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NICO-Lunig Event, one of Germany’s biggest manufacturer and producer of fireworks shows, feels the pressure of being the opening team of the Wynn Macau – 18th Macau International Fireworks Display Contest, one of world’s biggest events of its kind. “The Macau Fireworks Contest is like a big championship. The best teams of the world are here. It’s a tough competition”, points out Martin Schmitz, leader of the German team, that will perform on September 2 at 9 p.m. For this year’s contest, the team – a participant of the 1992, 1995, 1998 (2nd place), 2000 (3rd place) and 2002 editions – will fill up the night of the city with color, sound and traditions from their homeland. “We want to bring a special show to Macau, with many special things from Germany. We have also chosen to play a variety of music that is popular in Germany”, says Martin Schmitz, sales director of NICO-Lunig Event, a company that spends the year organizing big fireworks parties and is a constant presence in many European events. The second team to showcase its talent on Macau’s skies, Saturday at 10 p.m, is Wan Dar Fireworks, from Taiwan,China, another “veteran” of the Macau International Fireworks Display Contest. Wan Dar Fireworks, Taiwan,China’s biggest and oldest producer of fireworks shows was one of the participating teams of the first edition of the Macau contest, in 1989, having participated afterwards in 1992, 1998 and 2004 editions. One of the surprises that Wan Dar has prepared for the spectators, is the music to be played together with the pyrotechnic choreography, from renowned Taiwan,China composer Huang Shih. “We even invited the composer Huang Shih to come to Macau to watch our exhibition. In future, we intend to convince him to compose music purposely for our fireworks shows. By coming to Macau this time, he will be able to inspire himself”, mentions Lee Gwo Shyong, Taiwan,China’s team leader. More than an award, the team participates in the well known Macau International Fireworks Display Contest “to gain experience and international exposure”, notes Lee Gwo Shyong, technical director of a company that has been painting the skies of Taiwan,China during big events for the last few decades and have been showing its talent around the world.
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“Wynn Macau – 18th Macau International Fireworks Display Contest” kicks off today (September 2) as the fireworks teams from Germany and Chinese Taiwan light up the sky of Macau with splendid fireworks. Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Chui Sai On, Director of Macau Government Tourist Office João Manuel Costa Antunes and Chairman of the Board and Chairman of Wynn International, Jack Binion officiated the opening ceremony at the Macau Tower Outdoor Plaza. Held on September 2, 9, 16, 23 and October 1 at the sea area across the Macau Tower, Wynn Macau – 18th Macau International Fireworks Display Contest has attracted ten teams from around the world to vie for the championship. The contest this year features ten teams from Germany, Chinese Taiwan, Korea, Thailand, Portugal, Australia, United States of America, Japan, France and China; each will show off their pyrotechnic wizardry to the spectators both from Macau and overseas. For the first time last year, a new feature was introduced to the Macau International Fireworks Display Contest, in which each participating team was requested to complement their display with music to enthrall the audience with a light and sound spectacular. Sound systems are installed at the waterfront of the Macau Tower Outdoor Plaza, at the Macau Tower Street seaside and at the square in front of Kun Iam Statue on Ave. Dr Sun Yat Sen so that the public can enjoy synchronized music to the spectacular displays. The teams taking part in this year’s contest are: NICO Lunig Event GmbH from Germany, Wan Dar Fireworks Mfg. Co., Ltd. from Taiwan, China, Hanwha Corporation from Korea, Pacific Pyro Co., Ltd. from Thailand, Pirotecnia Minhota, Lda, from Portugal, Foti International Fireworks Pty Ltd from Australia, Pyro Spectaculars by Souza from the United States of America, Takagi Fireworks Co., Ltd. from Japan, Brezac-Artifices from France and Liuyang City Hongji Fireworks Co., Ltd. from China. Each fireworks display will last for approximately 18 minutes, and there will be two displays per evening at 9 pm and 10 pm. To celebrate the event, MGTO and the General Union of Neighbors Association of Macau jointly present the Fireworks Carnival 2006 on the shorefront beside the Macau Tower, which will be held between 5:00 - 11:00 p.m. on each of the fireworks display nights, offering an array of live entertainment, cultural activities and culinary delights. This press release is available at:
http://www.macautourism.gov.mo/news/presslist.phtml?lan=en
