyed considerable success in various contests, winning the First Prize at the Rhodes International Choir Competition in Greece in 2005. The 14-voice ensemble returns to the applause of audiences on October 21st (St. Dominic’s Church, 8pm) to reveal the mysteries of Hungarian choral music from the 19th and 20th centuries, enriched by an interlude featuring modern settings of the Prayers of St. Francis of Assisi written by non-Hungarian composers. Still more voices soar in the MIMF. The second day of the Festival brings a concert by the St. Florian Boys’ Choir (6/10, St. Joseph’s Seminary Church, 8pm), a group that boasts a nearly one-thousand-year-old tradition. This internationally acclaimed chorus was, in the old days, responsible for providing church music for the Convent of St. Florian in Austria, and from its ranks have come such musicians of note as Anton Bruckner. Conductor Franz Farnberger steers the St. Florian Boys’ Choir over musical waves, dropping anchor in the deep waters of the Austrian tradition. Some two weeks later Macao audiences hear from the Hannover Girls’ Choir (23/10, Our Lady of Fátima Church, 8pm), one of the best known youth choruses in Germany. The Choir commands a broad range of music and styles, with a focus on contemporary choral works, and has contributed to the development of the repertoire for youth and women’s choirs by commissioning a number of new works. This year’s programme marks the return of the guitar to the festival. Brothers Slava and Leonard Grigoryan, born in Kazakhstan and raised in Australia, emerged in the past decade as two of the world’s most original classical guitarists. Together, they possess effortless virtuosity and brilliant musicianship in standard repertoire for the classical guitar, crossover material and contemporary compositions – an eclectic blend of musical styles well-represented on their MIMF concert programme (28/10, Dom Pedro V Theatre, 8pm). A trio of operas produced by Macao veterans Opéra de Nice closes the MIMF in celebration of the 150th anniversary of Giacomo Puccini’s birth. Il Trittico remains on the scene for three nights (31/10-2/11, MCC-GA, 7:30pm). Finnish conductor Jari Hämäläinen returns to conduct the Macao Orchestra after last year’s success with Rigoletto. An energetic cast sings this trio of one-act operas from the pen of a Puccini brimming with emotion. The great Italian composer was adamant that his triptych – Il Tabarro, Suor Angelica and Gianni Schicchi – be performed as a set, and he was always infuriated whenever they were separated. This year, for Puccini's birthday, Macao honours his wish. The MIMF has invested renewed effort to provide workshops and conferences to accompany its events with the aim of stimulating public interest in the arts. As in previous editions of the MIMF, some of the performing groups' rehearsals will be open to the public. Tickets for the 22nd Macao International Music Festival go on sale at 10am on July 27th, 2008, at all Kong Seng Ticketing outlets. Telephone and online bookings will be available from 2pm onwards. A variety of discount plans will be offered. Publicity materials available at the ticket counters can provide more detailed information about the programme. For more information related to the 22nd MIMF, please visit the website of the Cultural Affairs Bureau at: www.icm.gov.mo/fimm which will be available from 5pm onwards on July 18th.
E-mail: fimm@icm.gov.mo
Information: (853) 2855 5555 Macao (852) 2380 5083 Hong Kong ( 86) 139 269 11111 Pearl River Delta Region Online Reservations: www.macauticket.net Hotline: (853) 8399 6699
The 22nd Macao International Music Festival has the kind support of the Macao Government Tourist Office.
