News

Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that the property market of Macao moderated considerably in the third quarter of 2008. Sale and purchase of building units with stamp duty paid were 4,229 and the total value amounted to MOP7.07 billion, down significantly by 42.4% and 35.7% respectively over the previous quarter. Among these transactions, 1,980 units (46.8%) with a total value of MOP4.66 billion were purchased and sold under Intermediate Transfer of Title, down notably by 37.1% and 32.9% respectively. The majority (2,335 units or 55.2%) of these transactions were residential units and the respective value amounted to MOP5.86 billion, down by 42.7% and 36.3% respectively over the second quarter. Among the residential units, 1,976 were situated in the Macao Peninsula, 346 in Taipa and 13 in Coloane. In terms of the transaction price, number of residential units sold for over MOP4,000,000 totalled 522 (22.4% of the total); 402 units (17.2%) for over MOP2,000,000 to MOP4,000,000; 558 units (23.9%) for over MOP1,000,000 to MOP2,000,000; and 853 units (36.5%) for MOP1,000,000 or less. In the third quarter of 2008, the overall average transaction price of residential units dropped by 3.7% over the previous quarter to MOP23,819 per square meter of usable area; the average transaction price of those in Taipa decreased by 6.2% to MOP22,085 per square meter and the average price of those in the Macao Peninsula decreased by 5.1% to MOP23,911 per square meter. The average transaction price of office units amounted to MOP19,176 per square meter, down by 20.5% over the preceding quarter; however, the average price of industrial units rose by 4.3% to MOP6,176 per square meter. The average price of the residential units purchased and sold under Intermediate Transfer of Title was MOP32,430 per square meter, down by 13.0% over the previous quarter, more than the decrease of the overall average price, within which the average price of those in the Macao Peninsula decreased by 20.6% to MOP32,385 per square meter. There were 2,064 cases of real estate sale and purchase contracts made in the third quarter of 2008, involving 2,785 units and a total value of MOP3.88 billion, down by 30.8% and 5.8% respectively over the preceding quarter. The construction of 14 new buildings with a gross floor area of 377,424 m² has been started in the third quarter of 2008. Upon completion, these buildings will provide 1,729 units, 1,776 parking spaces for cars and 26 parking spaces for motorcycles. Meanwhile, a total of 22 buildings with a gross floor area of 236,341 m² were completed, providing altogether 62 units, 395 parking spaces for cars and 248 parking spaces for motorcycles.
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The Macau Grand Prix Museum celebrated today its 15th anniversary unveiling several novelties to the public, including a three dimensions virtual tour to the museum, among other surprises. The anniversary party of the museum was attended by the Coordinator of the Macau Grand Prix Committee and Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO) Director, João Manuel Costa Antunes. The event was also participated, among others, by pilots and team members participating at the 55th edition of the Macau Grand Prix. It was unveiled to the public a new way to visit the Grand Prix Museum and the neighbour Wine Museum, which is a three dimensions one, available on the Internet at http://www.3dmacau.com. An exhibition of photos and other items about the Macau Grand Prix also opened to the public today at the museum. To celebrate the 15th anniversary, the Grand Prix Museum made also available for visitors two play stations of the Macau motorcycle race, which will join the already existing simulator of World Touring Cars Championship. Also today was reopened the Grand Prix Museum cinema which will exhibit two sessions a day of films about the past and recent editions of the Grand Prix. Among the new Grand Prix Museum acquisitions for its fifteenth anniversary is a digital track for remote control cars. The track is seven meters length and was tailor made for the Guia Circuit. The digital slot (toy) car will be installed soon at the museum for visitors to play. Also soon to be installed at the museum is an interactive kiosk to provide detailed information about previous editions of the Grand Prix, photos, videos, and others. Under MGTO, the Grand Prix Museum tells the story of the Macau Grand Prix taking place in the city streets since 1954. Among the more valuable items of the museum are the cars driven by Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher at the Formula 3 Macau Grand Prix when they won the race before heading to Formula 1. The museum highlights also include the motorcycles rode by Michael Rutter and John McGuiness when they won the Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix, together with the BMW driven by Emanuele Pirro when he won the touring cars race of Macau Grand Prix.