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service shows that in the second quarter of 2006, the available amount of Electricity and Gasoline (unleaded) surged by 11.1% and 5.0% respectively, whereas Gas oil & diesel and Fuel oil fell 24.7% and 11.7% respectively year-on-year. Nevertheless, the available amount of Electricity and Gas oil & diesel rose markedly by 44.1% and 9.8% respectively over the first quarter of 2006, whilst Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and Fuel oil dropped by 14.8% and 3.4% respectively. In comparison with the second quarter of 2005, consumption of Electricity and LPG rose by 14.5% and 6.4% respectively, whereas Fuel oil and Gas oil & diesel dropped 9.1% and 4.3% respectively. Compared with the first quarter of 2006, consumption of Electricity and Gas oil & diesel rose by 49.9% and 27.3% respectively, whereas LPG and Fuel oil registered decreases of 14.2% and 2.7% respectively. With respect to the import quantity of fuels in the second quarter of 2006, Common kerosene (kerosene for illumination) grew 26.7% and Aviation kerosene was up 18.2% year-on-year, while Gas oil & diesel registered the most decrease of 28.4%. In comparison with the first quarter of 2006, import quantity of Gas oil & diesel and Common kerosene (kerosene for illumination) grew by 18.8% and 17.5% respectively, while LPG and Fuel oil shrank by 22.9% and 3.7%. In the second quarter of 2006, the total import value of liquid and gas fuels reached MOP841 million, up 15.6% year-on-year and 8.3% over the first quarter of 2006. At the end of the second quarter of 2006, the list prices of all fuels went up compared with the end of the second quarter of 2005, among which those of Fuel oil and Common kerosene (kerosene for illumination) rose markedly by 26.8% and 25.3% respectively. Compared with the end of the first quarter of 2006, the list prices of Fuel oil and Common kerosene (kerosene for illumination) rose 12.4% and 11.2% respectively.
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The International Workshop on Integrating Activities of the Hydrology, Meteorology and DPP components of the Typhoon Committee into the Related International Frameworks for Disaster Risk Management for Better Impacts and Visibility will taken place in Macao in the period of 4 to 9 September 2006, where it congregates hydrologists, meteorologists and disaster prevention and preparedness scientists coming from 13 Members of the Typhoon Committee in the Asia-Pacific region and the World Meteorological Organization, the Economic and Social Commission for Asia-Pacific and from the Typhoon Committee Secretariat. This International Workshop is one of the activities in the current year program activities of this Committee and his objective is for promoting, coordinating and integrating activities of hydrology, meteorology and disaster prevention and preparedness components of the Typhoon Committee into the Related International Frameworks for Disater Risk Management for Better Impacts and Visibility. The Typhoon Committee was founded in 1968 under the auspicious of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia-Pacific and World Meteorological Organization a specialized agency of the United Nations with the aim to mitigate the consequences derived from typhoons in the economic and social aspects in the countries and regions of this Committee. Macao, China since the becoming of the Member of the Typhoon Committee in 1992, has collaborated and actively participated in the activities and meetings of cooperation technique. Macao hosted successfully two annual Sessions of this Committee, in the year 1994 and 2000, and a Typhoon Committee Workshop of Hydrology in between, reaching to a new stage of development in the area of meteorology, and disaster prevention and preparedness greatly enhanced Macao’s international status. And this is reflected in last Session, in Hanoi, Vietnam in 2005 that was selected to host the Secretariat of this prestigious Committee for the next four years. This workshop is one of the biggest in the numbers of participants in the meetings of this Committee as well as meetings that SMG has organized. This shows the confidence of the Members in Macao ability to host meeting and also the importance of this workshop for the future work of Typhoon Committee. It will have 70 participants from 13 of 14 Members of the Committee and internationals organizations. The Members of Typhoon Committee are: Cambodia; China; Democratic People’s Republic of Korea; Hong Kong, China; Japan; Lao People’s Democratic Republic; Macao, China; Malaysia; The Philippines; Republic of Korea; Singapore; Thailand; Socialist Republic of Viet Nam and the United States of America. It will be a prestige for Macao to receive and to organize jointly with ESCAP/WMO this International Workshop, where the produced results are unquestionably beneficial for the technician of the SMG and the future development of the Committee and Macao, China prestige overseas.
