News

The Chief Executive, Mr Edmund Ho Hau Wah, is scheduled to leave on Friday for a five-day visit to Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning provinces, to strengthen ties and boost co-operation with the three northeast provinces. He would be visiting the three provinces together with a delegation of officials and more than 100 Macao businesspeople. During his visit, Mr Ho is scheduled to meet the Secretaries of the three CPC provincial committees and the three Governors, and exchange ideas on boosting bilateral co-operation with them, especially in the areas of trade and tourism. He would also attend trade promotion activities and visit the enterprises there. Members of Mr Ho’s delegation would include the Secretary for Economy and Finance, Mr Francis Tam Pak Yuen; Members of the Executive Council, Mr Tong Chi Kin, Mr Leong Heng Teng, Mr Liu Chak Wan, Mr Ma Iao Lai, Mr Ho Iat Seng, Mr Leonel Alberto Alves, Mr Cheang Chi Keong, Mr Leong Vai Tac; the President of the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute, Mr Lee Peng Hong; the Director of the Government Information Bureau, Mr Chan Chi Ping, and the President of the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau, Mr Tam Vai Man. The Secretary for Administration and Justice, Ms Florinda Chan, will be Acting Chief Executive until Mr Ho returns on 19 May.
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The Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Mr Chui Sai On, today submitted his resignation to the Chief Executive, Mr Edmund Ho Hau Wah, and said he would run for the third-term Chief Executive. Mr Chui said Mr Ho told him he would inform the State Council of his resignation as soon as possible. In accordance with the Basic Law, the Chief Executive has the power to recommend to the Central Government the removal of principal officials. Mr Chui met the press this afternoon to announce his decision. He said he had decided to run in the third-term Chief Executive election after prudent consideration. He said he was honoured to have served the Macao SAR Government and the people in the past decade and the Chief Executive would take over his duties in the interim. Speaking on the prevention of Influenza A (H1N1), he said the Government had stepped up its efforts in surveillance and information gathering and had been following the guidelines issued by the World Health Organization. In accordance with the Chief Executive Election Law, principal officials cannot be nominated as candidate unless they have resigned or retired before the commencement of the term for the submission of nomination as a candidate.
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A 58-year-old female resident who had visited the United States of America was tested negative for Influenza A (H1N1) today. Suffering from cough and a sore throat, she sought medical attention at the Hospital Conde S. Januário but was tested negative for the virus. Health Bureau’s medical teams at terminals checked body temperatures of more than 162,000 people entering Macao, with one person sent to hospital for treatment. The medical teams also dealt with nine enquiries. Meanwhile, the Hospital Conde S. Januário treated 82 children and 56 adults with respiratory illness symptoms today. To date there is no probable or confirmed human case of influenza A (H1N1) reported in Macao. To promote awareness of the virus among the public and enhance precautions, the Health Bureau has scheduled two more talks this week. The first session is to be held at Taipa Health Centre on Thursday from 11:00 to 12:00 and the second at Areia Preta Health Centre on Friday from 11:00 to 12:00. For reservation, please call 85041496 or 85041466.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service indicated that Macao registered 551,010 visitor arrivals in package tours in March 2009, up by 30.9% from a year earlier. Visitors from Mainland China (437,565) and Taiwan, China (26,650) increased substantially by 43.5% and 39.4% year-on-year, and those from Japan (17,687), Thailand (12,248) and Malaysia (11,772) also rose by 17.7%, 19.1% and 16.7% respectively; however, visitors from Hong Kong (19,945) decreased by 16.3%. In the first quarter of 2009, visitor arrivals in package tours grew by 14.3% over the same period of 2008 to 1,368,556. In March 2009, the number of Macao residents travelling outbound in package tours dropped by 17.7% year-on-year to 17,004. Mainland China (75.9%); Taiwan, China (6.6%) and Japan (5.5%) were the most popular tour itineraries. In the first quarter of 2009, residents travelling in package tours decreased by 10.8 % over the same period of 2008 to 47,499. Meanwhile, residents travelling outbound under own arrangements with services of travel agencies totalled 31,956, up by 10.6% over March 2008. Hong Kong (35.1%), Mainland China (32.6%) and Taiwan, China (14.8%) were the major destinations. In the first quarter of 2009, outbound residents travelling under such arrangements dropped by 2.6% year-on-year to 89,250. At the end of March 2009, the number of guest rooms available in the hotel sector increased by 1,345 (+8.3%) from a year earlier to 17,534 rooms. In March 2009, a total of 596,206 guests checked into hotels and similar establishments, up by 5.9% year-on-year, with the majority of guests coming from Mainland China (55.7%) and Hong Kong (18.7%). The average hotel occupancy rate decreased by 3.1 percentage points year-on-year to 72.6%, with 4-star hotels leading at 86.4%. The average length of stay of hotel guests decreased slightly by 0.01 night to 1.3 nights. Total number of hotel guests reached 1,636,504 in the first quarter of 2009, up by 1.7% over the same period of 2008. In the first quarter of 2009, visitor-guests of hotels accounted for 61.9% of the total number of tourists, up from 55.2% in the corresponding period of 2008.
