News

Macao and Zhuhai have agreed to work closer together on urban planning and transportation, border crossing and the development of the trans-border industrial zone. The Zhuhai-Macao Co-operation Working Group held its first meeting in Zhuhai today, jointly chaired by Macao‘s Secretary for Transport and Public Works, Mr Lau Si Io, and the Vice Mayor of Zhuhai, Mr Chen Honghui. The meeting was attended by officials from the two places and representing departments of urban planning, transportation, infrastructure, economy, customs, public security, inspection and quarantine, health, culture, education and tourism. They have agreed to set up three sub-working groups under the Zhuhai-Macao Co-operation Working Group to work on the development of the Zhuhai-Macao Crossborder Industrial Zone, the co-ordination on urban planning and transportation network, and the optimisation of their border crossing facilities. The Zhuhai-Macao Co-operation Working Group was established last December after the signing of a memorandum during the Guangdong-Macao Co-operation Joint Conference 2008. The working group was established to enhance communication and co-operation between the two places.
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According to statistics released today by the Monetary Authority of Macao, on a monthly basis, money supply M2 noted a decrease. Deposits with banks declined slightly whereas domestic loans to the private sector saw an increase. As a result, the loan-to-deposit ratio edged up from a month ago. Money supply
Due to the decreases of currency in circulation and demand deposits, M1 shrank 4.9% month-to-month. Quasi-monetary liabilities also edged down by 0.2%. The sum of these two items, i.e. M2, thus slid 0.8% to MOP192.6 billion. On an annual basis, M1 and M2 rose 13.7% and 2.6% respectively. The share of Pataca (MOP) in M2 stood at 28.9%, down 0.2 percentage points over a month ago or up 0.9 percentage
points over a year earlier respectively. Concurrently, the share of Hong Kong Dollar (HKD) in M2 was 52.3%, up 0.4 percentage points month-to-month or down 2.6 percentage points year-on-year. Deposits
Resident deposits edged down by 0.6% from the previous month to MOP188.0 billion. Of which, MOP deposits, HKD deposits and other foreign currency deposits fell at respective rates of 0.6%, 0.1% and 2.1%. On the other hand, non-resident deposits and public sector deposits with the banking sector rose 0.4% (to MOP72.1 billion) and 2.3% (to MOP13.5 billion) respectively. As a result, total deposits in the banking sector slid 0.2% from the previous month to MOP273.6 billion. The shares of MOP and HKD in
total deposits were 22.7% and 44.8% respectively. Loans
Domestic loans to the private sector grew 0.9% month-to-month to MOP91.4 billion. Among which, MOP18.8 billion was MOP-denominated and MOP67.0 billion was denominated in HKD, representing 20.5% and 73.2% of the total respectively. External loans declined by 1.1% to MOP56.4 billion; of which, loans denominated in MOP and HKD accounted for 1.9% and 55.9% respectively of the total, at values of MOP1.1 billion and MOP31.5 billion. Loan-to-deposit ratios
Due to the decline in resident deposits and increase in domestic loans to the private sector, the loan-todeposit
ratio for the resident sector at end-February 2009 increased by 0.6 percentage points month-tomonth to 45.4%. The ratio for both the resident and non-resident sectors stood at 54.0%, up 0.2 percentage points. Annex Table
For enquiry, please contact:
Research and Statistics Department, Monetary Authority of Macao
(Tel: 83952532; Fax: 28353042)
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The Health Bureau will give a talk on swine influenza for all medical professionals on Thursday to enhance co-ordination between the authorities and health institutions in preventing an outbreak. The Director of the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr Tong Ka Io, and Dr Lam Chong, the co-ordinator of the Centre’s infectious disease control and surveillance department, will explain the epidemiology of the virus and preventive measures introduced by the Government. It will be held from 13:30 to 14:30 at the hall of administration building of Health Bureau. All medical professionals in Macao are welcome. For enquiries, please dial 28713734 or 28713735. According to the statistics of the Health Bureau, as of yesterday, there have been no probable nor a confirmed human case of swine influenza A (H1N1) in Macao. The Hospital Conde S. Januário treated 47 children and 119 adults with upper respiratory tract infections yesterday, which accounted for 14% and 58% of all outpatients. The figures showed no signs of an increase. A round-the-clock hotline of the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, at 853-28561122, has been set up for enquiries about swine influenza.
