News

The Monetary Authority of Macao announced today(30) that the preliminary estimate of Macao SAR’s foreign exchange reserves amounted to MOP127.2 billion (USD15.93 billion) at the end of December 2008. The reserves rose by 0.6% from the revised value of MOP126.4 billion (USD15.83 billion) for the previous month.When compared with the same period last year, the reserves increased by MOP20.9 billion or 19.6%. Macao SAR’s foreign exchange reserves at end-December 2008 represented 29 times the currency in circulation or about 239.2% of Pataca M2 at end-November 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 0.98 points month-to-month but increased by 2.40 points year-on-year to 91.98 in December 2008.
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The Government will stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the people in facing the challenges of the global financial crisis to will guarantee a stable and harmonious society. This is stated by the Chief Executive, Mr Edmund Ho Hau Wah, in his Lunar New Year Message today. He urged the residents of Macao to carry forward their virtues of diligence, enterprise and inclusiveness. He said the Government would stand side by side with the residents and overcome the challenges ahead. By taking into account the motherland and Macao, we will be able to tackle the difficulties and bring a bright future for Macao. Mr Ho also thanked the civil servants and residents who had to work over the holidays. He wished everyone in Macao a happy, healthy and prosperous new year.
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The Government would enhance the quality of life and provide more assistance to socially vulnerable groups, the Chief Executive, Mr Edmund Ho Hau Wah, said today. Mr Ho said this during visits to four social services centres, Caritas Macau, and a low-income family. The four centres are run by the Social Welfare Bureau, the Macao Federation of Trade Unions, the Women’s General Association of Macau and the Macao General Neighbourhood Unions Association. Mr Ho thanked them for their services and commitment to the community. The family Mr Ho visited is comprised of four members. The husband is above 60, and his wife was granted residence only last year. Their two children are aged four and five. The family live in a public housing unit and are social welfare recipients. The children are going to school and receiving book subsidies. Mr Ho said the Government would put a lot of attention to low-income families and provide the necessary assistance to them. He also said the aging population would give rise to an increasing demand for elderly services and the Government would step up co-operation with civil organisations to cope with the demand.
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In accordance with the 2009 policy arrangements and taking into consideration the difficult situation of our export trade, the MSAR Government has decided to adjust the spread between the exchange rates of export settlements and the exchange market in the calculation of foreign exchange delivered to the CCRD. With effect from 1 February 2009, the aforementioned exchange rate spread applied to non-HKD foreign currencies shall be trimmed down by 50% while the exchange rate spread between MOP and HKD shall remain unchanged. The new measure is meant to alleviate the cost of exporters incurred in export settlements and to support and promote the sustainable development of the local economy.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service indicated that visitor arrivals totalled 2,546,079 in December 2008, corresponding to a year-on-year decrease of 2.7% since June 2003. Visitors from Mainland China (1,389,822) dropped by 3.9%, whereas those from Hong Kong (736,651) and Southeast Asia (180,001) rose by 1.6% and 3.3% respectively. Same-day visitors took up 50.1% of the total arrivals, at 1,275,453. The majority of the visitors came from Mainland China, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia, which accounted for 54.6%, 28.9% and 7.1% of the total respectively. Among the Mainland visitors, 477,859 travelled to Macao under the Individual Visit Scheme, down notably by 30.4% year-on-year. For 2008 as a whole, total visitor arrivals reached 30,185,740, up by 11.8% over 2007. Visitors from Mainland China (17,500,469) and Southeast Asia increased by 17.7% and 33.3% respectively and those from Hong Kong went up slightly by 0.7%. Furthermore, same-day visitors shared 52.8% of the total arrivals, at 15,944,091. Analysed by mode of transport, visitor arrivals by sea increased by 7.9% over 2007 to 9,690,248, with 7,659,127 arriving at the Outer Harbour, down by 9.8% year-on-year. Meanwhile, 1,638,607 visitors arrived at the Provisional Ferry Terminal in Taipa. Visitor arrivals by land rose by 13.7% to 18,797,273. Visitors arriving through the Border Gate increased by 11.1% to 17,833,766 and the majority were from Mainland China (80.4%) and Hong Kong (14.0%). In addition, visitor arrivals by air totalled 1,698,219, up by 15.2% over 2007. Visitors arriving at the Macao International Airport rose by 13.5% to 1,663,088, with the majority coming from Taiwan, China (34.9%), Southeast Asia (31.2%) and Mainland China (21.8%).
