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The Secretary for Economy and Finance, Mr Francis Tam Pak Yuen, today called for further co-operation on the exhibition and convention industries between Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao. Delivering a speech at a forum on the future of the Pearl River Delta, Mr Tam said Macao had to add more high-end and attractive elements to its industrial portfolio, mostly made up of gaming, in its drive to become a global leisure and tourism hub, a positioning of Macao in accordance with the Outline of the Plan for the Reform and Development of the Pearl River Delta (2008-2020). Mr Tam said it would be important for Macao to develop its exhibition and convention businesses in order to diversify. He said Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao had their unique advantages in developing exhibition and convention industries, and the three should fully maximise the benefits provided by the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA). He suggested that the three make agreements to enhance co-operation and diversification in exhibition and convention industries, and Macao would focus on exhibitions on entertainment, consumption, arts, regional acclaimed products and small and medium conventions. He also said the three might encourage and support their business sectors to co-operate and nurture new exhibitions, and to streamline customs procedures for personnel and exhibits for exhibitions. He also suggested that the three neighbouring governments should integrate their resources and explore the markets of the Portuguese-speaking countries.
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The Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, with principal officials and member of the Executive Council, observed a three-minute silence at Government Headquarters today to mourn for the victims of the Qinghai earthquake, which claimed more than 2,000 lives. Speaking to the press afterwards, Mr Chui extended his condolences to the victims’ families and said the Government would fully support the rescue and reconstruction efforts in the affected areas, in co-ordination with the Red Cross Society of China and the Macau Red Cross. On Monday the Government announced the donation of 100 million RMB for quake relief. The ceremony was attended by the Secretary for Economy and Finance, Mr Francis Tam Pak Yuen, the Secretary for Security, Mr Cheong Kuoc Va, the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Mr Cheong U, the Secretary for Transport and Public Works, Mr Lau Si Io, the Director-General of Macao Customs Service, Mr Choi Lai Hang, and Commissioner of Commission Against Corruption, Mr Fong Man Chong.
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The Macao SAR Government decided to donate 100 million RMB for quake relief in Yushu of Qinghai Province today, according to a press release by the Government. The Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, extended his condolence to the compatriots in Qinghai and wished for smooth rescue operations and reconstructions. Macao residents are deeply concerned about the 7.1-magnitude earthquake that hit Yushu last Wednesday, which claimed lives of more than 1900 people.
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The Monetary Authority of Macao announced today that the preliminary estimate of Macao SAR’s foreign exchange reserves amounted to MOP156.2 billion (USD19.53 billion) at the end of March 2010. The reserves rose by 4.3% from MOP149.8 billion (USD18.73 billion) for the previous month. When compared with a year earlier, the reserves increased by MOP21.8 billion or 16.3%. Macao SAR’s foreign exchange reserves at end-March 2010 represented 29 times the currency in circulation or 254.0% of Pataca M2 at end-February 2010. 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, rose by 0.25 points month-to-month but fell by 2.73 points year-on-year to 90.53 in March 2010.
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Once or twice a month, on a Saturday afternoon, the Historical Archives of Macao opens its doors to curious members of the public who come to attend one of its Conservation Workshops. Up to twelve participants meet in the Gallery of the old Historical Archives building to learn some of the fascinating skills used in conserving paper records. Designs so far have ranged from paperback and hard cover notebooks to silk-bound volumes and accordion fold-out books. The Conservation Workshops were launched in June 2009 to mark the newly established International Archives Day. The aim is to give local citizens an insight into this most traditional craft while demonstrating the care Historical Archives professionals extend to the historic documents they work with every day. The conservators working in the Historical Archives have years of experience and training in handling these precious records, and they are keen to share some of the basic notions involved in this craft with members of the public. While the presentation is mostly in Chinese, instructional support is also provided in English. Additionally, support is on hand for the hearing-disabled. Using a combination of visual presentation, written notes in Chinese and English, and practical demonstrations by the professional conservators, participants of all ages, some as young as ten years old, can spend a relaxing afternoon in the airy gallery of this historic building on Tap Seac Square and take away a completed handicraft project when they leave.