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Macao health officials held a video conference with their counterparts in Mainland and Hong Kong this morning to discuss preventive measures against swine influenza, which had spread rapidly and claimed lives in several countries. They assessed the developments of the virus, shared their knowledge and discussed quarantine arrangements, drugs, vaccine, and speed test for the virus. They agreed to build a contact list to jointly facilitate information exchanges to help prevent the possible pandemic. The Director of the Health Bureau, Dr Lei Chin Ion, Director of Hospital Conde S. Januário, Dr Chan Wai Sin, and experts from Macao’s Centre for Disease Control and Prevention took part in the meeting. The World Health Organization (WHO) raised the level of influenza pandemic alert from phase 3 to phase 4 today, which meant that the virus could transmit from human to human, and indicated that the likelihood of a pandemic had increased. The health authorities continued to urge the health, educational and social welfare institutions and the public to follow the guidelines issued by the Government. Individuals are also asked to maintain good personal hygiene. A round-the-clock hotline of the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, at 853-28561122, has been set up for enquiries.
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After its proclamation on 18th May 1977, the International Council of Museums designated 18th May as the International Museum Day. This date has been celebrated by many museums around the world. Since 2000, the museums in Macao have taken the initiative to promote International Museum Day as proposed by the International Council of Museums and held celebrations according to the specific theme designated for each year. This year’s theme is “Museums and Tourism” and, indeed, the museums in Macao will work tirelessly together to contribute to the society, the culture and tourism. To celebrate the annual International Museum Day on 18 May, admission to all the museums in Macao will be free from 16th May (Saturday) to 18th May (Monday). Each museum will prepare a series of special features and promotional activities in May, including seminars, thematic exhibitions and workshop, etc. in order to let Macao citizens feel the unlimited power of the museums to the society. For details of free admission and special activities, please visit the portal of The Museums of Macao (http://www.museums.gov.mo). One of the most important celebrations this year is “The Museum Fair of Macao, Hong Kong and Guangdong Province 2009” at the Cultural Center Plaza from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on 3rd May. Museums from the Guangdong Province and Hong Kong were invited to participate and attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony that will be held at 15:00. In addition to several exhibitions and booth games, there will be many types of comprehensive performances arranged for the visitors to quickly experience the characteristics of the museums from the Guangdong Province, Hong Kong and Macao simultaneously. There will be dynamic shows with great variety, including music, dancing, and Cantonese pop singers for the whole afternoon. There will be also lucky draws with rich and attractive prizes, including cultural trips, net books, digital cameras, book coupons, USB thumb drives, Taiwan round-trip air tickets sponsored by TransAsia Airways. Macao Post will issue a commemorative envelope for free distribution to the public and provide commemorative cancellation service for stamp collectors at the Temporary Postal Counter from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Another activity jointly organized by all the museums in Macao and the Macao Digital Photography Association, the Exhibition of ‘Museums and Tourism’ Photography Competition, has received more than 100 entries. The 40 best entries selected by the judging panel will be awarded and showcased in the gallery on the Ground Floor of the Macao Museum of Art. Through this activity, the organizers hope to transmit the message of the International Museum Day and to reveal to visitors the city’s unbounded affection and respect for the museums through the lenses of the talented candidates. The organizers of the celebrations of International Museum Day 2009 are: Communications Museum of Macao, Dr. Sun Iat Sen’s Memorial House in Macau, Fire Services Museum, Grand Prix Museum, Handover Gifts Museum of Macao, Heritage Exhibition of a Traditional Pawnshop Business, Lin Zexu Memorial Museum of Macao, Macao Museum, Macao Museum of Art, Macao Science Center, Macao Tea Culture House, Maritime Museum, Museum of the Holy House of Mercy, Museum of the Macao Security Forces, Museum of Sacred Art and Crypt, Museum of Taipa and Coloane History, The Natural and Agrarian Museum, The Taipa Houses-Museum, Treasure of Sacred Art and Wine Museum.
