News

The Monetary Authority of Macao announced today that the preliminary estimate of Macao SAR’s foreign exchange reserves amounted to MOP114.9 billion (USD14.3 billion) at the end of March 2008. The reserves increased by 2.8% from the revised figure of MOP111.8 billion (USD14.0 billion) for the previous month. When compared with the same period last year, the reserves increased by MOP32.8 billion or 40.0%. Macao SAR’s foreign exchange reserves at end-March 2008 represented 28 times the currency in circulation or about 219% of Pataca M2 at end-February 2008. 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 1.22 points month-to-month or 5.17 points year-on-year, from 88.74 in February to 87.52 in March 2008. For enquiry, please contact:
Research and Statistics Department, Monetary Authority of Macao (Tel：83952532; Fax：28353042)
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service indicated that the total value of exports of goods amounted to MOP1.34 billion in March 2008, down by 1.5% year-on-year, of which domestic exports increased by 2.5% to MOP765 million, while re-exports dropped by 6.5% to MOP571 million. Total value of imports of goods amounted to MOP3.78 billion, up by 8.6% year-on-year. A trade deficit of MOP2.44 billion was recorded for March 2008. During the period of January-March 2008, the value of total exports fell by 7.1% year-on-year to MOP4.01 billion, of which domestic exports and re-exports declined by 7.3% and 6.8% respectively. Meanwhile, the value of imports grew by 13.3% to MOP10.38 billion, bringing about a trade deficit of MOP6.37 billion. The exports/imports ratio decreased from 47.1% in the first three months of 2007 to 38.6% in the same period of 2008. As regards exports of goods, the value of exports of Textile & garment, accounting for 59.5% of the total exports in the first three months of 2008, declined by 11.1% over the same period of 2007; moreover, exports of Non-textile fell slightly by 0.6%, of which Machines & apparatus, parts & accessories thereof and Footwear dropped by 43.0% and 38.5% respectively. In the first three months of 2008, the value of exports to the USA, Mainland China and the EU decreased by 3.6%, 33.1% and 32.3% respectively year-on-year, while that to Hong Kong rose by 21.2%. The main suppliers of imported goods to Macao concentrated in the Asian region. The value of imports from Mainland China and Hong Kong, comprising 51.0% of the total imports in the first three months of 2008, rose by 9.5% and 14.1% respectively year-on-year. In terms of broad economic categories, imports of Fuels & lubricants, Consumer goods and Capital goods in the first three months of 2008 expanded by 36.2%, 28.6% and 3.7% respectively year-on-year, but imports of Raw materials & semi-manufactures decreased by 8.1%.
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The development of China-Africa investment co-operation has accelerated further recently and bilateral private enterprise co-operation has shown a lot of promise. Macao plays a unique role as a regional economic service platform, with the advantage of promoting trade and investment co-operation between China-Africa private enterprises while providing a wide range of services to foster co-operation and creates business opportunities The China-Africa Enterprises Co-operation Forum (Macao) is organised by the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) and China-Africa Business Council and co-organised by the Macao Chamber of Commerce and Macao China-Africa Business Council, with the Institute of Non-government Trade and Investment between China, Africa and Portuguese-speaking Countries of the Market Economy Academy of Peking University as the academic supporting organisation. The Forum will be held at 3 pm on 23 May in the Naples Room, The Cotai StripTM Convention and Exhibition Centre at Venetian® Macao with the main theme as Business Opportunities and Win-win Situations. Although the China-Africa tea trade has long been established, there is still room for improvement and further development, therefore the Tea Expo Macao 2008 will also be held concurrently during the Forum. The China-Africa Enterprises Co-operation Forum (Macao) is focused on private enterprises going global through Macao, the discussion of opportunities and the implementation of China-Africa economic co-operation through the relationship between Macao and Portuguese-speaking countries and a study of the current situation and prospects for tea trade development in China-Africa trade co-operation. It will also serve as a market information and communication platform for Mainland private enterprises. Major speakers attending the Forum include Mr. Hu Deping, President of China-Africa Business Council, Mr. Ma Iao Lai, President of Macao China-Africa Business Council, Mr. Ranaud Meyer, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative in China, Mr. Zhang Chunlai, Vice President of China-Africa Business Council and Mr. Ye Yixin, General Manager of Bank of China Macao Branch. Renowned economist from the Mainland, Professor Li Yining of Market Economy Academy of Peking University will give a thematic talk entitled Discussion on China’s Macro Economy during the event. The Forum is open to all business operators and shareholders in Macao, the Mainland and overseas countries. A simultaneous interpretation service is available (in Putonghua, Cantonese, Portuguese and English). For further enquiries, please contact Ms. Ma of IPIM’s Research and Information Division on 8798 9211; Fax: 2872 8208; email: janetma@ipim.gov.mo.