Registration for each workshop opens a few days before the scheduled date, and places usually get snapped up very quickly. The registration fee is MOP$20 and participants do not need to bring any materials or equipment. All workshops start at 2pm and end at 5pm. The Historical Archives of Macao will hold another of its popular binding workshops on Saturday 24th of April. Registration will open on April 19th for the workshop taking place on April 24th. To register, please visit the Historical Archives of Macao (open Mon-Fri, 09:30-18.30, Sat, 13.00-18.00) and pay the workshop fee of MOP$20. Places are limited and will be distributed according to order of registration. For more information about individual workshops, please visit www.archives.gov.mo. For further details, please contact Ms. Esther Chu at 85986537. To better inform the public of this activity, the schedule for the remainder of 2010 is as follows:
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According to statistics released today by the Monetary Authority of Macao, on a monthly basis, money supply M2 witnessed a decline after a continuous growth for five straight months. As deposits with banks dropped slightly and total loans saw an increase, the loan-to-deposit ratio rose from a month earlier. Money supply
Currency in circulation increased 7.1% whereas demand deposits decreased 8.6%. M1 thus dropped significantly by 6.2% compared with the previous month. Meanwhile, quasi-monetary liabilities fell 1.7%. The sum of these two items, i.e. M2, decreased 2.4% to MOP210.2 billion. On an annual basis, M1 and M2 rose 20.2% and 9.2% respectively. The share of Pataca (MOP) in M2 stood at 29.3%, up 0.5 percentage points over a month ago or 0.3 percentage points from a year earlier. Concurrently, the share of Hong Kong Dollar (HKD) in M2 was 52.9%, down 1.3 percentage points month-to-month but up 0.5 percentage points year-on-year. Deposits
Resident deposits dropped 2.7% from the previous month to MOP204.8 billion. Of which, MOP deposits and HKD deposits declined at respective rates of 1.3% and 4.7% while other foreign currency deposits rose 1.7%. Concurrently, non-resident deposits increased by 5.5% to MOP72.9 billion and public sector deposits with the banking sector also rose 1.5% to MOP15.5 billion. As a result, total deposits with the banking sector dropped 0.5% from the previous month to MOP293.2 billion. The shares of MOP and HKD in total deposits were 23.2% and 45.4% respectively.
Loans
Domestic loans to the private sector expanded 1.9% in February to MOP104.6 billion. Among which, MOP29.3 billion was MOP-denominated and MOP68.8 billion was denominated in HKD, representing 28.0% and 65.8% of the total respectively. Meanwhile, external loans grew 6.2% to MOP101.2 billion; of which, loans denominated in MOP and HKD accounted for 0.9% (MOP0.9 billion) and 41.6% (MOP42.1 billion) of the total respectively. Loan-to-deposit ratios
Due to the decline in resident deposits and increase in domestic loans to the private sector, the loan-to-deposit ratio for the resident sector grew 2.0 percentage points in a month to 47.5% at end-February 2010. The ratio for both the resident and non-resident sectors reached 70.2%, up 3.1 percentage points from the previous month.
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The University of Macau (UM) has identified Macaology as a key discipline in social science and has established relevant plans with the aim of developing Macaology into a “cultural business card” of Macao and accomplishing some high-quality achievements in the field within three to five years. The first International Conference on Macaology co-organized by the University of Macau (UM), Macao Foundation, Institute of European Studies of Macau, Macau Society of Social Sciences, and Union of Macao Scholars, was held at UM from 15 April to 16 April. Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of Macao SAR Cheong U, Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in Macao SAR Lu Shumin, Director of the Department of Education and Culture of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in Macao SAR Liu Xiaohang, President of the Macao Foundation Victor Ng, UM Rector Wei Zhao, Vice President of Beijing Foreign Studies University Jin Li, Vice President of Sun Yat-Sen University Chen Chunsheng, member of the Administrative Committee of Macao Foundation Wu Zhiliang, UM Vice-rector Rui Martins, President of the Institute of European Studies of Macau José Luís de Sales Marques, and Acting Director of the Centre for Macau Studies of UM Hao Yufan, attended the opening ceremony. At the opening ceremony, UM representatives presented certificates of appointment to Dean of the School of Asia-Pacific Studies at Sun Yat-Sen University Takeshi Hamashita, member of the Administrative Committee of Macao Foundation Wu Zhiliang, and Dean of the Institute of World History at Peking University Qian Chengdan, who will serve as UM’s part-time professors specializing in the study of Macaology. Macaology is an international and synthetic discipline based on the abundant historical archives and cultural heritage of Macao. In search of