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Two new measures to better regulate the flow of Mainland visitors to Macao were announced today. Effective 1 August, China passport holders transiting Macao to a third destination will only be allowed to stay here for seven days, from the present 14 days. Those who returned to China without proceeding to a third destination will only be allowed a maximum of two days transit if they applied again. Their third application will not be accepted. Effective 1 September, Mainland residents holding Exit-entry Permit for Traveling to and from Hong Kong and Macao, and endorsement to visit Hong Kong, will not be allowed to enter Macao via Hong Kong, the Public Security Forces Affairs said.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service indicated that the Tourist Price Index (TPI) for the second quarter of 2008 was 143.55, up by 10.77% year-on-year. The price indices of Miscellaneous goods; Restaurant service; and Food, alcoholic drinks & tobacco surged significantly by 27.59%, 12.10% and 10.02% respectively. The increments were attributable to dearer jewellery prices driven by rising gold prices, higher charges of restaurant service and a general increase in the prices of food and alcoholic beverages. On the other hand, the price index of Accommodation recorded a decrease of 2.01%, on account of lower hotel room rates due to the absence of Easter holidays that fell in the first quarter of this year and the reduced number of holidays of the Labour Day “Golden Week”. Compared with the first quarter of 2008, TPI fell by 1.54% in this quarter, with the price index of Accommodation decreasing by 16.02%. On the contrary, the price indices of Food, alcoholic drinks & tobacco; and Clothing & footwear rose by 4.02% and 3.64% respectively. The average TPI for the last 4 quarters ended the second quarter of 2008 increased by 11.55% over the previous period. In the first half of 2008, TPI increased by 12.90% year-on-year. TPI reflects the price changes of goods and services purchased by visitors, which is compiled based on the consumption pattern of visitors. TPI covers 8 sections of goods and services, namely Food, alcoholic drinks & tobacco; Clothing & footwear; Accommodation; Restaurant service; Transport & communications; Medicine & personal goods; Entertainment & culture; and Miscellaneous goods. The base year of TPI is from July 1999 to June 2000.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service indicated that Macao registered 425,787 visitor arrivals in package tours in May 2008, up notably by 47.2% from a year earlier. Visitors from Mainland China (278,879) and Hong Kong (32,068) grew by 47.5% and 45.7% year-on-year, while those from Southeast Asia (50,074) surged by 216.8%. In the first five months of 2008, visitors arrived in package tours rose by 22.1% over the same period of 2007 to 2,073,363. The number of Macao residents travelling outbound in package tours in May 2008 increased by 20.1% year-on-year to 16,057. Mainland China (69.5%), Thailand (8.2%) and Japan (6.9%) were the three most popular tour itineraries. In the first five months of 2008, Macao residents travelling in package tours rose by 11.5% over the same period of 2007 to 86,416. Meanwhile, 80,395 residents travelled outbound under individual arrangements using services provided by travel agencies, an upsurge of 233.6% over May 2007. Hong Kong (79.0%), Mainland China (9.3%) and Taiwan, China (4.0%) were the major destinations. In the first five months of 2008, Macao residents travelled under such arrangements rose significantly by 60.9% year-on-year to 201,136. At the end of May 2008, the total number of guest rooms available in the hotel sector grew by 3,182 (+24.4%) from a year earlier to 16,234 rooms. In May 2008, a total of 544,151 guests checked into hotels and similar establishments, representing a year-on-year increase of 19.9%; the majority of the guests came from Mainland China (48.6%) and Hong Kong (22.7%). The average hotel occupancy rate rose slightly by 0.6 percentage point to 72.9%, with 4-star hotels leading at 77.5%; in addition, the average length of stay of hotel guests extended by 0.1 night to 1.4 nights. Total number of hotel guests reached 2,697,570 in the first five months of 2008, up by 17.9% over the same period of 2007. In the first five months of 2008, visitor-guests staying in hotels accounted for 43.1% of the total number of tourists, up from 42.7% in the corresponding period of 2007.
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With reference to some recent media reporting of the situation of Air Macau, the Macao SAR Government takes this opportunity to make the following statement: 1.The Macao SAR Government takes note of the present situation of Air Macau and will continue to monitor closely the operation as well as keep in close contact with the management of the company. 2.Given the high operational costs resulting from high fuel prices and the keen competition in the aviation industry, the local airlines are now facing difficulties in their operations. According to the reports of the International Air Transport Association, similar difficulties are faced by many airlines elsewhere and the year 2008 is a devastating year for the air transport industry worldwide. 3.The Macao SAR Government believes that the management of Air Macau will be able to overcome the present difficulties.
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