News

Since the law on "Prohibition of Providing Illegal Accommodation" took effect on August 13, a total of 525 premises were checked, of which 69 premises suspected to provide accommodation illegally were sealed, while 62 were normal residences. Ensuing investigations on the rest of the premises have been launched. Among the checked premises, some were vacant or unoccupied. Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO) and the Public Security Police Force (PSP) will continue investigation on unanswered doors, which are suspected to be used to provide accommodation illegally. Meanwhile, during investigations to other cases, PSP has found four premises suspected to provide accommodation illegally and informed the Cross-departmental Working Team to handle the cases. To help the investigations, when necessary, MGTO can request a judicial order to enter into the suspect premises to investigate. To date, the operations involved more than 552 occupants, among whom 303 were occupants of premises suspected to provide accommodation illegally and were investigated, including 12 operators, 9 touts, 9 persons who manage the premises that provide accommodation illegally (management staff) and 3 occupants who failed to fulfill their duty of cooperation (among the three occupants who failed to fulfill their duty of cooperation, one has paid the fine). Among the occupants, there were 12 overstayers and 10 illegal immigrants. Following the raid to premises suspected to provide accommodation illegally, MGTO began sanction proceedings on involved operators, touts and managing staff, and adopted provisional measures to cut the supply of water and electricity to the concerned premises and sealed the doors. According to the new law, operators and person who manage the premise that provide accommodation illegally (management staff) incur a penalty up to 800 000 patacas, touts can be fined up to 100 000 patacas and occupants who fail to cooperate are fined 3 000 patacas. Public can also call 2833 3000 to report suspected premises. MGTO and Legal Affairs Bureau remind travelers that, according to the law on "Prohibition of Providing Illegal Accommodation", occupants found in premises suspected to provide accommodation illegally have the obligation to provide information or will be fined 3,000 patacas for violating the duty of cooperation. Occupants providing false information need to bear criminal responsibility. Non-residents who fail to pay the fine by due date might be denied reentry into Macau in the future.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that the unemployment rate for June-August 2010 remained unchanged from the previous period (May-July 2010) at 2.9%; the underemployment rate dropped further by 0.3 percentage point to 1.5%. Total labour force was 327,000 in June-August 2010 and the labour force participation rate stood at 71.4%, with the employed population increasing by about 600 over the previous period to 317,500. Analyzed by industry, employment of Wholesale & Retail Trade and Real Estate & Business Activities saw increase, while employment of the Gaming Sector registered a decrease. Number of the unemployed decreased by about 200 from the previous period to 9,400, with 17.2% being fresh labour force entrants searching for their first job, up by 6.0 percentage points over the previous period. In comparison with June-August 2009, the labour force participation rate, the unemployment rate and the underemployment rate decreased by 1.2, 0.9 and 0.4 percentage points respectively.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service indicated that there were 169 travel agencies operating in 2009, up by 14 over 2008. Sales & Other Receipts of travel agencies decreased slightly by 1.0% from 2008 to MOP3.58 billion; Gross Fixed Capital Formation fell notably by 45.2% year-on-year to MOP38.44 million; however, Gross Value Added that measures the sectoral contribution to the economy rose by 7.5% to MOP508 million. At the end of 2009, a total of 2,864 persons were engaged in travel agencies, an increase of 2.1% year-on-year. Expenditure of travel agencies totalled MOP3.40 billion, down by 1.6% over 2008, among the expenditure items, Purchase of Goods & Services for Sale (including tickets, package tours and room reservation) amounted to MOP2.83 billion and Operating Expenses amounted to MOP227 million, down by 2.1% and 4.5% respectively over 2008; meanwhile, Compensation of Employees rose by 4.4% to MOP335 million.