Macao’s uniqueness, Macaology takes the culture and history of Macao as the object of study. In the 1980s, some Macao scholars floated the idea of creating a discipline called Macaology and held discussions regarding the concepts, contents, methods of study, and significance of Macaology. It has become the consensus among scholars that establishing “Macaology” and involving scholars from around the world to study Macao-related issues in a systematic and scientific manner so as to increase the influence of “Macao culture” are very important. The main task of Macaology is to explore the profoundness and uniqueness of “Macao culture” and to examine the forms and characteristics of different cultures as well as the effect resulted from the interaction between these cultures, from a global perspective. Since the mid-Ming Dynasty, Macao has played an important role in the Great Era of Navigation during which period westerners entered China and China served as a link with the world. Since then Macao has become an important port, a platform for the interaction between eastern and western cultures, and an incubator for new cultures. Through the interaction between eastern and western cultures, “Macao culture”, a new culture characterized by diversity, tolerance and harmony, was born. Macaology, which takes “Macao culture” as the object of study, has high theoretical and practical value. The emergence and development of “Macao culture” has offered valuable insights into how we humans should better get along with one another and know one another. The harmonious co-existence of and interaction between different nationalities, religions and cultures in Macao provides a solution to the all-pervasive conflicts plaguing the modern world: Instead of seeking victory through conquest and destruction through conflicts, we should seek harmony through diversity and common ground through difference. It can serve as a treasure trove of wisdom for solving the conflicts between different nationalities, religions, cultures, and nations, thus realizing harmonious co-existence of the human society. It can also help ensure the successful implementation of the “one country, two systems” policy in China. Given the profoundness of “Macao culture”, Macaology should not be considered a “regional” area of study. The conference has been warmly received in the international academic circle. More than 80 scholars from the Chinese Mainland, Portugal, America, Germany, Brazil, Italy, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao gathered at UM to share their views on a range of issues such as the academic framework, establishment and future development of Macaology. Latest findings in the field were also presented at the conference. Conference discussions revolved around 6 topics, namely Macao and Macaology; The Academic Characteristics and System of Macaology; Macao in a Global Perspective; The Consolidation of Historical Archives; History and Culture; and Religion and Society. This is the largest international conference in recent years to discuss the study of “Macao culture”. It will surely play an important role in promoting the future development of Macaology as well as the academic prosperity of Macao.
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The Institute For Tourism Studies Career Day 2010 was held on 15 April at Taipa Campus. The exhibition aimed to provide graduating students more information on the employment trends in the tourism and service industries, thus, increasing their chance of success in job hunting. Organisations from different sectors were invited to the exhibition and twelve career talks were delivered. Seventeen organisations with more than 2,000 job vacancies from the tourism and service industries joined the exhibition. These included DFS Cotai Limitada, Four Seasons Hotel Macao, Galaxy Entertainment Group, Grand Hyatt Macau, Holiday Inn Macau, L’Arc New World Hotel Macau, Lisboa Hotels Complex, macauHR, Mandarin Oriental Macau, Melco PBL Entertainment, MGM Grand Macau, Micro China Marketing & Consultant Co. Ltd., Pizza Hut, Starbucks Coffee, The Venetian-Macao-Resort-Hotel, The Westin Resort Macau and Wynn Macau. Representatives from the organisations provided students and alumni information about job openings in their companies and distributed application forms to those who were interested, on site interviews were also arranged. The graduates-to-be and alumni were enthusiastic about the exhibition, especially in attending the career talks. Questions regarding employment trends and employers’ expectation were raised and discussed in the talks. The employment rate of IFT graduates is always satisfactory. In April 2009, a graduates’ employment survey, targeting the Bachelor and Diploma and Certificate programme graduates of 2007/08, were launched. According to the results of the survey, 95.7% got employment and 84% got placements in the tourism and service sector. The Career Day 2010 aimed to be the platform of communication between students and employers. It allowed the graduating students to have a better view of the job market and maximised the chance of success in their career path.