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According to the results of the Employment Survey released by the Statistics and Census Service, the unemployment rate for January-March 2008 remained unchanged at 2.9%, same as the previous period (December 2007-February 2008), and down by 0.3 percentage point year-on-year. The underemployment rate was 1.5%, down by 0.1 percentage point over the preceding period, but up by 0.8 percentage point year-on-year. Total labour force was estimated at 327,000 and the labour force participation rate was 70.7%, up by 0.6 and 3.7 percentage points from the previous period and the corresponding period of 2007 respectively. The employed population increased by 3,600 over the previous period to 317,000, with increase in the number of persons working in Manufacturing; Recreational, cultural, gaming & other services; and Hotel industry, but that in Construction decreased. The unemployed population was estimated at 9,600, an increase of 200 from the preceding period. Among the unemployed, about 700 were searching for their first job, down by 2.4 percentage points over the previous period to take up 7.4% of the total unemployed. In addition, the unemployment rate of local residents (excluding non-resident workers) stood at 3.7% for January-March 2008 and the respective labour force participation rate was 64.7%.
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In order to provide an opportunity for local students to know more about the water resources, water supply system and constructions in Zhuhai and Macao, the Promotional Team for Water Conservation led teachers, students, and association’s volunteers of 15 participants to visit a raw water reservoir and pumping stations in Zhuhai today, (27 April) to personally experience the journey and realized the value of each drop of drinking water. In the afternoon of that day, staff from The Macao Water Supply Co. Ltd. led 7 students and teachers from the Sheng Kung Hui Choi Kou School and 7 volunteers from the Macau Neighboring Association Social Cleanliness Concern Team to visit the Ping Gang Pump Station, the Hong Wan Pump Station and the Lapa Reservoir during this journey. In the journey, staff from the Zhuhai Water Supply to Macao Corporation clearly introduced and explained to the students the water supply process from the Zhuhai reservoir to Macao. It increased the student’s knowledge in raw water treatment and supply. 22 March is the “World Water Day”, and the theme for this year was “Sanitation Matters”. For celebrating “World Water Day”, the Promotional Team for Water Conservation organized a series of activities, including the World Water Day Carnival, Wall Painting, Drawing Contest, Soap Making Competition etc.. The Raw Water Journey was the last activity for the celebration.
