News

Ms. Echo Chan, Executive Director of IPIM participated in the 22nd Asian Trade Promotion Forum (ATPF) in Xiamen, China from 23 to 24 April. The Forum was organised by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) and attended by representatives from trade promotion organisations from 15 economic regions in Asia including Australia, Bangladesh, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Macao, Malaysia, Mongolia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam. Chaired by the Vice Chairman of CCPIT, Mr. Yu Ping, the theme of the 22nd ATPF was “TPO Synergy against Financial Crisis” and participating TPO members gave presentations on “TOP’s Role and Solution during Financial Crisis” and “Trade in Service”. Ms. Echo Chan gave a keynote presentation on “TOP’s Role and Solution during Financial Crisis – New Challenges, New Strategies” at the Forum. She said that being the trade promotion organization in Macao, there are several ways to assist enterprise during the Financial Crisis, these are: 1. Join promotion in emerging market; (2) Updated market information and broaden network; (3) Strengthen the effectiveness of exhibition through establishment of Partner fair/join exhibition; (4) Promote convention and exhibition, cultivate new industries benefit to SMEs; (5) Create markets and seize new opportunities. TPO members from different regions also engaged in discussions and experience-sharing on various topics. Australia, China, South Korea and Taipei shared their solutions during the financial crisis while Hong Kong, India, Japan, Malaysia and Thailand introduced their latest regulations on trade in services. To conclude, APTF members felt that dialogue and cooperation on the basis of mutual trust is a better way to recover from this financial crisis. Therefore, ATPF being a trade enabling body will play a more proactive role in regional economic recovery through promoting trade activities. The meeting ended on 24 Apr and the 23rd ATPF Annual Meeting will be held by the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency next year. ATPF was founded by the Japan External Trade Organization in 1987. Its members come from different trade promotion organizations in Asian countries. It aims to enhance communications and regional cooperation between its trade promotion members. IPIM is the member of ATPF since 1999 and organized the 19th ATPF meeting in 2006. Aside the annual meeting, the Capacity Initiative Building Program and the ATPF Joint Exhibition are the activities aims to strengthen the cooperation and communication between all the TPO’s member. CCPIT and IPIM hold the Capacity Initiative Building Program last year together, provide training and experience-sharing with all TPO’s members. Besides, IPIM also participated the ATPF Joint Exhibition in the International Gift Fair in Tokyo last year. The upcoming ATPF Joint Exhibition will be held next year.
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To cope with the Open Day of the Military Camp in Commemoration of 10th Anniversary of the People’s Liberation Army Macau Garrison, Macao Post announced that a Temporary Post Counter will be set up at the Philately Shop located at Macao Post Headquarters at 13H00 to 18H00 on 1st May 2009 providing the commemorative postmark cancellation service for the “Open Day of the Military Camp in Commemoration of 10th Anniversary of the People’s Liberation Army Macau Garrison”. A commemorative envelope will be distributed to public, and various philatelic products will also be available for sale during the above activity. Welcome to visit and collect Macao Stamps.
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The Chief Executive, Mr Edmund Ho Hau Wah, has called on businesspeople in Anhui and Macao to step up co-operation and seek out more business opportunities. Mr Ho made the call when he met the Secretary of the CPC Anhui Provincial Committee, Mr Wang Jinshan, in the province today. Mr Ho said both Macao and Anhui could enhance co-operation in trade and investment in the future. In response, Mr Wang said he believed that co-operation between the two sides would be enhanced. Before the meeting with Mr Wang, Mr Ho visited a software engineering company in the New and High Technology Industrial Development Zone in Hefei. After the meeting, Mr Ho went to Anhui Exhibition and Conference Center and toured Macao’s exhibition section at Expo Central China 2009. He attended a banquet hosted by the organisers of the exposition, followed by a cultural performance. Mr Ho is scheduled to attend the tomorrow's opening ceremony of the exposition and Forum on Thousands Investors Going West.
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In response to the notice issued by the Chinese Embassy in Mexico to Chinese citizens concerning Swine Influenza, the Tourism Crisis Management Office has sent out an SMS alert to Macao residents currently traveling in Mexico, USA, Canada and New Zealand to be attentive to the latest news concerning Swine Influenza, and to avoid crowded public areas.
As per the World Health Organization, since 18 March 2009 various districts in Mexico have reported human cases of Swine Influenza H1N1 virus; while the states of California and Texas in the USA have also reported several cases. The Tourism Crisis Management Office has sent out an SMS alert through the four local mobile telecommunications service providers to remind Macao mobile network users currently in Mexico, USA, Canada and New Zealand to be attentive to the latest news on Swine Influenza, and to avoid crowded public areas with poor ventilation. Residents planning to travel to the above areas should closely monitor news related to Swine Influenza and to take all necessary precautions. If necessary, residents can call the Chinese Embassy in Mexico’s 24-hour emergency hotline (52-15554073017), the Macao Health Bureau’s Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (853-28561122) or the Macao Tourism Hotline (853-28333000).
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The Crisis Management Office reminds Macao residents currently traveling in or planning to travel in the near future to Mexico, California and Texas to be attentive to news concerning Swine Influenza, and to take all necessary precautions. As per the World Health Organization, since 18 March 2009 various districts in Mexico have reported human cases of Swine Influenza H1N1 virus, which has to date resulted in at least 47 cases of pneumonia and 12 deaths; while the states of California and Texas in the USA have also reported several cases. The Crisis Management Office reminds Macao residents currently traveling in or planning to travel to the above areas to closely monitor news of Swine Influenza and to take all necessary precautions. For enquiries, please call the Tourism Hotline (853) 28333000.