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The Joint Meeting of the University Assembly (UA) and University Council (UC) of the University of Macau (UM) for the 2009/2010 academic year opened at UM on 12 April (Monday). Dr. Chui Sai On, Chief Executive of Macao SAR, Chancellor of UM, and Chair of UA, said at the meeting that the SAR government will carry out close cooperation with the University in various areas such as employment of UM graduates, using specialists from the University, and assisting the University with the application of research results. He expressed his hope that UM can take full advantage of the more favorable environment to make greater advances, nurture more outstanding graduates for Macao and the world, and progress towards the goal of becoming a world-class university in an incremental and systematic manner. This is the first UAUC Joint Meeting since appointment of the current members of the UA and UC. Dr. Chui Sai On, Chief Executive of Macao SAR, Chancellor of UM, and Chair of UA, presided over the meeting. Dr. Chui Sai On also invited Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of Macao SAR Mr. Cheong U, Chief of the Office of the Chief Executive Dr. Tam Chon Weng, and Chief of the Office of Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Ms. Cheung So Mui to attend the meeting. Dr. Chui Sai On said since implementation of the new Judicial Regime of the University of Macau in 2006, UM has launched a series of reforms, laying a solid foundation for pushing the internationalization of the University. He said as the Chancellor of the University he feels very proud of what UM has achieved. Dr. Chui Sai On said: “UM is a public university in Macao. It is also the leading comprehensive university and think tank for the local community. Therefore, it has a vital impact on the implementation of government policies as well as the realization of government objectives. The SAR government will convey the society’s expectations for the University in a clear, transparent and open manner. Last year, thanks to the effort of the SAR government, UC members and top management of the University, especially the great support from the Central Government, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress adopted a bill to authorize Macao SAR to exercise jurisdiction over the new campus on Hengqin Island upon its completion, creating favorable conditions for the University to improve its campus facilities and increase the intake of students.” Dr. Chui Sai On further added that the SAR government will do its best to ensure that the construction of the new UM campus and the subsequent relocation will be completed according to plan. He reiterated the government’s stance on the existing campus site of UM, saying that the site will be used solely for the purpose of accommodating social and cultural activities and will not be used for developing commercial housing. Dr. Chui Sai On stressed that developing UM into a world-class university is President Hu Jintao’s expectation for the University and is also a long-term goal for the University. He expressed his hope that UM can take full advantage of the more favorable environment to make greater advances, nurture more outstanding graduates for Macao and the world, and progress towards the goal of becoming a world-class university in an incremental and systematic manner while taking into consideration the unique situation of Macao. He said the SAR government will continue to provide policy-wise and financial support to the University and will carry out close cooperation with the University in various areas such as employment of UM graduates, using specialists from the University, and assisting the University with the application of research results. He also encouraged UM to step up communication with the government and try its best to build a team of teaching staff who are familiar with the social, political and legal systems of Macao and have high levels of teaching and research abilities. He said in the future UM will enter a new stage, which makes the guidance, supervision and support from UA and UC ever more essential, especially in the development of the new campus, implementation of the “whole-person” education, execution of curricula reform, and enhancement of scientific research. Dr. Chui Sai On expressed his hope that all UA and UC members can continue to provide support to the University to ensure its steady growth. After Dr. Chui Sai On finished his speech, UM Rector Wei Zhao summarised the major tasks and achievements over the past year. Rector Wei Zhao said: “2009 represented the most important milestone in the history of the University. The groundbreaking ceremony for the new campus was a success, and the new campus project will bring unprecedented opportunities for the University. UM takes quality education, scientific research and social service as its mission, and its objective is to become a world-class university with distinctive regional features. To accomplish this objective, UM has established a series of strategies, including creating an ‘elite undergraduate education’ brand, building a strong faculty team through global