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Since yesterday until 5pm today, the Cross-departmental Working Team sealed one more premise suspected to provide accommodation illegally. Since the law on "Prohibition of Providing Illegal Accommodation" took effect on August 13, a total of 516 premises were checked, of which 68 premises suspected to provide accommodation illegally were sealed, while 62 were normal residences. Ensuing investigations on the rest of the premises have been launched. Among the checked premises, some were vacant or unoccupied. Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO) and the Public Security Police Force (PSP) will continue investigation on unanswered doors, which are suspected to be used to provide accommodation illegally. Meanwhile, during investigations to other cases, PSP has found four premises suspected to provide accommodation illegally and informed the Cross-departmental Working Team to handle the cases. To help the investigations, when necessary, MGTO can request a judicial order to enter into the suspect premises to investigate. To date, the operations involved more than 544 occupants, among whom 299 were occupants of premises suspected to provide accommodation illegally and were investigated, including 12 operators, 9 touts, 9 persons who manage the premises that provide accommodation illegally (management staff) and 3 occupants who failed to fulfill their duty of cooperation (among the three occupants who failed to fulfill their duty of cooperation, one has paid the fine). Among the occupants, there were 12 overstayers and 10 illegal immigrants. Following the raid to premises suspected to provide accommodation illegally, MGTO began sanction proceedings on involved operators, touts and managing staff, and adopted provisional measures to cut the supply of water and electricity to the concerned premises and sealed the doors. According to the new law, operators and person who manage the premise that provide accommodation illegally (management staff) incur a penalty up to 800 000 patacas, touts can be fined up to 100 000 patacas and occupants who fail to cooperate are fined 3 000 patacas. Public can also call 2833 3000 to report suspected premises. MGTO and Legal Affairs Bureau remind travelers that, according to the law on "Prohibition of Providing Illegal Accommodation", occupants found in premises suspected to provide accommodation illegally have the obligation to provide information or will be fined 3,000 patacas for violating the duty of cooperation. Occupants providing false information need to bear criminal responsibility. Non-residents who fail to pay the fine by due date might be denied reentry into Macau in the future.
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Organized by the Legal and Judicial Training Centre the Seminar on “Cultural Diversity and Human Rights: A Good Match?”, Monday, 27 September, at 17:00, starts tomorrow, in the Auditorium of the Economic Services in the Luso-International Bank Building. Integrated in 2nd EU-Macao Co-operation Program in the Legal Field, the seminar will have as a speaker Doctor Yvonne Donders, Associate Professor of International Law at the Faculty of Law of the University of Amsterdam and Executive Director of the of Amsterdam Center for International Law. This seminar will be conducted in English, with simultaneous translation to Cantonese and Portuguese, and has 32 participants enrolled. During the four daily sessions, taking place between 17:00 and 19:30, until the 30th September, the following subjects will be discussed: the International Human Rights Law Framework; Cultural Diversity and Human Rights; Cultural Human Rights; Minorities and Indigenous Peoples. Highlight is thus given to the relationship between cultural diversity and human rights. The 2nd EU-Macao Co-operation Programme in the Legal Field, in which this seminar is integrated, has as its main objective the “Strengthening the Future of the Macao Legal System” and will be undertaken until December 2012. With a global budget of 1.500.000 Euros (approximately 16.500.000 Patacas), this programme is co-financed by the European Union and the Macao Foundation, with the remaining costs being supported by the MSAR’s budget. The implementation of the Co-operation Programme is coordinated by the International Law Office (GADI), with the participation of several other MSAR’s entities, namely the Legal and Judicial Training Centre (CFJJ), the Legal Affairs Bureau (DSAJ), the Economic Services (DSE), the Financial Services Bureau (DSF) and the Institute of European Studies of Macau (IEEM).
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Chief Executive Mr Chui Sai On’s official visit to Jiangxi with his official delegation Province had been aborted due to bad weather there. A statement by the Office of the Chief Executive said Mr Chui and his delegation left Macao this morning for Nanchang in Jiangxi to attend Expo Central China 2010. The plane returned to Macau for safety reasons when it could not land in Nanchang airport due to bad weather. It returned safely in the afternoon.
