News

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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The Secretary of the Sichuan Provincial CPC Committee, Mr Liu Qibao, arrived in Macao today on a two-day visit. He was welcomed by the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Mr Chui Sai On, in the evening. Mr Liu is scheduled to attend a seminar tomorrow morning to thank Macao’s support after the Sichuan earthquake last May, and introduce investment opportunities in the province during the reconstruction period. He will also meet the Chief Executive, Mr Edmund Ho Hau Wah, and attend a luncheon hosted by the Government. Mr Liu will leave for Hong Kong in the afternoon. Members of Mr Liu’s delegation include 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.
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The Government believed that the projected monthly gaming revenue of about 7 billion patacas would be adequate to keep the six gaming operators in business, the Secretary for Economy and Finance, Mr Francis Tam Pak Yuen, reiterated today. Mr Tam made the remarks when he was interviewed by the press after attending a reception. Asked about the operation of Las Vegas Sands Corp, which had filed documents to relevant American authorities revealing its financial position, Mr Tam said the Government was aware of the news and reaffirmed that the monthly gaming revenue of about 7 billion patacas would be adequate for the six operators to continue their business in Macao. Considering the effects of the financial turmoil, the Government would introduce measures in the upcoming policy address to support Macao’s small- and medium-sized companies, which held an important role in Macao’s economy, and try to maintain the momentum of economic expansion. He said that the Government also paid much attention to the operation of large companies, and would continue to enhance Macao’s business environment. He reiterated that the operation of small- and medium-sized companies and employment of local workers were of great importance to Macao’s economic policies.
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The Chinese-language edition of Macao Yearbook 2008, an annual publication compiled and edited by the Government Information Bureau (GCS) of the Macao SAR, will hit the shelf on 10 November 2008. The Macao Yearbook outlines major events, progress and changes made in the course of Macao’s political, economic, social and cultural development on a yearly and systematic basis. It provides detailed and up-to-date information for all who wish to study and understand the territory. The Macao Yearbook has been published since 2002, and it is available in three languages, namely Chinese, Portuguese and English. Comprising 178 photographs, the Macao Yearbook 2008 is divided into five sections: Administrative Priorities of the MSAR Government; Calendar of Events; Review of the MSAR; Overview of the MSAR; and Appendices. Consisting of 16 chapters, the Overview of the MSAR presents information on the political and administrative system; legal and judicial system; external relations; economy; gaming industry; tourism; public order; education; culture and sport; health and social welfare; media, communications and information technology; land, infrastructure, housing and public utilities; transport; geography, environment and population; religion and customs; and history. Meanwhile in order to trace Macao’s changes in a visual manner, the GCS co-organised a photographic competition entitled “New Faces of Macao” with eight local photography organisations and four media groups in early 2008. The Macao Yearbook 2008 has been enriched by more than 10 winning entries from the competition. A photo entitled “Flags Flying on a Joyful Occasion” taken by Lou Ka Wai, which has won “Yearbook Cover Award” in the competition, has been selected as yearbook cover picture. This is the first time this award is presented to the photographic competition. The 578-page Chinese-language edition of the Macao Yearbook 2008 can be purchased at the following places at 120 patacas or 120 Hong Kong dollars per copy: major local bookstores; the Macao Post Office (Macao Post)’s Philatelic Division, Rua do Campo Branch, Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal Branch, Macau International Airport Branch, and Nova Taipa Branch; Government Printing Bureau; and the Government’s Public Information Centre at Rua do Campo. A Complimentary CD-ROM can be redeemed at a later time with book receipt. The Portuguese and English editions of the Macao Yearbook 2008 are in the process of printing, and will be available for sale in due course.
During the promotion period lasting until 31 March 2009, a 20-percent discount will be offered to any purchase of the Chinese-language edition of the Macao Yearbook 2008.
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