recruitment, stepping up effort in developing characteristic disciplines, and creating an efficient and environmentally-friendly campus. Last year UM launched a series of initiatives to promote general education for undergraduate students, including the establishment and implementation of a core general education programme, the foundation of the Honours College which aims to devote all resources available to develop a select group of top undergraduate students into future pillars of the society; and the implementation of the undergraduate research programme which aims to help students lay a solid foundation for their future research. UM has also launched a series of measures to reform the teaching staff and academic affairs management systems, including the establishment of The Centre for Teaching and Learning Enhancement, with the aim of promoting high-quality academic research and building an internationally-recruited, high-caliber faculty team with innovative approaches to teaching and research. Through a year’s effort, UM is now progressing steadily in the quality of undergraduate education and has achieved satisfactory results in various areas such as enhancing the quality of teaching staff as well as academic and scientific research.” Rector Wei Zhao said the University could not have achieved these pleasing results without the support of the SAR government, the community, and members of UA and UC. He said he hopes people from all walks of life can continue to provide support to the University to help it reform systems, develop outstanding graduates, build the new campus, raise funds, and realize greater achievements. Encouraged by the great strides UM has made, attendees enthusiastically shared their opinions and put forward many suggestions regarding ways to accelerate the University’s progress towards the goal of joining the ranks of world-class universities. UA is the highest consultative organ of the University. In addition to hearing the annual work report presented by the Rector, it also provides suggestions regarding the overall guidelines and development plans of the University. UC is the highest collegiate organ of the University and is responsible for establishing guidelines for its development, supervising the implementation of such guidelines, and strengthening the links between the University and the community. In March 2010, Dr. Chui Sai On appointed the current members of UA and UC for a 2-year term. Current members of the UA and UC include: Fong Man Hung, Ng Fok, Stanley Ho, Lei Pang Chu, Lam Kam Seng, Siu Yin Wai, Zhou Li Gao, Or Wai Sheun, António Ferreira, Maria Edith da Silva, Ma Iao Lai, Susana Chou, José F. Pereira Chan, Leong Vai Tac, Ho Iat Seng, Joaquim Jorge Perestrelo Neto Valente, Wong Chi Seng, Wong King Keung, Liu Chak Wan, Liu Chung Laung, Cheng Kar Shing, D. José Lai, Lao Ngai Leong, Fok Chun-Wan, Kong Tat Choi, Tse Chi Wai, Lei Pui Lam, Wong Chong Fat, Ao Peng Kong, Huang Zhi Huan, Vitor Ng, Anabela Fátima Xavier Sales Ritchie, Tong Chi Kin, Kou Kam Fai, Chui Sai Peng, Au Chong Kit, Vong Hin Fai, Yeung Tsun Man Eric, Choi Koon Shum, Iao Man Leng, Chan Pak Fai, Sou Chio Fai, Vitória Alice Maria da Conceição, Wei Zhao, Simon Shun-Man Ho, Rui Martins, Alex Lai Iat Long, Zeng Lingliang, Philip Chen Chun-Lung, Timothy Alan Simpson, Rose Neng Lai, Kot Man Kam, and Chan Chi Seng.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service indicated that the Tourist Price Index (TPI) for the first quarter of 2010 rose by 9.40% year-on-year to 161.81. The price indices of Miscellaneous Goods; Accommodation; Transport & Communications; Food, Alcoholic Drinks & Tobacco; and Restaurant Services increased notably by 19.26%, 11.66%, 4.94%, 4.59% and 4.59% respectively, attributable to dearer prices of jewellery led by rising gold prices; substantial rise of hotel room rate, airfares, food prices, as well as higher charges for restaurant services during the Lunar New Year. On the contrary, price index of Clothing & Footwear registered a slight decrease of 0.38% year-on-year. The first quarter TPI went up by 2.04% quarter-to-quarter, of which the price indices of Transport & Communications; and Restaurant Services increased by 4.67% and 2.38% respectively. On the other hand, price index of Clothing & Footwear decreased slightly by 0.53%. The average TPI for the last 4 quarters ended the first quarter of 2010 increased by 5.83% over the previous period, with marked increase observed in the indices of Miscellaneous Goods (+14.18%); Accommodation (+5.43%); Food, Alcoholic Drinks & Tobacco (+5.11%); and Restaurant Services (+4.24%). However, price index of Transport & Communications registered a decrease of 0.56%. TPI reflects the price changes of goods and services purchased by visitors, which is compiled according to the consumption pattern of visitors. TPI covers 8 sections of goods and services, namely Food, Alcoholic Drinks & Tobacco; Clothing & Footwear; Accommodation; Restaurant Services; Transport & Communications; Medicine & Personal Goods; Entertainment & Cultural Activities; and Miscellaneous Goods. The base period of TPI is from July 1999 to June 2000.
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