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The Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, said today the Government would soon introduce measures to ensure the healthy development of the housing market. Speaking to the press at the airport before leaving for Jiangxi Province for a trade promotion exposition, Mr Chui said he fully understood the community’s concern over polices for the healthy development of the housing market. He said the Secretary for Transport and Public Works, Mr Lau Si Io, would announce a series of measures next week, after having consulted diverse sectors and public entities. These would include mortgage guidelines to banks, regulations on pre-completion sales, real estate agency, market transparency, as well as new taxation measures and land supply. Mr Chui said the Government would continue with its public housing policies and had lately increased the rent subsidy to applicants waiting for public housing.
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September 25, 2010 After receiving a complain, Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO), together with the Public Security Police Force (PSP), carried inspections to a premise suspected to provide accommodation illegally, which was undergoing renovation works, and where four illegal workers were found. The cases of the illegal workers were handed to PSP. After inspections to the site it was concluded that it was not a case of a premise providing accommodation illegally. Since the law on "Prohibition of Providing Illegal Accommodation" took effect on August 13, a total of 505 premises were checked, of which 67 premises suspected to provide accommodation illegally were sealed, while 62 were normal residences. Ensuing investigations on the rest of the premises have been launched. Among the checked premises, some were vacant or unoccupied. MGTO and the PSP will continue investigation on unanswered doors, which are suspected to be used to provide accommodation illegally. Meanwhile, during investigations to other cases, PSP has found four premises suspected to provide accommodation illegally and informed the Cross-departmental Working Team to handle the cases. To help the investigations, when necessary, MGTO can request a judicial order to enter into the suspect premises to investigate. To date, the operations involved more than 540 occupants, among whom 297 were occupants of premises suspected to provide accommodation illegally and were investigated, including 12 operators, 9 touts, 9 persons who manage the premises that provide accommodation illegally (management staff) and 3 occupants who failed to fulfill their duty of cooperation (among the three occupants who failed to fulfill their duty of cooperation, one has paid the fine). Among the occupants, there were 12 overstayers and 10 illegal immigrants. Following the raid to premises suspected to provide accommodation illegally, MGTO began sanction proceedings on involved operators, touts and managing staff, and adopted provisional measures to cut the supply of water and electricity to the concerned premises and sealed the doors. According to the new law, operators and person who manage the premise that provide accommodation illegally (management staff) incur a penalty up to 800 000 patacas, touts can be fined up to 100 000 patacas and occupants who fail to cooperate are fined 3 000 patacas. Public can also call 2833 3000 to report suspected premises. MGTO and Legal Affairs Bureau remind travelers that, according to the law on "Prohibition of Providing Illegal Accommodation", occupants found in premises suspected to provide accommodation illegally have the obligation to provide information or will be fined 3,000 patacas for violating the duty of cooperation. Occupants providing false information need to bear criminal responsibility. Non-residents who fail to pay the fine by due date might be denied reentry into Macau in the future.
