News

The Statistics and Census Service released the results of the Manpower Needs and Wages Survey for the third quarter of 2007. The survey covered the Manufacturing; Hotels & restaurants; Financial intermediation and Electricity, gas & water supply sectors, but excluded own-account workers and insurance agents and brokers not directly employed by insurance companies. The survey results were extrapolated based on the data obtained from 576 statistical units successfully interviewed, given as follows: At the end of the third quarter of 2007, the Manufacturing sector had 27,962 paid employees, down by 10.5% from a year ago. Among them, 18,604 were working in the manufacture of wearing apparel. In September 2007, the average earnings (excluding bonuses and allowances) for full time employees in this sector amounted to MOP 4,976, up by 7.1% over the same month of 2006. The average earnings of Sewing machine operators in the manufacture of wearing apparel was MOP 3,413. The Hotels & restaurants sector logged 42,556 employees, with 27,072 working in hotels. Number of employees surged by 57.8% over the third quarter of 2006, which was driven by the growth of number of workers in hotel industry. The average earnings for full time employees in September 2007 rose by 36.6% to MOP 9,117. The average earnings for hotel Housekeeping employees was MOP 5,041. The Financial intermediation sector had 5,126 paid employees, up by 7.9% compared with the third quarter of 2006, with 4,367 working in banks. The average earnings for full time employees in September 2007 went up by 12.3% to MOP 15,522 and that for Bank tellers was MOP 8,928. The Electricity, gas & water supply sector had 1,059 paid employees in the third quarter of 2007, grew by 2.5% year-on-year. The average earnings for full time employees increased by 6.6% over September 2006 to MOP 20,776. At the end of September 2007, the Hotels & Restaurants recorded 7,530 vacancies, up by 30.1% from a year earlier, while in Manufacturing sector vacancies were at 3,009, down by 46.1%. The Financial intermediation and the Electricity, gas & water supply sectors logged 240 and 29 vacant posts respectively. In terms of recruitment prerequisites, 65.8% of the vacant posts in the Manufacturing sector required working experience. Meanwhile, 89.7% of the vacancies in Electricity, gas & water supply and 98.3% in Financial intermediation required senior secondary or higher education. Besides Cantonese, Mandarin (63.3%) and English (61.1%) were the more preferable language skills for the vacancies in the Hotels & restaurants sector.
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A group of about 360 travel agencies’ chiefs, tourism officials, media and academics from all over Mainland China embarked on a four-day visit from Wednesday to experience the new Macau. The visit is an initiative of the Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO) and China Travel Service (CTS). In accordance with MGTO’s worldwide promotional campaign launched this year, the visit is titled “Experience Macau”, and is intended to provide the group from Mainland China - the main visitor-generating market to Macau - first hand information about the city’s new tourism infrastructures, the government’s tourism development strategy, including its focus on business tourism, among others. Coming from 66 major cities, located in the country’s 31 provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities and special administrative region, the group includes representatives of travel agencies, tourism officials, media, as well as tourism scholars and economists. During their stay in the city, the group will participate in a seminar about Macau’s tourism development conducted by MGTO. The program of the visit includes touring The Historic Center of Macau, new tourism infrastructures and other highlights. This is the third time that MGTO and CTS jointly organize a mega familiarization visit from the Mainland to Macau. The previous occasions took place in 2000 and 2003 and included representatives from 21 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities of the Mainland. Among the total of 21.9 million visitors that Macau welcomed in the first ten months of this year, 54 per cent came from Mainland China. From January to October the total number of visitors saw an increase of 22.59 per cent, while visitors from Mainland China rose by 23.01 per cent, compared to the same period last year.
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The 'Guangdong-Macao Co-operation Joint Conference 2007' is to open here on Thursday. The Governor of Guangdong Province, Mr Huang Huahua, will lead an official delegation to Macao tomorrow for the annual conference, which is aimed at enhancing co-operation between the coastal province and the Special Administrative Region (SAR). Highlights of Mr Huang's stay in Macao will also include visits to the University of Macau (UMAC), the Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences of UMAC and the Macao Water Supply Company Limited.