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Macau Government Tourist Office（MGTO）attended World Travel Market 2008 (WTM) in London to promote Macau tourism and its valuable World Heritage as well as to introduce MGTO’s newly appointed representative in the UK and Irish markets. World Travel Market 2008 took place at ExCeL London from 10 to 13 November. In addition to the trade show, there were an array of forums, including the WTM ChinaContact 3rd Annual Forum on China's Tourism Industry, seminars, conferences, debates and cultural performances, providing participants with both a rare learning platform and key insight into future trends and innovations within the tourism industry. Deputy Director of MGTO, Ms. Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, MGTO’s recently appointed representative in the UK and Irish markets, Ms. Sue Whitehead, together with representatives from Macau's tourism industry joined the trade event in London. MGTO set up a booth at the fair to promote Macau's World Heritage and to introduce business travel, culture and leisure travel of Macau. The latest series of MGTO’s tourism promotional video, "Experience Macau" was shown at the booth to present the destination’s unique difference through the five senses, see, taste, feel, hear and touch. In September, MGTO has appointed Hume Whitehead Limited to reinforce its marketing efforts in the UK, covering Ireland for the first time. MGTO believes that Hume Whitehead's extensive experience and contacts will enable MGTO to forge more direct and closer relationships with the travel trade in the region, to respond more efficiently to market demand as well as to put Macau firmly on the map with UK and Irish consumers. Since 2006, Pacific Asia Travel Association has organized at the House of Commons at the Palace of Westminster a keynote dinner during WTM. This is the third consecutive year the dinner was sponsored by the Macau Government Tourist Office. A wide spectrum of UK companies and associations from the travel sector were invited to join the dinner on November 10 whereby MGTO's officials and trade partners had the chance to meet top-level guests of the UK and the Pacific Asia travel sector. It was also an opportunity to uplift Macau's profile and showcase the destination. WTM, one of the biggest travel fairs in the world held every year in London, brings together worldwide buyers and sellers from around the world. Last year, it attracted 48,111 travel industry professionals representing over 197 countries or regions. The United Kingdom is the one of Macau’s major European source markets, with 78,000 visitors last year, a growth of 36.5%. For the first three quarters of 2008, the market maintained its growth momentum with close to 60,000 arrivals, an 11.5% increase from same period of last year.
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The number of crimes recorded in the first three quarters of this year saw an increase of 6.4 per cent compared with the same period last year. Releasing the latest crime statistics at a press conference today, the Secretary for Security, Mr Cheong Kuoc Va, said that compared with the increase in crimes in the first two quarters (11.3 per cent), the figure of the latest figure (6.4 per cent) showed signs of slowing down in the increase of crimes. Despite the drop in the increase of crime rates, Mr Cheong said that the police would continue to enhance its intelligence, analyse new characteristics of crimes, devise effectives measures and fight crime. The total number of crimes recorded in the first nine months stood at 10,158, an increase of 6.4 per cent over the same period last year. The number of burglary of shops, arson and drug trafficking went up by 350, 95.8 and 73.6 per cent respectively. However, the number of forgery and transferring counterfeit money cases fell by 43.2 and 45.5 per cent. The number of violent crimes increased by 14.6 per cent, with robbery and blackmail went up by 16.8 and 10 per cent. Juvenile crimes went down by 15.8 per cent, from 146 to 123 cases, with 198 young people having been involved in criminal activities. In the same period, the police have arrested 3,061 people and transferred them to the Public Prosecutions Office. The figure increased by 13.8 per cent compared with the same period last year. A total of 70,523 illegal immigrants and overstayers were caught during this period.