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Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO) organized an exciting Tray Race and the World Tourism Day banquet today (September 24) to celebrate "World Tourism Day 2010" in advance. The official celebrations of World Tourism Day 2010 will be launched on September 27th in Guangzhou. This is the first time for China to be the host country of World Tourism Day, and Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macau SAR Government Dr Cheong U will lead a delegation from MGTO to Guangzhou to take part in the event. MGTO hosted a series of activities in Macau today to celebrate “World Tourism Day” in advance. Director of MGTO, João Manuel Costa Antunes and Deputy Directors Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes and Manuel Pires presented welcome gifts to lucky tourists at the Macau Ferry Terminal in the morning. Souvenirs were also distributed to visitors at MGTO Information Counters throughout the day. Traveling with her son, Ms Lu from Beijing was the lucky tourist of this year's World Tourism Day. Citing that it was her first visit to Macau, Ms Lu wanted to see Macau’s development after returning to the Motherland and expressed that she would visit Macau again in the future. Ms Lu was given a World Heritage souvenir and shopping coupon as gifts. The traditional Tray Race was held in the afternoon, where waiters and waitresses ran down the stoned-path from the Ruins of St Paul's to Senado Square carrying a tray with a bottle of beer on it. The race attracted the highest number of participants this year, totaling 206 waiters and waitresses from 30 hotels and restaurants in Macau. Crowds of visitors and locals cheered for the participants. The winner of the men's division was Zhao Gang from Hotel Grand Lisboa and the winner of the women's division was Li Fu Ling from The Venetian Macau-Resort-Hotel. The Best Costume Awards went to Roberto Garrone of Grand Hyatt Macau and Wong Pui San of Hard Rock Hotel. In the evening, MGTO held a dinner banquet, attended by Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Cheong U, MGTO officials and travel trade representatives to celebrate "World Tourism Day". Speaking at the dinner, Secretary Cheong expressed, " Macau is positioned as a global center of tourism and leisure, while moving towards diversification. The SAR government is also developing cultural and creative industries, which will be integrated with tourism to realize the potential of cultural tourism. I believe the diversification of Macau would appeal to visitors of different interests from around the world." “The continuous opening of new tourism facilities is bound to bring new opportunities to Macau, while at the same time posing challenges of human resources and service quality. We look forward to the support and cooperation of our travel trade partners in enhancing both hardware and software so as to provide honest and quality service to our visitors,” he continued. World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), in the third session of its General Assembly in Spain (September 1979), decided to designate September 27 as the annual "World Tourism Day". This is the 31st year since the celebrations commenced in 1980. The main purpose of "World Tourism Day" is to foster awareness among the international community of the importance of tourism and its social, cultural, political and economic values. Each year, World Tourism Organization selects a different theme for "World Tourism Day". This year is the 31st anniversary of World Tourism Day and the theme is “Tourism and Biodiversity”. The official celebrations of World Tourism Day 2010 will be launched on September 27th in Guangzhou, with more than 160 countries and regions also carrying out activities to celebrate the day. For more details check http://www.unwto.org/worldtourismday/index.php?lang=E
This press release is available on www.macautourism.gov.mo
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Since the law on "Prohibition of Providing Illegal Accommodation" took effect on August 13, a total of 491 premises were checked, of which 66 premises suspected to provide accommodation illegally were sealed, while 60 were normal residences. Ensuing investigations on the rest of the premises have been launched. Among the checked premises, some were vacant or unoccupied. Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO) and the Public Security Police Force (PSP) will continue investigation on unanswered doors, which are suspected to be used to provide accommodation illegally. Meanwhile, during investigations to other cases, PSP has found four premises suspected to provide accommodation illegally and informed the Cross-departmental Working Team to handle the cases. To date, the operations involved more than 535 occupants, among whom 294 were occupants of premises suspected to provide accommodation illegally and were investigated, including 12 operators, 9 touts, 9 persons who manage the premises that provide accommodation illegally (management staff) and 3 occupants who failed to fulfill their duty of cooperation (among the three occupants who failed to fulfill their duty of cooperation, one has paid the fine). Among the occupants, there were 12 overstayers and 8 illegal immigrants. To help the investigations, when necessary, MGTO can request a judicial order to enter into the suspect premises to investigate. Following the raid to premises suspected to provide accommodation illegally, MGTO began sanction proceedings on involved operators, touts and managing staff, and adopted provisional measures to cut the supply of water and electricity to the concerned premises and sealed the doors. According to the new law, operators and person who manage the premise that provide accommodation illegally (management staff) incur a penalty up to 800 000 patacas, touts can be fined up to 100 000 patacas and occupants who fail to cooperate are fined 3 000 patacas. Public can also call 2833 3000 to report suspected premises. MGTO and Legal Affairs Bureau remind travelers that, according to the law on "Prohibition of Providing Illegal Accommodation", occupants found in premises suspected to provide accommodation illegally have the obligation to provide information or will be fined 3,000 patacas for violating the duty of cooperation. Occupants providing false information need to bear criminal responsibility. Non-residents who fail to pay the fine by due date might be denied reentry into Macau in the future.
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