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The Secretary for Transport and Public Works, Mr Lau Si Io, today expressed regret for the inconvenience caused to passengers by the suspension of ferry services between Taipa and Hong Kong. Mr Lau told reporters the Government would act accordingly to minimise the inconvenience, but he could not elaborate as the case was now before the court. A press release issued by the Office of the Secretary for Transport and Public Works last night noted that the Court of Second Instance had notified the Macao SAR Government yesterday to suspend ferry services connecting Taipa and Hong Kong, operated by COTAI Waterjets Ltd. Earlier, the Government had given approval for COTAI Waterjets Ltd to operate ferry services between Taipa and Hong Kong. A ferry company, North West Express, filed an application to the Court of Second Instance to overturn the Government's approval, the press release said. In response, the Government pleaded that a suspension would seriously affect public interest. Yesterday the Court of Second Instance informed the Macao SAR Government that it disagreed with the Government's explanation and decided that the suspension would remain in force, the press release noted. The Government would now wait for the outcome of the judicial procedure, the release said.
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Macao and Shenzhen have signed a number of agreements and memorandums to bolster bilateral co-operation on tourism, poultry inspection and quarantine and culture. The importance of these protocols were underlined by the presence of Macao's Chief Executive, Mr Edmund Ho Hau Wah, and the Mayor of Shenzhen, Mr Xu Zongheng, who held a meeting prior to the signing ceremony. Mr Xu also inaugurated the launch ceremony of a new container shipping route between Macao and Shenzhen. At a meeting this morning, both sides agreed to hold annual meetings in the future to step up co-operation strategically, starting with the Chief Executive visit to Shenzhen next year. Mr Ho said he believed that concerted efforts from the both sides would elevate bilateral co-operation in the future, adding that the agreements would benefit the overall development of the two cities and the livelihood of their citizens. Shenzhen had extensive experience in developing MICE and creative industry, and Macao could learn much from the city in hatching these businesses, Mr Ho added. Meeting the press after the session, Mr Xu described it as fruitful, adding that the two sides would continue to enhance co-operation in trading, finance, logistics, tourism, culture, poultry inspection and quarantine.
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Urban planning experts from Beijing would provide consultation services and help train Macao professionals. This was confirmed in a memorandum for co-operation signed yesterday by China's Minister of Construction, Mr Wang Guangtao, and Macao's Secretary for Transport and Public Works, Mr Lao Si Io, on behalf of the two governments. Both sides would exchange information and hold meetings regularly. Mr Lao said an expert team from the Ministry had earlier made an on-the-spot investigation in Macao, and offered practical suggestions on urban planning and public transportation strategies. The co-operation memorandum, signed three months after the visit of the experts, highlighted the greatest support from the Central Government, Mr Lao said. Once the contact mechanism has been established, the Ministry of Construction would provide assistance to Macao where necessary; hence, further enhancing bilateral co-operation, Mr Wang said. During his visit in Beijing, Mr Lao and his delegates also saw first hand the workings of the city's subways and public transportation systems, and were briefed on the latest development of transportation strategies in the city. Mr Lau also visited the Macao Affairs Office of the State Council and the Beijing Transportation Committee, during which he briefed Mainland officials on the progress on Macao's light-rail project and urban planning, and expressed the wish for further collaboration.
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In order to provide a comfortable and well facilitated environment for the guests, the Hác Sá Youth Hostel of the Education and Youth Affairs Bureau of Macao SAR is going to be renovated. To facilitate the renovation work, the hostel will be closed temporarily from December 31st, 2007. The renovation work is expected to be completed in mid May, 2008, and the reopening time will be announced in due course. For enquiry, please contact Ms Winnie Sou or Mr Lei Ka Son at 3972638 or 3972635.