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The Chief Executive, Mr Edmund Ho Hau Wah, today met with the Senior Minister of Singapore, Mr Goh Chok Tong, who paid Mr Ho a courtesy call this morning. At Santa Sancha, Mr Ho briefed Mr Goh the recent economic and social development of Macao and they exchanged views on topics of common interest. Officials that attended the meeting included the Secretary for Administration and Justice, Ms Florinda Chan; the Secretary for Economy and Finance, Mr Francis Tam and the Chief of the Office of the Chief Executive, Mr Ho Veng On. Members of Mr Goh’s delegation that attended the meeting included the Consul-General of Singapore in Hong Kong, Mr Ker Sin Tze, and members of Parliament, Mr Lim Biow Chuan and Mrs Josephine Teo. Mr Goh arrived in Macao yesterday and this morning he toured some tourism facilities before the meeting. After attending a luncheon hosted by Mr Ho, Mr Goh left Macao in the afternoon.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service indicated that the on-going construction of the gaming and tourism facilities, large-scale hotels and private residential projects enabled the Construction Sector to maintain prosperous growth in 2007, for which notable increases were recorded in the principal indicators. In 2007, a total of 1,621 establishments were operating in construction works, an increase of 21 establishments over 2006; number of persons engaged rose by 7.1% to 27,141. The total value of construction projects amounted to MOP54.77 billion, a significant growth of 36.8% over 2006. Intermediate Consumption of the Sector, including construction materials, rose by 32.7% to MOP43.80 billion. Gross Value Added, a measure of the sectoral contribution to the economy, totalled MOP11.42 billion, up notably by 55.6%. In 2007, there were 517 private construction projects in progress, with the total value of construction amounting to MOP50.40 billion, of which the construction of large-scale hotels and the gaming and tourism facilities shared MOP43.61 billion, up notably by 40.4% over 2006; the value of the construction of private residential projects registered a surge of 78.4%, at MOP4.31 billion. As regard the government sector, a total of 586 construction projects were in progress and the respective value dropped by 10.8% year-on-year to MOP4.37 billion, of which construction of infrastructure projects amounted to MOP 2.44 billion, down by 31.4%. There were 828 construction projects in the Macao Peninsula, with the value of construction (MOP26.61 billion) accounting for 48.6% of the total. Meanwhile, 35 projects were in the CoTai area and the respective value of construction (MOP22.93 billion) shared 41.9% of the total. The Construction Survey 2007 covered establishments engaging in private construction projects licensed by the Lands, Public Works and Transport Bureau, as well as construction projects of the government sector.
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The Government has announced a host of tax exemptions and subsidies to stimulate the economy. These include healthcare vouchers, a 1,500 patacas annual textbook subsidy for students, a monthly 150 patacas electricity fee subsidy for all households and a four per cent interest plan for permanent residents without homes. Disclosing these measures in his Policy Address for the fiscal year 2009 in the Legislative Assembly this afternoon, the Chief Executive, Mr Edmund Ho Hau Wah, said the Government would also consider giving all residents another round of cash subsidy in the first half of next year, no less than that in the previous round announced last April. Mr Ho said the Government would work hand in hand with the residents and face the challenges brought about by the financial crisis. He urged the residents to get prepared for the imminent impacts of the global financial turmoil, be confident and work hard. To encourage homeownership, the Government would introduce a four per cent interest subsidy plan, which would only benefit permanent residents who currently without homes and buy flats of up to three million patacas. There would also be a down payment guarantee scheme: homebuyers pay a 10 per cent down payment with the Government guaranteeing a certain amount of the down payment. The sum guaranteed by the Government would not exceed 20 per cent of the price of the flat. Moreover, the Government would propose cutting property transfer stamp tax from three per cent to one per cent. The 150 patacas monthly electricity fee subsidy for all households would be extended from March 2009 to March 2010, which would cost the Government 320 million patacas. The textbooks subsidy for students receiving standard education would see them get 1,500 patacas a year starting in 2009/2010 academic year, costing the Government 126 million patacas a year. Residents would also get healthcare vouchers. Details of the plan would be revealed after thorough studies. The Government would extend some other tax cuts and exemptions as mentioned in the previous Policy Address, which would cost 1.1 billion patacas. To boost the economy and employment, the Government would increase spending on public infrastructure and projects to 10.2 billion patacas. To help guarantee the employment of local workers in gaming establishment, the Government would discuss with gaming operators and adequately support the industry. The Government would extend the measures to support low-income workers, a move announced last March. Low-income workers aged 40 and above would get 4,000 patacas per month minimum, with the Government paying the difference if their salaries fell short of 4,000 patacas. To support small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the Government would earmark 1.5 billion for the Industrial and Commercial Development Fund and optimise the loan schemes to SMEs. The Government would also help set up social enterprises with non-profit organisations and reduce unemployment. On social security, it would speed up establishing a retirement scheme for residents. Mr Ho also pledged to continue to diversify Macao’s industrial portfolio, improve the transport network and increase resources for education, healthcare and the arts. The Government budget for the fiscal year 2009 would total 44.7 billion patacas.