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The Chief Executive, Mr Edmund Ho Hau Wah, will leave for Xiamen, Fujian Province, tomorrow to attend the opening ceremony of two trade events. Mr Ho is to deliver a speech at the opening ceremony of the First Forum on West Coast Economic Zone of Taiwan Strait on 7 September, and attend the opening ceremony of the 10th China International Fair for Investment and Trade (CIFIT) the following day. The Secretary for Economy and Finance, accompanied by senior officials from other departments, will also attend the two events with about 80 businesspeople from Macao. The Secretary for Transport and Public Works, Mr Ao Man Long, will be the Acting Chief Executive while Mr Ho is away.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service indicates that, in July 2006, Macao’s total value of exports amounted to MOP2.00 billion, up 8.7% over the same month of 2005. Among this, the value of domestic exports surged 10.8% to MOP1.51 billion and the value of re-exports rose 2.8% to MOP488 million. Value of imports amounted to MOP3.15 billion, up 8.5% over the same period of 2005. A trade deficit of MOP1.16 billion was recorded this month. During the period of January – July 2006, the value of total exports increased 33.8% year-on-year to MOP12.34 billion. In addition, both the values of domestic exports and re-exports increased 45.5% and 9.5% respectively. Moreover, the value of imports amounted to MOP20.54 billion, up 25.7% over the same period of 2005. In the first seven months of 2006, Macao’s trade balance registered a deficit of MOP8.20 billion. During this period, the exports/imports ratio increased from 56.4% in the corresponding period of 2005 to 60.1%. In the first seven months of 2006, the value of Textile & garment exports, which accounted for 74.8% of the total exports, grew 35.4% over the same period of 2005. In addition, the value of Non-textile exports also rose 29.3%. As the major components of non-textile exports, Machines & apparatus, parts & accessories thereof and Footwear both expanded 9.2% and 313.3% respectively year-on-year. The USA and the EU remained as Macao’s major export markets, together making up 67.2% of the total value of exports. Among this, exports to the USA, which made up 47.5% of the total value of exports, increased 33.2% over the same period of 2005; exports to the EU, which made up 19.7% of the total value of exports, also increased 133.0% over the same period of 2005. During the period of January – July 2006, Macao’s total value of imports grew 25.7% year-on-year, mainly due to the increase in the value of imports by broad economic categories, namely Fuels & lubricants (42.6%), Consumer goods (29.2%), Raw materials & semi-manufactures (23.0%) and Capital goods (15.2%). Meanwhile, Macao’s main suppliers of imported goods still concentrated in the Asian region. Imports from Mainland China and Hong Kong together constituted 55.7% of the total value of imports. Compared with the same period of 2005, the value of imports from Mainland China and Hong Kong rose 38.4% and 30.0% respectively.
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The aeronautical authorities of Macao and Vietnam held air consultations in Macao on 30 August 2006 to discuss the enhancement of the air transport market between the two places. The meeting was held in a cordial and friendly atmosphere and generated satisfactory results with the signing of a new Memorandum of Understanding. The signatories were the President of the Civil Aviation Authority of Macao SAR (AACM), Mr. Chan Weng Hong and the Deputy General Director of the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam (CAAV), Mr. Pham Quy Tieu. The bilateral Air Services Agreement between Macao and Vietnam was signed in 1996 and the old Memorandum of Understanding in 1995. According to the Agreement and the old Memorandum, each side could only designate one airline and operate 2 flights per week. The new Memorandum eliminates the limitations on capacity, frequency and aircraft type and multiple designation of airlines is allowed. Scheduled air services between Macao and Ho Chi Minh City were once operated by Pacific Airlines of Vietnam between 1996 and 1998. Since both Macao and Vietnam possess rich tourism resources, the two parties hope that the liberal conditions now created for the air transport market between the two places can attract airlines to resume the route or explore new routes so that the cooperation on economy and tourism between Macao and Vietnam can be enhanced. Since the handover and the liberalization of the gaming industry, Macao’s economy has been booming. The implementation of the individual traveling market by the mainland has led to an immense increase in the number of tourists to Macao. The aviation market also reports satisfactory growth. To cope with the demand of the air transport market in the present time and in the future, AACM reviews the already signed air services agreements from time to time and will actively hold discussions with the other aeronautical authorities for creating a more liberal market when there is such a need. For example, AACM held meetings with the aeronautical authorities of Thailand and Malaysia respectively in September 2004 and April 2006 and renewed the two Memoranda of Understanding. In both Memoranda, very liberal conditions are created for the development of both passenger and cargo market between Macao and the two places.