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The Chief Executive, Mr Edmund Ho Hau Wah, said he expected the election date for the Chief Executive election would be announced in mid May. Speaking to the press at the airport before departing for the Expo Central China 2009 in Anhui Province, Mr Ho said he expected all the members of the Chief Executive Election Committee will be known tomorrow and names of the members would be published on the Macao SAR Gazette in early next month. After the announcement of the election day, the Electoral Affairs Committee for the election of the Chief Executive would formulate a timetable for the nomination of candidates. Mr Ho said people who meet the requirements stipulated in the Basic Law are eligible to run for the Chief Executive and he expected that interested people would announce their candidacy in due course.
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Following the lifting of the state of emergency in Bangkok and its environs, GGCT has noted that tour groups from Macao to Thailand will resume next Tuesday. However, the Office reminds residents to remain attentive to the latest situation of the country, and ensure personal safety. For enquiries, please call the Tourism Hotline (853) 28333000. Since Wednesday 22 April, GGCT has not received further enquiries about the situation in Thailand; and from 10 to 21 April, the Office has handled 41 enquiries and 1 request for assistance.
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With the purpose to enable expatriates living in Macao to better understand the Labour Relations Law in force, the Labour Affairs Bureau (DSAL) has published an English booklet on Labour Relations Law. Interested parties can obtain the booklet free of charge at DSAL, Legal Affairs Bureau (DSAJ) and its subordinated Legal Information Stands, Macao Chamber of Commerce (ACM) and Macao Federation of Trade Unions (FAOM). The English Version of Labour Relations Law is for reference only. As a result of economic development, the numbers of foreign investments and foreigners coming to trade or live in Macao have been rising. In order to make them have a better understanding of Macao’s Labour Relations Law in force, DSAL has recently translated the law into English. The English translation has been uploaded on its website at the end of last year. Foreigners can browse DSAL’s website to get to know more about the law. Meanwhile, the law has been put in print for the public to obtain free of charge. Venues to obtain the booklet include DSAL, DSAJ, ACM and FAOM. Interested parties can download the full-text of the law by clicking “LABOUR RELATIONS LAW” on DSAL’s English website (www.dsal.gov.mo). In the meantime, the text can also be downloaded from DSAJ’s website (www.dsaj.gov.mo) and Macao Law Web (www.macaolaw.gov.mo). Labour Relations Law has been published as a single volume edition in Chinese and Portuguese. Copies are available free of charge at the aforementioned departments and associations. The English version of Labour Relations Law is for reference only.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service indicated that the total number of visitor and non-resident arrivals was 2,552,109 in March 2009. Visitor arrivals totalled 1,884,175, down by 11.8% from March 2008. Analysed by place of residence, visitors from Mainland China were 977,479 (51.9% of total visitor arrivals), a decrease of 11.1% year-on-year, with 447,465 travelling to Macao under the Individual Visit Scheme, down significantly by 32.9%. Visitors from Hong Kong (545,648) and Malaysia (36,465) dropped by 15.9% and 23.8% respectively; however, those from Taiwan, China (119,206) and Japan (35,543) increased by 5.5% and 23.1%. Same-day visitors (1,002,504) accounted for 53.2% of the total visitor arrivals, with 501,900 coming from Mainland China. The cumulative visitor arrivals totalled 5,454,170 in the first quarter of 2009, down by 9.6% year-on-year. Visitors from Mainland China (2,758,310), Hong Kong (1,732,726) and Taiwan, China (313,860) decreased by 14.2%, 1.6% and 3.2% respectively, while those from Japan (102,663) registered an increase of 17.0%. Same-day visitors accounted for 53.7% of the total visitor arrivals, at 2,930,026. Analysed by mode of transport, visitor arrivals by sea totalled 2,277,787 in the first quarter of 2009, similar to that of the same quarter of 2008 (2,277,002). Visitors arriving at the Outer Harbour registered a decrease of 26.8% to 1,510,463, but those arriving at the Provisional Ferry Terminal in Taipa surged by 597.5% to 686,407. Visitor arrivals by land dropped by 16.5% year-on-year to 2,801,096 in the first three months of 2009; those arriving through the Border Gate totalled 2,594,791 and the majority were visitors from Mainland China (76.5%) and Hong Kong (15.4%). Visitor arrivals by air went down by 7.6% to 375,287 in the first quarter of 2009. Visitors arriving at the Macao International Airport decreased by 7.6% to 368,834, with the majority coming from Taiwan, China (38.9%), Mainland China (23.5%) and Thailand (8.9%).
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The wealth partaking and health care voucher schemes announced by the Chief Executive last week would cost the Government 3.37 billion patacas, the spokesperson of the Executive Council, Mr Tong Chi Kin, said today. Permanent residents would receive 6,000 patacas each while non-permanent ones would get 3,600 patacas, costing 2.886 billion patacas and 241 million patacas respectively, Mr Tong said. Holders of valid or renewable Macao SAR Resident Identity Card as of 31 December 2008 are entitled to the cash subsidy. Children under five, who are not required to apply for identity cards, would also get the payouts should they obtain the identification document. The health care scheme giving every permanent resident 500 patacas in vouchers would cost the Government 240 million patacas. To make the necessary financial arrangement, the Executive Council had discussed a draft law to revise the government budget in 2009, as well as a by-law on the wealth sharing scheme, Mr Tong said. The draft law will be sent to the Legislative Assembly for examination.
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