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The first Environmental Co-operation Forum and Exhibition, 2008 MIECF, closed its door today, on 25th April 2008. The Organizers are pleased to report that the event has resulted in the successful gathering of the environmental industry here in Macao. Many environmental technologies and services were the focus of exhibitors’ and visitors’ interest in the 2008 MIECF Exhibition. An event established to promote Macao as a platform for the environment industry to industries in China and other surrounding countries, to support technology exchange and co-operation in environmental protection. 14 pavilions and 164 exhibitors from 14 countries joined this platform, including many exhibitors from the 9+2 provinces and regions of Southern China. Participating companies had the opportunity to mix and mingle with the delegates and speakers attending the forum as well as the officiating delegation from the 9 + 2 Pan-PRD regions. These groups included environmental experts, renowned environmental industry players, governmental and non-governmental organizations. A round up and overview of the exhibition indicated over – 2,500 professional participants. Their presence at the exhibition fostered a number of business transactions and sales being made during the exhibition, a significant for its start, with many deals concluded and MOU signed. Exhibitors’ feedback indicated that the exhibition has been a useful tool! As stated by Mr Miguel C M Crespo, Deputy Consul General of Portugal, a business development agency, “the event provided useful exposure of Portuguese technology, considering that Portugal has the lowest green house emission in Europe, about 7.6 tons of CO2 compared to Europe’s 10.2 ton average. Environmental issues and protection has become increasingly strong since joining the EU in 1986. Perhaps a result of the Tourism industry which is very important to Portugal. Appreciating exposure in particular are the many existing Portuguese companies who have a presence in this part of the world”. Such companies include EDP – the fourth largest company in the world which specializes in renewable energy technology, SISAQU an engineering firm which covers all sectors of services related to clean water supply, as well as waste-water and solid-waste treatment both of industrial and urban origins. Other Consulates representing companies from their country took this opportunity of the 2008 MIECF initiative to expose what they had to offer to Macao and the Pan-PRD regions included participation of Finland, Spain and Sweden. Most of the participating companies echoed “image building” an important reason to their participating objective at MIECF in Macao as commented also by Mr Kevin Kuo of Cem, supplier of energy in Macao. Further commenting on the good visitorship quality, Ms Vivian Lui (Senior Manager of Manetic) said, “many good enquires were received” which are expected to mature as a result of their participation. The participating 9 + 2 Pan-PRD regions with Provincial Pavilions provided interesting overview of both needs and technology. Their presence allowed visitors to the event the opportunity of meeting representatives from the 9 +2 provinces who were seeking environmental solutions. Adding to this Mr. Li Xiao Ming, (Association for the Environmental Industry, Hunan) said, “ this event was indeed a good platform, several of our companies met with potential buyers and this gave us the opportunity to exchange technologies between other Environmental Protection Industry Associations represented at 2008 MIECF”. Expectations and feedbacks from Chinese exhibitors are generally positive, Sichuan Baosheng Environmental Pollution Control Co. Ltd said it is their first time to join exhibition out of mainland China. They found the exhibition rather good and the quality is high. They met with potential buyer from the Philippines. Also business-matching appointments had been arranged for them during the exhibition. They had found the 2008 MIECF a good platform for them to meet potential customers. Mrs Lin Shunmei, Deputy Director of Fujian Pavilion considered 2008 MIECF a good international event to meet potential partners and buyers. They attended 8-9 business matching sessions at the exhibition. Some of these enterprises were able to find potential customers as well as quality suppliers in the exhibition. They may consider bigger space in the next event. Generally most exhibitors endorsed the success this premier exhibition for bringing the environmental protection enterprises from the Pan-PRD region with their counterparts from Europe and Macao and the exchange of technologies.