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Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) releases information on the expenditure-based GDP for the second quarter of 2006 as follows. The growth rates in this release refer to the real growth rates of the reference period over the same period of the previous year, unless otherwise specified. In the second quarter, gross gaming receipts went up 11.0% in nominal terms when compared with the same quarter of last year; and investment grew rapidly on the back of several large-scale construction projects in progress. Total visitor spending (excluding gaming expenses) rose 15.7% upon increases in the number of arrivals and per-capita spending of visitors. Exports of goods rose further, with a real growth of 43.7%. Estimated from all relevant data, GDP growth in the second quarter was 16.3% in real terms. Besides, the growth in the first quarter was revised upwards, from 18.8% to 19.2%. In terms of major GDP components, private consumption expenditure in the second quarter of 2006 increased 6.5%, slightly lower than the 7.0% in the first quarter. Household final consumption expenditure in the domestic market rose 7.6% while that abroad fell 2.2%. Government final consumption expenditure increased 5.1%, higher than the 1.1% in the first quarter. Compensation of employees was up 4.4% and net purchases of goods and services rose 7.4%. Gross fixed capital formation, a gauge of investment, showed a sustained robust expansion and rose substantially by 54.8%, lower than the 67.2% in the first quarter. In the private sector, total investment recorded an increase of 61.5% mainly because investment in construction surged 84.8%; investment in equipment rose 20.5%. On the other hand, total government investment dropped 4.2%, in which investment in construction and in equipment decreased 3.0% and 15.0% respectively. Based on the data of the private sector and the government, total investment in construction expanded 72.5% in the second quarter of 2006, lower than the 94.9% in the first quarter; total investment in equipment increased 19.4%, higher than the 18.6% in the first quarter. In terms of visible trade, growth in exports of goods expanded from 36.4% in the first quarter to 43.3% in nominal terms, or from 36.9% to 43.7% in real terms. In nominal terms, exports of goods to the United States and the European Union grew 42.4% and 212.7% respectively. Total import value of goods surged 34.1% and 28.6% in nominal and real terms respectively, both higher than the corresponding 32.6% and 28.0% in the first quarter. As regards invisible trade (exports of services), exports of gaming services rose 10.0%; total visitor spending increased 15.7% as a result of rises of 15.9% and 10.0% recorded respectively in the number of visitor arrivals and per-capita spending of visitors (excluding gaming expenses); exports of other services also posted a double-digit growth. Based on integrated data of the exports of services, total exports of invisible trade recorded an increase of 12.1%, a growth slightly lower than the 16.0% in the first quarter. Moreover, imports of services grew 14.9%, higher than the 12.4% in the first quarter.
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According to the results of the Employment Survey released by the Statistics and Census Service, unemployment rate for May - July 2006 was 3.9%, up slightly by 0.1 percentage point over April - June 2006, on account of the increasing number of job-seekers during the summer holiday period. However, the unemployment rate decreased by 0.3 percentage point compared with the same period of 2005. The underemployment rate was 1.1%, down by 0.1 and 0.4 percentage point respectively over the preceding period and the same period of 2005. About 1,300 unemployed persons were searching for their first job, representing 11.9% of the total unemployed population, up by 2.3 percentage points over the preceding period. Compared with the previous period, the unemployment situation was improved in the Hotel industry; Real estate, renting & business activities; and the Construction sector, but the situation was less favourable in Other community, social & personal service activities (except Gaming) and the Wholesale & retail trade. Total labour force was estimated at 278,000 in May - July 2006; the employed and the unemployed populations were 267,000 and 11,000 respectively. Labour force participation rate was 65.9%, up by 0.6 and 3.3 percentage points respectively over the preceding period and the same period of 2005.
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According to the information released by the Statistics and Census Service, resident population of Macao was estimated at 503,000 as at 30 June 2006, an increase of about 26,000 compared with the same period of 2005. In the second quarter of 2006, there were 931 cases of live birth, a slight decrease of 0.5% over the previous quarter. Among the live births, 51.2% were male. Number of mortality cases reported was 376, of which the major causes were “Malignant neoplasms” and “Diseases of the circulatory system”. Moreover, 6 cases of fetal death were recorded. In this quarter, the Health Bureau received 888 cases of Notifiable diseases, including 358 cases of “Varicella (chickenpox)”, 276 cases of “Enterovirus infection” and 104 cases of “Tuberculosis of lung”. Meanwhile, 493 cases of marriage were registered, down by 4.1% compared with the first quarter of 2006, but increased by 22.6% over the second quarter of 2005. Regarding the migratory flow, number of legal immigrants from Mainland China totalled 947 in the second quarter of 2006, an increase of 3.6% compared with the same period of 2005; besides, 238 illegal immigrants were repatriated. The end-period balance of non-resident workers was 50,247 in the second quarter of 2006, up 2,371 and 19,150 persons respectively compared with the previous quarter and the second quarter of 2005.
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