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Macau is a main highlight of this year’s Lisbon Travel Market (BTL, from the Portuguese abbreviation), which opened on Wednesday, as it is the International Guest Destination of the fair. The Macau delegation to the fair is headed by Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO) director, João Manuel Costa Antunes. MGTO is participating in the event with a booth with an exhibition area that more than doubles that of last year. The attractions at the Macau booth and promotion programs also increased this year, with highlights such as Miss Macau 2008, among others. Another novelty of this year’s edition is the joint participation of Macau and other four destinations from the Pan-Pearl River Delta region, which are represented by local tourism heads. Zhuhai, Zhongshan, Jiangmen and Sichuan are represented on the Macau booth. The delegation from the Pan-Pearl River Delta includes the Zhuhai Tourism Bureau director Zhang Meisheng, Tourism Administration of Jiangmen Municipality director Zhou Jinxin, Zhongshan Tourism Bureau deputy director Liang Weilin, among other official representatives from Sichuan and tourism operators from the six destinations. BTL invited Macau as the International Guest Destination on the year of the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR), offering to the city a unique opportunity to promote itself with more visibility on the main tourism event organized in Portugal every year. During the five-day event, Macau will be highlighted on the main and sidelines program of BTL. The opening ceremony of BTL 2009 was attended by Portuguese minister for Economy Manuel Pinho, the Secretary for Tourism of Portugal, Bernardo Trindade, among others. The moment was enriched by an eye dotting ceremony, dragon and lion dancing performance presented by Macau. Before the ceremony a Macau Lunch for the guests of the fair at BTL took place. At the end of the day, MGTO invited the media for a cocktail at the Macau booth. On the second day of BTL, the 22nd, Thursday, Macau is the sponsor for the Day of the Travel Agents, a new activity of the fair presented this year organized together with the Portuguese Association of Travel Agencies (APAVT) aiming to engage the travel agents. The Travel Agents Day program includes a presentation of Macau as a tourism destination conducted by MGTO’s representative in Portugal, Rodolfo Faustino. Macau is also the host of a cocktail as part of the program of the Travel Agents Day. Friday, the first day which BTL is both open to the public and tourism professionals, is the Macau Day. The day opens with an eye dotting ceremony, lion and dragon dance performance. Afterwards the Macau travel trade presents to its Portuguese counterparts the city’s potential as a business tourism destination. On the same day Macau will also host a dinner for friends of Macau, which will be participated by more than 400 guests. The Macau booth at BTL 2009, with 225 square meters, stands out for its decoration and many attractions offered. Miss Macau 2008, Florence Loi, will visit the booth during the fair to help promoting the city. MGTO also brought to BTL two fortune-tellers, a silhouette artist and a calligrapher. The atmosphere of the booth will be enriched by the live music performances of guzheng, pipe and Chinese flute. The booth is decorated on the exterior walls by images of the Macau World Heritage. On the inside, Macau is shown through the campaign launched last year which shows the unique difference of Macau with the five senses, “See, Taste, Feel, Hear, Touch”, as a way to "Experience Macau". The booth is topped by a structure in the shape of a fan and at the entrance there’s a giant Chinese lantern. MGTO established Portugal as one of the priority source markets for 2009, as this year is the 10th anniversary of the Macau SAR. In this regard, Macau hosted the APAVT 34th National Congress at the end of last year as a promotional strategy to show the new Macau to Portuguese tour operators, and attract more visitors from Portugal to Macau. BTL 2009 takes place from January 21 to 25 at FIL- International Fair of Lisbon, with the first two days (21-22) for tourism professionals only and the other three (23-25) also open to the public. BTL is organized in Portugal since 1989. Macau has participated in the event since the first edition. The fair welcomed last year around 800 exhibitors from more than 50 countries and territories and was visited by more than 60,000 people.