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service indicated that Macao registered 304,260 visitor arrivals in package tours in September 2008, down by 2.1% from a year earlier. Visitors from Southeast Asia (34,324) soared significantly by 80.0% year-on-year, while those from Mainland China (178,835) and Hong Kong (36,673) decreased by 6.4% and 1.7%. In the first nine months of 2008, visitor arrivals in package tours rose by 17.6% over the same period of 2007 to 3,496,930. The number of Macao residents travelling outbound in package tours increased by 19.0% year-on-year to 15,819 in September 2008. Mainland China (71.9%), Japan (10.1%) and Taiwan, China (5.4%) were the three most popular tour itineraries. In the first nine months of 2008, Macao residents travelling in package tours rose by 7.3% over the same period of 2007 to 170,142. Meanwhile, 30,903 residents travelled outbound under individual arrangements using services provided by travel agencies, down notably by 42.9% over September 2007. Hong Kong (44.6%), Mainland China (23.9%) and Taiwan, China (10.4%) were the major destinations. In the first nine months of 2008, outbound residents travelling under such arrangements dropped by 5.9% year-on-year to 286,204. At the end of September 2008, the total number of guest rooms available in the hotel sector grew by 1,073 (+6.8%) from a year earlier to 16,792 rooms. In September 2008, a total of 473,600 guests checked into hotels and similar establishments, down by 9.4% year-on-year; the majority of the guests came from Mainland China (41.7%) and Hong Kong (25.5%). The average hotel occupancy rate dropped by 4.7 percentage points to 66.8%, with 5-star hotels leading at 69.5%; in addition, the average length of stay of hotel guests extended by 0.1 night to 1.5 nights. Total number of hotel guests reached 4,815,712 in the first nine months of 2008, up by 14.2% over the same period of 2007. In the first nine months of 2008, visitor-guests staying in hotels accounted for 43.0% of the total number of tourists, up slightly from 42.9% in the corresponding period of 2007.
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The Chief Executive, Mr Edmund Ho Hau Wah, said today the Government would allocate resources next year to help small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), cushion the impact brought about by the global financial crisis and economic downturn. These measures would spur the economy and help the people and SMEs to get through these trying times, Mr Ho said at a press conference shortly after he delivered the Policy Address 2009 at the plenary meeting of the Legislative Assembly. When asked about the future development of Macao’s gaming industry faced with the global economic adjustments, Mr Ho said the Government has pre-arrangements in case a gaming operator experienced “great difficulties”. Mr Ho said existing law allowed the Government to take over a gaming company if it was on the verge of bankruptcy, in order to guarantee the employment of local residents and maintain the normal operation of the entire economy. But he quickly emphasised that this was just “a pre-plan”, adding that Government officials would not be appointed to manage a gaming company. He added the management and the employees of a gaming company could be retained in their jobs even if it was taken over by the Government. According to Article 44 of the Law No. 16/2001: Gaming Industry Regulatory Framework, temporally administrative intervention is allowed when any of following circumstances happens to a gaming operator, including “unjustified interruption of its business”, “serious disturbances and deficiencies in its organization and operations”, “insufficient business installations and equipments under general situation”. Mr Ho said the Government did not want to see a massive layoff in the gaming industry facing economic adjustments, adding that the Government would negotiate with gaming operators to guarantee the employment of local workers.
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Macao would continue to support the reconstruction of Sichuan following the disastrous earthquake last May, the Chief Executive, Mr Edmund Ho Hau Wah, said today. Mr Ho made the pledge this morning when he met the Secretary of the Sichuan Provincial CPC Committee, Mr Liu Qibao, who arrived in Macao yesterday for a two-day visit. Mr Ho said Macao would continue to support the province and help accelerate its process of getting back on the track of development. Mr Liu, who is also the Director of the People's Congress of Sichuan Province, thanked Macao and its people for their support. Those who attended the meeting included the Director of the Liaison Office of the Central Government in the Macao SAR, Mr Bai Zhijian; the Secretary for Economy and Finance, Mr Francis Tam Pak Yuen; the Chief of the Office of the Chief Executive, Mr Ho Veng On, and members of Macao’s co-ordination committee in supporting the province’s reconstruction. Members of Mr Liu’s delegation who attended the meeting included member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Sichuan Provincial Committee and Vice Governor of Sichuan, Mr Wei Hong; member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Sichuan Provincial Committee and the Secretary of the CPC Chengdu City Committee, Mr Li Chuncheng; and Vice Governor of Sichuan, Mr Huang Xiaoxiang. Mr Liu and his delegation attended a seminar this morning to thank Macao’s support and introduced investment opportunities in the province during the reconstruction period. They left for Hong Kong in the afternoon and were seen off by the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Mr Chui Sai On.
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