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China’s Ministry of Health today notified Macao about a confirmed case of Influenza A (H1N1) in Sichuan Province. The patient travelled from Tokyo to Beijing on flight NW029 on 8 May and arrived at Beijing International Airport at 01:30, May 9. At 10:50, he took another flight, 3U8882, for Chengdu and arrived in the Sichuan capital at 13:17. He went to hospital and was later tested positive for the virus. The Ministry of Health is trying to locate passengers of the two flights and the Health Bureau believed that there were no Macao residents on the flights. But the Bureau urged the public to contact them at 28561122 immediately if they have any information of Macao residents on the flight. Meanwhile, another resident who returned from the United States of America with fever was tested negative. And three Filipino visitors from Canada who had fever when they arrived at Taipa Temporary Ferry Terminal were also tested negative. Meanwhile, the Hospital Conde S. Januário treated 141 children and 55 adults with respiratory illness symptoms today and medical teams at terminals checked body temperatures of more than 146,000 people entering Macao, with two people sent to hospital for treatment. The medical teams also dealt with eight enquiries. To date there is no probable or confirmed human case of influenza A (H1N1) reported in Macao.
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Macao and the Mainland today signed Supplement VI to the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA), giving yet more favourable terms to Macao’s businesses on the Mainland. The supplement is comprised of 31 measures, including relaxing the market access conditions in 18 sectors of trade in services, facilitating trade and investment and pushing the recognition of professional qualifications. The signing ceremony was held at Government Headquarters today and was witnessed by the Chief Executive, Mr Edmund Ho Hau Wah. Macao’s Secretary for Economy and Finance, Mr Francis Tam, and Mainland’s Vice Minister of Commerce, Mr Jiang Zengwei, signed the agreement. Speaking to the press after the ceremony, Mr Tam said the supplement would benefit the diversification of Macao’s industrial portfolio and sustainable development. In terms of trade in services, the Mainland would further relax restrictions for Macao companies to conduct business in 41 sectors, with the companies in research and development sector the new beneficiaries. The supplement stipulated that Macao MICE companies would be able to organise exhibitions in more cities and provinces. For the tourism sector, Mainland tourists visiting Taiwan could stop over in Macao. Moreover, eligible Macao tour guides could work on the Mainland. Medical professionals could start health care services businesses as individuals and practise on the Mainland after passing the required examination. In regards trade and investment facilitation, Macao and Mainland would further co-operate in protecting intellectual property rights and trademarks. Before the signing ceremony, Mr Tam and Mr Jiang held the meeting of the Joint Steering Committee of CEPA.
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Another resident who returned from the United States of America with fever today was tested negative for the influenza A (H1N1) virus. The 63-year-old man, who returned to Macao via Taipei, arrived at Macau International Airport about 11am and Health Bureau staff stationed at the airport detected he had fever. He was sent to Hospital Conde S. Januário for diagnosis and was tested negative for influenza A (H1N1) virus. He was discharged in the afternoon. Yesterday another man who had fever was also diagnosed and discharged. Meanwhile, the Hospital Conde S. Januário treated 116 children and 47 adults with respiratory illness symptoms today and medical teams at terminals checked body temperatures of more than 143,000 people entering Macao. They also dealt with eight enquiries, and two people were sent to hospital for further treatment. To date there is no probable or confirmed human case of influenza A (H1N1) reported in Macao.
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Tests carried out on a Macao resident who returned from the United States of America with fever showed he did not carry the H1N1 virus. The man, who returned via Taipei arrived at Macau International Airport about noon today and temperature checks by Health Bureau staff at the airport showed he had fever. He was sent to Hospital Conde S. Januário and was tested negative for influenza A (H1N1) virus. He was discharged in the afternoon. Meanwhile, the Hospital Conde S. Januário treated 88 children and 84 adults with respiratory illness symptoms today and medical teams at terminals checked body temperatures of more than 136,000 people entering Macao and dealt with 15 enquiries. To date there is no probable or confirmed human case of influenza A (H1N1) reported in Macao.