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Ms. Echo Chan, Executive Director of IPIM participated in the 22nd Asian Trade Promotion Forum (ATPF) in Xiamen, China from 23 to 24 April. The Forum was organised by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) and attended by representatives from trade promotion organisations from 15 economic regions in Asia including Australia, Bangladesh, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Macao, Malaysia, Mongolia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam. Chaired by the Vice Chairman of CCPIT, Mr. Yu Ping, the theme of the 22nd ATPF was “TPO Synergy against Financial Crisis” and participating TPO members gave presentations on “TOP’s Role and Solution during Financial Crisis” and “Trade in Service”. Ms. Echo Chan gave a keynote presentation on “TOP’s Role and Solution during Financial Crisis – New Challenges, New Strategies” at the Forum. She said that being the trade promotion organization in Macao, there are several ways to assist enterprise during the Financial Crisis, these are: 1. Join promotion in emerging market; (2) Updated market information and broaden network; (3) Strengthen the effectiveness of exhibition through establishment of Partner fair/join exhibition; (4) Promote convention and exhibition, cultivate new industries benefit to SMEs; (5) Create markets and seize new opportunities. TPO members from different regions also engaged in discussions and experience-sharing on various topics. Australia, China, South Korea and Taipei shared their solutions during the financial crisis while Hong Kong, India, Japan, Malaysia and Thailand introduced their latest regulations on trade in services. To conclude, APTF members felt that dialogue and cooperation on the basis of mutual trust is a better way to recover from this financial crisis. Therefore, ATPF being a trade enabling body will play a more proactive role in regional economic recovery through promoting trade activities. The meeting ended on 24 Apr and the 23rd ATPF Annual Meeting will be held by the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency next year. ATPF was founded by the Japan External Trade Organization in 1987. Its members come from different trade promotion organizations in Asian countries. It aims to enhance communications and regional cooperation between its trade promotion members. IPIM is the member of ATPF since 1999 and organized the 19th ATPF meeting in 2006. Aside the annual meeting, the Capacity Initiative Building Program and the ATPF Joint Exhibition are the activities aims to strengthen the cooperation and communication between all the TPO’s member. CCPIT and IPIM hold the Capacity Initiative Building Program last year together, provide training and experience-sharing with all TPO’s members. Besides, IPIM also participated the ATPF Joint Exhibition in the International Gift Fair in Tokyo last year. The upcoming ATPF Joint Exhibition will be held next year.
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To cope with the Open Day of the Military Camp in Commemoration of 10th Anniversary of the People’s Liberation Army Macau Garrison, Macao Post announced that a Temporary Post Counter will be set up at the Philately Shop located at Macao Post Headquarters at 13H00 to 18H00 on 1st May 2009 providing the commemorative postmark cancellation service for the “Open Day of the Military Camp in Commemoration of 10th Anniversary of the People’s Liberation Army Macau Garrison”. A commemorative envelope will be distributed to public, and various philatelic products will also be available for sale during the above activity. Welcome to visit and collect Macao Stamps.
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The Chief Executive, Mr Edmund Ho Hau Wah, has called on businesspeople in Anhui and Macao to step up co-operation and seek out more business opportunities. Mr Ho made the call when he met the Secretary of the CPC Anhui Provincial Committee, Mr Wang Jinshan, in the province today. Mr Ho said both Macao and Anhui could enhance co-operation in trade and investment in the future. In response, Mr Wang said he believed that co-operation between the two sides would be enhanced. Before the meeting with Mr Wang, Mr Ho visited a software engineering company in the New and High Technology Industrial Development Zone in Hefei. After the meeting, Mr Ho went to Anhui Exhibition and Conference Center and toured Macao’s exhibition section at Expo Central China 2009. He attended a banquet hosted by the organisers of the exposition, followed by a cultural performance. Mr Ho is scheduled to attend the tomorrow's opening ceremony of the exposition and Forum on Thousands Investors Going West.
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In response to the notice issued by the Chinese Embassy in Mexico to Chinese citizens concerning Swine Influenza, the Tourism Crisis Management Office has sent out an SMS alert to Macao residents currently traveling in Mexico, USA, Canada and New Zealand to be attentive to the latest news concerning Swine Influenza, and to avoid crowded public areas.
As per the World Health Organization, since 18 March 2009 various districts in Mexico have reported human cases of Swine Influenza H1N1 virus; while the states of California and Texas in the USA have also reported several cases. The Tourism Crisis Management Office has sent out an SMS alert through the four local mobile telecommunications service providers to remind Macao mobile network users currently in Mexico, USA, Canada and New Zealand to be attentive to the latest news on Swine Influenza, and to avoid crowded public areas with poor ventilation. Residents planning to travel to the above areas should closely monitor news related to Swine Influenza and to take all necessary precautions. If necessary, residents can call the Chinese Embassy in Mexico’s 24-hour emergency hotline (52-15554073017), the Macao Health Bureau’s Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (853-28561122) or the Macao Tourism Hotline (853-28333000).
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The Crisis Management Office reminds Macao residents currently traveling in or planning to travel in the near future to Mexico, California and Texas to be attentive to news concerning Swine Influenza, and to take all necessary precautions. As per the World Health Organization, since 18 March 2009 various districts in Mexico have reported human cases of Swine Influenza H1N1 virus, which has to date resulted in at least 47 cases of pneumonia and 12 deaths; while the states of California and Texas in the USA have also reported several cases. The Crisis Management Office reminds Macao residents currently traveling in or planning to travel to the above areas to closely monitor news of Swine Influenza and to take all necessary precautions. For enquiries, please call the Tourism Hotline (853) 28333000.
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