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The Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao S.A.R. Government will organize an Academic Research Lecture in the Cultural Affairs Bureau Auditorium (Edifício do Instituto Cultural, Tap Seac Square, Macao) at 6:30pm on Thursday February 5. Dr. Gu Weimin, professor and doctoral tutor at the Philosophy Department of Shanghai Normal University, will give a lecture on “The Historical Influence of Portuguese Civilization in Goa and Macao during the 15th-17th Centuries”. Goa and Macao were amongst the numerous Asian colonies established by the Portuguese Seaborne Empire after the 15th-century Age of Discovery. Goa and Macao were two indispensable links in the sea-lane connecting East and West, which started in Lisbon, bypassing the Cape of Good Hope to the coast of East Africa, Goa, Malacca, Macao in China, and finally arrived at Nagasaki, Japan. In terms of administration and parish sub-divisions, however, there were differences in their subordination relations in both trading and missionary work. Whether in the past or now, Goa and Macao are astonishingly similar in appearance. This lecture will focus on a comparative study of the influence of Portuguese civilization on the two cities during the 15th-17th centuries, covering trading, intermarriage, urban pattern, missionary work, religious life, architecture and art. Trade relations and communication between the two cities and the challenges and pressures they encountered will also be discussed. Gu Weimin is currently a professor and doctoral tutor at the Philosophy Department of Shanghai Normal University. Gu is a council member of the Chinese Religions Studies Association, member of the International Committee of Historical Science in Italy, the Commission of History of International Relation in Milan and the India Christian History Studies Association in Bangalore. He is also a researcher of Modem Thoughts Studies Institution in East China Normal University. Gu is majored in the history of Catholicism in China and communication between China and the west. His publications include The Footmarks of disciple, Historical-photograph Collection of Christianity in China, Fu Jen Catholic University,1995, Christianity and Modern Society of China, Shanghai,1996, Mgr. Celso Costantini in China, Italy, Centro Missionario Diocesano, Concordia-Pordenone,1998, The Chronicle History of the Roman Catholic Church in China (635-1949), Shanghai, 2003, A History of Christian Arts in China (During the Period of Tang, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties), Hong Kong, 2003, and A History of Christian Arts in Modern China, Hong Kong. 2006. Gu has been a visiting researcher at the University of Aberdeen, the Sacro Cuore Catholic University of Milan, the Gregorian University of Rome, University of Heidelberg in Germany, Fu Jen Catholic University of Taiwan and the Chinese University of Hong Kong. The lecture will be given in Mandarin with Cantonese, Portuguese and English simultaneous interpretation. Entrance is free. For further details, please contact Ms. Chu of the Macao Historical Archives of the Cultural Affairs Bureau at 85986537.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service indicated that the increment of the Composite CPI for December 2008 tapered to rise by 6.16% year-on-year to 125.78, the lowest level in 2008. The price indices of Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages; Health; and Clothing & Footwear went up by 14.35%, 13.69% and 9.39% respectively. Among the subgroups of Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages, notable increase was observed in the prices of rice (+54.83%), canned meat (+40.10%), fresh-water fish (+33.34%), edible oil (+32.38%) and vegetables (+19.28%). For the subgroups of Health; and Clothing & Footwear, charges for medical consultation service and women’s clothings rose by 24.51% and 11.62% respectively. Meanwhile, the price index of Recreation & Culture recorded a year-on-year increase of 6.05% due to higher charges for outbound package tours in the Christmas holidays. In spite of higher rentals for housing (+12.51%) and dearer charges for maintenance & repair services of dwelling (+9.60%), reduced prices of LP Gas (-4.65%) and the electricity subsidy provided by the Government slowed down the year-on-year increment of the index of Housing & Fuels to 2.77%. On the contrary, the indices of Transport and Communication dropped by 8.15% and 6.86% respectively, attributable to the bus-fare subsidy provided by the Government, falling gasoline prices, lower prices of mobile phones and reduced charges for mobile phone services. The CPI-A and CPI-B for December 2008 were 128.05 and 125.14 respectively, up by 6.85% and 5.95% year-on-year. The Composite CPI for December 2008 dropped by 0.27% month-to-month, with the price indices of Transport and Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages going down by 4.21% and 0.64% respectively. On the other hand, the price index of Recreation & Culture increased by 2.01%, as a result of higher charges for outbound package tours. Moreover, the CPI-A and CPI-B declined by 0.42% and 0.25% respectively month-to-month. The Composite CPI for the fourth quarter of 2008 rose by 7.48% to 126.23 over the same quarter of 2007, with increase in the price indices of Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages (+16.10%), Health (+13.84%) and Clothing & Footwear (+8.23%). The average Composite CPI for the whole year of 2008 was 124.32 and the annual inflation rate was 8.61%, with marked increase in the indices of Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages (+17.22%), Health (+13.88%), as well as Housing & Fuels (+8.15%). The annual average CPI-A and CPI-B for 2008 was 126.47 and 123.72 respectively, up by 9.08% and 8.44% over 2007. The Composite CPI reflects the impact of price changes on the general population. The CPI-A relates to about 49% of households, which have an average monthly expenditure of MOP3,000 to MOP9,999. The CPI-B relates to about 31% of households, which have an average monthly expenditure of MOP10,000 to MOP19,999.
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The English-language edition of Macao Yearbook 2008, an annual publication published by the Government Information Bureau (GCS) of the Macao SAR, will hit the shelf on 22 January. Enriched by 178 photographs, the 646-page Macao Yearbook 2008 is divided into five sections: Administrative Priorities of the MSAR Government; Calendar of Events; Review of the MSAR; Overview of the MSAR; and Appendices. Consisting of 16 chapters, the Overview of the MSAR presents information on the political and administrative system; legal and judicial system; external relations; economy; gaming industry; tourism; public order; education; culture and sport; health and social welfare; media, communications and information technology; land, infrastructure, housing and public utilities; transport; geography, environment and population; religion and customs; and history. The Macao Yearbook 2008 is also enriched by more than 10 winning entries from a photographic competition entitled “New Faces of Macao”. The competition is co-organised by GCS and eight local photography organisations and four media groups in early 2008, with the aim of capturing Macau’s developments in pictures and adding aesthetic value to the yearbook. A photo entitled “Flags Flying on a Joyful Occasion” taken by Lou Ka Wai, which has won “Yearbook Cover Award” in the competition, has been selected as yearbook cover picture. This is the first time this award is presented in the photographic competition. Macao Yearbook 2008, together with a complimentary CD-ROM containing the PDF version of the publication, retails at a price of 120 patacas/Hong Kong dollars per copy, and is available at the following places: major local bookstores; the Macao Post Office (Macao Post) Philatelic Division, Rua do Campo Branch, Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal Branch, Macau International Airport Branch, and Nova Taipa Branch; Government Printing Bureau; and the Public Information Centre on Rua do Campo. During the promotion period lasting until 31 March 2008, a 20-percent discount will be offered to any purchase of Macao Yearbook 2008. The Chinese and Portuguese editions of the Macao Yearbook 2008 were launched last Year.
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The Chairman of the supporting committee for the reconstruction work in Sichuan, the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Mr Chui Sai On, today met with the Sichuan Provincial Party Committee Secretary Li Qibao to exchange views on reconstruction after the fatal earthquake disaster. During the meeting, Mr Li introduced to the Macao delegation the focal points of reconstruction projects, and updated them on Sichuan's social and economic developments. The Central Government hoped Sichuan Government would complete 80 per cent of the entire reconstruction project within two years, and the remaining part to be accomplished in another two years. At present, most of the reconstruction works focused on building homes, schools, hospitals, water, electricity and traffic networks. Mr Li also expressed his gratitude to the Macao Government for speeding up all the reconstruction, and he said Sichuan and Macao could step up co-operation in trading. Mr Chui briefed his counterparts the overall works done to help Sichuan in the past years. Most of the works were focused on the reconstruction in Guangyuan. After this visit he gained a better understanding on the needs of Sichuan and he would call a meeting with the supporting committee members to optimise the planning for the reconstruction, he added.
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