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Owners of domestic housing units that are rented out are likely to get tax breaks of up to 3,500 patacas next year, alongside with owners of owner-occupied flats. This was disclosed today by the Secretary for Economy and Finance, Mr Francis Tam Pak Yuen, after he had discussed the Government budget for the fiscal year 2008 with members of the First Standing Committee of the Legislative Assembly. Instead of waiving real estate tax for all owner-occupied flats and halving it for rental units as proposed in the Policy Address last month, he said the government was considering a unified 3,500 patacas tax reduction for all domestic flats next year. With this reduction, owners of about 90 per cent of some 210,000 such units in Macao will be exempted from the levy in 2008, said Mr Tam. He said the Government was also poised to introduce a one- to three-year lock-in period for first-time homebuyers who would benefit from a stamp duty waiver. Should these flats be re-sold during the lock-in period, the original owner would have to pay the stamp duty that was exempted earlier. In the Policy Address, it was proposed that the stamp duty be waived for first-time buyers for domestic properties valued up to 3 million patacas. This waiver would only benefit Macao citizens.
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The Secretary for Transport and Public Works, Mr Lau Si Io, left today for Beijing to boost further exchanges and promote co-operation with the Mainland. During Mr Lau visit to the capital, Macao will sign a co-operation agreement with the Ministry of Construction to promote exchanges in training, urban planning and transportation. Mr Lau described co-operation in these areas as promising, as the Mainland possesses enormous advantages in having talented professionals, researchers and advanced technology, and he hoped that promoting bilateral exchanges would continue to facilitate Macao's urban development. Highlights on Mr Lau's agenda also include visits to the Macao Affairs Office of the State Council and the Beijing Transportation Committee, during which he would brief Mainland officials on the latest progress on Macao's light-rail project and urban planning, and seek opportunities for further collaboration.
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In relation to the Mainland tour group incident at Hac Sa Beach on 4 December, immediately upon receipt of notification of the incident, the Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO) deployed members of staff to check on the situation, and at the same time contacted the Macau Tourist Guide Association as well as the relevant travel agency associations. Appropriate coordination was carried out, and adequate arrangements were made for the affected tourists. Following up on the incident today (5 December), MGTO contacted the related travel agency and tour guides to further investigate details. MGTO enjoys close relations with the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA), and reports to the entity on Macau’s tourism industry development through regular meetings. Detailed results of this investigation will be reported to CNTA shortly afterwards. In addition, the Tourism Development Committee also met with the Macau Tourist Guide Association and related tour guides yesterday, to convey its concern to the incident and to further understand the situation. As the administrative licensing entity of Macau, MGTO will thoroughly investigate the incident within its jurisdiction, to determine whether any local travel agency or tour guide has infringed upon related legislation, particularly where it refers to pre-determined contract, tour itinerary, tour guide, transportation commitments, and whether the travel agency has provided all necessary assistance to the tourists in accordance to regulatory requirements. In addition, MGTO will follow up on whether the local travel agency and the Mainland tour operator have complied with related operational terms and conditions. A good tourism environment and quality service are key determinants for the creation of a quality tourism city image. MGTO has all along cooperated closely with other government departments and the tourism industry to strengthen market order, to safeguard the normal functioning of the tourism market. Earlier this year, Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Chui Sai On led a delegation comprised of representatives of MGTO, the Tourism Development Committee, Association of Macau Tourist Agents, Macau Travel Agency Association and Travel Industry Council of Macau to Beijing for meetings with CNTA, to exchange views on market regulation and management, advocacy of honest travel practices and other matters. Both parties have reached consensus on combating irregular practices such as “zero-priced tours” and “negative-priced tours”, to safeguard the healthy development of the tourism market. CNTA has expressed its accord and support to the efforts of the Macau tourism industry in pursuing higher quality travel offering. MGTO will actively complement the work of CNTA in promoting honest travel practices, demanding honest operations from enterprises, safeguarding the rights of tourists and advocating intelligent spending. Furthermore, through the private sector representatives of the Tourism Development Committee, communication with tourism industry organizations will be strengthened, in order to jointly provide quality service to visitors, ensuring a quality tourism image for Macau.
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