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The Administrative Regulation number 13/2009 regarding the Wealth Partaking Scheme 2009 was gazetted on 11th May 2009 and will come into effect in mid-May. The modes of fund disbursement for the Wealth Partaking Scheme 2009 are divided into automatic transfer and crossed-cheque mailing. Details of distribution are as follows: Wealth Partaking Scheme 2009 Distribution Schedule and Arrangement Bank transfer dates / Dates for cheques to be received in Macao Beneficiaries 15 th May 2009 Persons receiving financial assistance from the Social Welfare Bureau, teaching staffs receiving direct subsidy and students in tertiary education receiving student aid from the Education and Youth Affairs Bureau (Student Benefits Fund), retired civil servants receiving retirement pension and other persons receiving survivor pension (bank transfer) Week 1 18 th May 2009 – 22 nd May 2009 Persons born in or before 1945 21 st May 2009 Persons receiving subsidy for senior citizens (bank transfer) Week 2 25 th May 2009 – 29 th May 2009 Persons born in 1946-1948 Week 3 1 st June 2009 – 5 th June 2009 Persons born in 1949-1956 Week 4 8 th June 2009 – 12 th June 2009 Persons born in 1957-1961 Week 5 15 th June 2009 – 19 th June 2009 Persons born in 1962-1966 16 th June 2009 Staffs in public administration (bank transfer) Week 6 22 nd June 2009 – 26 th June 2009 Persons born in 1967-1974 Week 7 29 th June 2009 – 3 rd July 2009 Persons born in 1975-1984 Week 8 6 th July 2009 – 10 th July 2009 Persons born in 1985-1990 Week 9 13 th July 2009 – 17 th July 2009 Persons born in 1991-1997 Week 10 20 th July 2009 – 24 th July 2009 Persons born in 1998-2008 Support Centre for Wealth Partaking Disbursement In order to facilitate the implementation of this Scheme, the government of Macao Special Administrative Region has established a Support Centre for Wealth Partaking Disbursement that will enter into service on 18th May 2009. In addition to giving assistance to the public on problems of fund receiving, the Support Centre also provides enquiry service. Enquiries and advance booking can also be made either at the Support Centre’s website www.planocp.gov.mo or via telephone number 2822-5000 to best reduce waiting time. The opening hours of the Support Centre are from Monday to Friday, except public holiday, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., with no lunch break. Should any resident fail to receive the cheque ten days after the receipt dates, he or she can seek for assistance from the Support Centre. (Hotline: 2822-5000, fax: 2822-3000) Alteration of postal address for crossed-cheque mailing The crossed-cheque will be delivered to the address declared by the residents when applying for the Macao SAR Resident Identity Card. Residents can change their postal address for crossed-cheque mailing purpose at the website of Wealth Partaking Scheme or that of the Identification Services Bureau www.dsi.gov.mo. Residents can also download the declaration form and return directly or by post to the Bureau after completion. Furthermore, residents can go to the Bureau or the Support Centre for Wealth Partaking Disbursement to proceed with the procedures of change of address. Support Centre for Wealth Partaking Disbursement Identification Services Bureau (Procedures of change of address) Address G/F, Room O & P, China Plaza Building, 804 Avenida da Praia Grande 1st floor, China Plaza Building, 804 Avenida da Praia Grande Opening hours Monday to Friday (except public holiday) 9:00 a.m. to 18:00 p.m. (no lunch break) Opening date ： 18 th May Monday to Friday (except public holiday) 9:00 a.m. to 18:00 p.m. (no lunch break) Enquiry and advance booking 2822-5000 (In service starting from 18 th May) 2837-0777 2837-0888 Fax 2822-3000 --------- Website www.planocp.gov.mo www.dsi.gov.mo
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Residents and visitors entering Macao should fill in the health declaration form seriously to help control the spread of the flu virus, the Health Bureau urged today. According to the International Health Regulations (2005), health declaration is a means to prevent pandemic from spreading. Since victims of the novel influenza A (H1N1) do not necessarily shown signs of fever, and their declaration of health and travel history could help health authorities to track them and provide them treatment when necessary. Meanwhile, the Hospital Conde S. Januário treated 109 children and 61 adults with respiratory illness symptoms today and medical teams at terminals checked body temperatures of more than 132,000 people entering Macao. They also dealt with 14 enquiries, but no unusual case was detected. To date there is no probable or confirmed human case of influenza A (H1N1) reported in Macao.
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