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The inaugural 2008 Macao International Environmental Co-operation Forum consolidated its platform on solid grounds with the attendance of some 850 participants from overseas and Mainland China gathered day to address environmental issues of international co-operation, energy security, water resources management and sustainable development. The programme of the second day forum broadened to cover the inter-related issues of energy saving and emission reduction, efficient use and treatment of water resources, clean manufacturing, intelligent eco-city and sustainable transportation. Four main streams of exchanges, presentations, and discussions were organized concurrently to facilitate the flow and output the forum. On the second stream on agenda for international co-operation, the Secretary for the Environment of the Hong Kong SAR, Mr Edward Yau, highlighted the importance of regional and international cooperation in tackling environmental issues. Mr Alessandro Amadio, Industrial Development Officer of UNIDO, explained the UN-China Climate Change Partnership Framework, which involves nine UN institutions, various ministries and partners from private sector. These parties provided up-to-date knowledge and most advanced technology in tackling climate change. One of the most important tasks for this framework is to formulate China’s post-Kyoto Protocol strategies and action plans together with partners from all over the world. On the stream on energy saving and emission reduction, presentations on outlook and achievement of pollution emission reduction in Guangdong and colourful Yunnan provinces attracted much interest, because of the environmental challenges facing “one of the most performing factory of the world in the case of Guangdong” and thanks to the bio-diversity wealth of the Yunnan province. On the other hand, the topic of Bio-Fuel development in Brasil and the studies of its implementation in China also received much attention. Energy efficiency was the over-arching theme of the exchanges with Chinese delegates and foreign experts discussing their respective offers of state-of-the-art solutions and best practices. Presentations by the community of Chinese scientists presented at 2008 MIECF reflected a strong commitment to the ideal of “thinking green, going clean and living cool”. A point in case was Professor Zhang Kunmin’s paper on “China in a Low-carbon World: Its role, challenges and strategies”, which reviewed China’s strategy for building up a sustainable energy policy framework, and its commitment to a National Climate Change Programme. Foreign experts from three continents, from Europe, America and Asia, took turn to share their eco-solutions on the wind energy, the fastest growing industry in the world, which had grown at a compound rate of 24% for the last 10 years. Of particular interest is the recommendation of the use of Intelligent Energy as a sensible sustainable approach for Macao along with suggestions of how IE might be applied within the SAR to minimize the impact of the rapid expansion of the gaming and hospitality industry in Macao. On the concurrent stream on Efficient Use and Treatment of Water Resources, there was a strong consensus on the concept of “Integrated Approach in the Water Sector Basing on the Sustainable Balance of the Ecological, Economic and Social Aspects”. Sustainability means first of all simply to meet the ecological, economic and social demands of today without compromising the ability of further generations to do the same. Dr Martin Grambow, and European authority in water resources management concluded that “the picture of the worldwide water situation is bleak, it is high time to react. He seemed to echoed Vice Minister of Ministry of Water Resources of China Mr. Hu Siyi who made a convincing presentation on the concept and roadmap for a “water-saving society, as the most basic and efficient solution of the problem of limited water resources. According to the general master-plan of the water-saving society development in the 11th Five-Year Plan, the discrepancy of water supply and demands should be reduced from 35 billion steres to 22 billion steres. Clean water technology from Singapore as also presented as a new model of recycling waste water, while European technology of desalination and water reuse was also recommended as a solution for sustainable water management. The same panel also listened to a presentation on a Korean conceptual design of water reuse system for urban center regeneration. Several experts from the industry sector, who have been working in various pioneer projects in China also made the case for the eco-technologies and innovative solutions on the best way to manage the scared water resources. Another well-attended stream of discussions combined clean manufacturing, eco and intelligent city and sustainable transportation. All these three topics are interrelated and their solutions represent a comprehensive and integrated approach to eco-footprint of economic development. Clean development mechanisms have been implemented over the last decade under the Kyoto Protocol, and various showcases were presented during the stream, including implementation of CDM in Thailand, cleaner production by Hongkong-owned factories in the Pearl River Delta region. Experiment from Guangdong province, such as waste recycling and reuse was offered as a new model of recycling economy, while a Finnish model for solid waste management with the integration of clean technologies was also presented. Intelligent building was the next topic of great interest in the stream of discussions. Various models and concepts were offered to fit differentiated needs in a vast and diverse emerging construction and building market in China. From high-rise building to landed housing, intelligent and green building concepts were offered as showcases as eco-solutions for the future. Advancement in technology nowadays allows originality and creativity, while promoting economy and sustainability. Sustainable transport, such as e-bicycles and light transit train in China, was also a topic of attention, while air pollution and urban heat constantly came back in the discussions over the urban crisis. Whatever eco-solutions and green technologies proposed, the ultimate issue remains human behaviour and public participation, And this begin with environmental education. 2008 MIECF with the delivery of some 60 papers of high standard represents a solid foundation for the development of the international cooperation platform with extensive participation and interaction between leaders, policy planners, scientists, experts and businesses from China and overseas. The event bodes well for the future of MIECF in the implementation of the ideal of “Thinking Green, Going Clean and Living Cool”.
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Macau Government Tourist Office hosted “Experience Macau” Roadshow and "Meet in Macau" Seminar in Singapore to showcase the latest tourism development and MICE (Meeting, Incentive, Convention and Exhibition) facilities of Macau to the residents as well as the travel trade in Singapore. Riding on the significant growth of 70% in visitor arrivals from Singapore for the first 3 months this year, MGTO staged “Experience Macau” Roadshow and "Meet in Macau" Seminar in Singapore to promote Macau to the residents, travel trade and media as a prefect short-haul destination for leisure and business travel. The “Meet in Macau” Seminar was held on April 24 and Head of Marketing Division of MGTO, Betty Fok, staff of Macau Business Tourism Center and 20 representatives from the tourism industry of Macau attended the seminar to present the latest tourism development, business travel and aviation network of Macau to the travel trade and media in Singapore. Themed after "Events", "World Heritage", "Cuisine", "Attractions" and "Information", the “Experience Macau” Roadshow hosted by MGTO from April 25 to 27 at the SkyPark @ VivoCity, a popular shopping center in Singapore, also offered a whole range of exciting events ranging from performance and sampling of Macanese snacks to fun activities like stilt walkers and lucky draw that attracted large crowds of visitors. Southeast Asia is the key source market for Macau. With the direct flights linking Macau with Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines as well as the assistance of marketing representatives, MGTO will continue to reinforce the promotional effort in Asia to develop the market.
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Macao is amending regulations to better protect its cultural heritage and further balance development and conservation, the Chief Executive, Mr Edmund Ho Hau Wah, said today. He said Macao was not only facilitating infrastructure and enhancing promotion of the city, but was also looking after its heritage. The Chief Executive said this when he delivered a speech at the Forum on Thousands Investors Going West, which opened today in Wuhan, Hubei. Earlier he attended the opening ceremony of Expo Central China 2008, which is officiated by Vice Premier, Mr Wang Qishan. Mr Ho said he believed that Macao could enhance co-operation with provinces in Central China in tourism industry, commercial services and trade. By making full use of Macao’s expanding convention and exhibition industry, provinces in Central China could boost trade and co-operation with nations in the European Union and the Portuguese-speaking countries. On Macao’s convention and exhibition industry, Mr Ho said Macao would further co-operate with regional partners. In praise of the economic emergence of provinces in Central China, Mr Ho said that their experience in development could act as a reference for Macao. Mr Ho also attended a luncheon hosted by Vice Premier, Mr Wang Qishan, who was also in Hubei for the Central China Expo. Afterwards, Mr Ho met with the Secretary of Hubei Provincial Committee of the CPC, Mr Luo Qingquan and the Governor of Hubei Province, Mr Li Hongzhong. Mr Luo thanked the Macao SAR Government for donating 10 million RMB to the province, which was among the provinces badly hit by a snowstorm earlier this year. Mr Ho said he hoped that the Hubei people could rebuild their home soon. He returned to Macao in the evening after two days in Hubei.
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The Chief Executive, Mr Edmund Ho Hau Wah, has arrived in Wuhan, Hubei, for tomorrow’s opening of Expo Central China 2008. The Secretary of the CPC Hubei Provincial Committee, Mr Luo Qingquan, and the Governor of Hubei Province, Mr Li Hongzhong, welcomed Mr Ho and his delegation at the hotel when they arrived this afternoon. In the evening, Mr Ho visited the exhibition area after attending a welcoming reception. Mr Ho will attend the opening ceremony of the Expo tomorrow morning, then deliver a speech on the Forum on Thousands Investors Going West, before returning to Macao.
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