News

The Government of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) was informed by the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in the Macao SAR that, since 24 December 2008, holders of the Macao SAR Passport are exempted from visa requirements when entering Bosnia and Herzegovina for a stay of maximum 90 days. On the basis of reciprocity, nationals of Bosnia and Herzegovina are also exempted from visa requirements when entering the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) for a stay of maximum 90 days. At present, a total of 78 countries and territories have agreed to grant visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to the Macao SAR passport holders, while 9 countries have agreed to grant the visa-free access to the Macao SAR Travel Permit holders.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that the unemployment rate for January-March 2009 was 3.8% and the underemployment rate was 1.8%, up by 0.2 and 0.1 percentage point respectively over the previous period (December 2008 - February 2009). Total labour force was 333,000 in January-March 2009, an increase of 1,600 over the previous period, with the employed population rising by 800 to 320,000. The labour force participation rate was 72.4%, same as that in the preceding period. The unemployed population was 13,000, an increase of 800 over the previous period. By industry, the increase in the number of the unemployed was more noticeable in Construction and Retail Trade. Among the unemployed, 10.5% (1,300) were fresh labour force entrants searching for their first job, down by 1.1 percentage points over the preceding period. In comparison with January-March 2008, the unemployment rate and the underemployment rate went up by 0.9 and 0.3 percentage point respectively, while the labour force participation rate fell by 0.7 percentage point. In the first quarter of 2009, the unemployment rate of local residents stood at 4.8%, up by 0.8 percentage point over the fourth quarter of 2008; the labour force participation rate of local residents dropped by 0.2 percentage point to 67.0%.
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A Macao woman who returned from the United States of America with mild influenza is not carrying the Influenza A (H1N1) and has been discharged from hospital, the Health Bureau announced this evening. The 25-year-old woman, who returned from California via Taipei and Hong Kong, had developed slight influenza symptoms but no fever. She went to Kiang Wu Hospital and was transferred to Hospital Conde S. Januário for further diagnosis. After tests, she was ruled out from carrying influenza A (H1N1) virus and was discharged. The Ministry of Health of the Central Government notified Macao that a Macao male resident took the same flight from Shanghai to Guangdong with a Mexican who was later confirmed as carrying influenza A (H1N1) virus. The Macao resident, aged 45, had not entered Macao, according to immigration records. The Health Bureau is trying to locate him to follow up on his health condition. The Department Health of Hong Kong notified of Macao that no Macao resident sat close to the Mexican confirmed with the virus on the flight. Three Macao women who stayed at the Metropark Hotel, where Hong Kong's first confirmed case stayed, were sent to Lady MacLehose Holiday Village for quarantine for seven days. The Health Bureau would follow up on their situation and provide necessary assistance. To date there is no probable or confirmed human case of influenza A (H1N1) in Macao.
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The Department of Health of Hong Kong has notified the Health Bureau of Macao of a confirmed case of influenza A (H1N1) in Hong Kong today. Macao health authorities decided that all visitors entering Macao from Border Gate Checkpoint and Taipa Temporary Ferry Terminal are required to declare their health situation from 12 noon tomorrow. It was announced yesterday that Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal and Macau International Airport would begin the health declaration measures today. The Health Bureau said visitors coming from Mexico are required to go through a thorough health check upon their arrival. People returned from Mexico, the United States and affect places are urged to pay special attention to their health. Should they present with fever, cough, sore throat, they must seek medical attention at Hospital Conde S. Januário and Kiang Wu Hospital immediately. The Health Bureau would continue to keep close contact with the health authorities of the Mainland and Hong Kong. To date there was no probable or confirmed human case of swine influenza A (H1N1) in Macao.
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The Government plans to raise the excise duty for cigarettes by 300 per cent, from the present 0.05 pataca per stick to 0.20 pataca per stick. Spokesperson for the Executive Council, Mr Tong Chi Kin, said today the Executive Council had discussed a draft-law on revising excise duty, which would raise excise duty for each kilogramme of tobacco from 20 patacas to 80 patacas and each kilogramme of cigar from 70 patacas to 280 patacas. The hikes will come into effect should the Legislative Assembly passes the draft-law, which it would discuss it in an urgent procedure, said Mr Tong. He said the excise duty for tobacco has remained at the current level for quite a long period and it was much lower than that of the neighbouring regions. With growing concerns of the hazards of smoking, the local community had urged the authorities to control the number of smokers and raise the excise duty, Mr Tong said.
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The Chief Executive, Mr Edmund Ho Hau Wah, said today the Government would do its utmost in the fight against influenza A (H1N1) and protect the people of Macao. Mr Ho said this when he attended a reception for the celebration of the Labour Day. Speaking on the employment situation in Macao, Mr Ho said the Government would continue to introduce public construction projects, set up social enterprises and co-operate with the business sector in order to produce more jobs. The Government would push forward the legislation on more severe punishment for illegal workers and their employers by taking the related provisions out of the Imported Labour Law for a speedy legislation. Mr Ho said the Government would continue to crack down on illegal workers and their employers to protect the job opportunities for local workers.
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Macao decided to raise its alert to pandemic from level III to level IV tomorrow to better prepare for the possible outbreak of swine influenza. The World Health Organization raised the level of influenza pandemic alert from phase 4 to 5 yesterday due to the development of the pandemic. The Chairman of Influenza Pandemic Prevention Coordination Group and the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Mr Chui Sai On, said Macao would step up its preventive measures to fight against the influenza. These included activating the separation of outpatients with fever or respiratory diseases at hospitals, requiring all visitors entering from Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal and Macau International Airport to declare their health situation, and restricting staff of health departments from applying for holidays. Mr Chui visited an infectious disease rehabilitation centre, three major immigration terminals and the Hospital Conde S. Januário to inspect Macao’s facilities and equipment in preventing the disease. He said Macao would continue to follow the instructions of the World Health Organization and attach its greatest efforts in the combat against the disease.
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The Monetary Authority of Macao announced today that the preliminary estimate of Macao SAR’s foreign exchange reserves amounted to MOP134.3 billion (USD16.83 billion) at the end of March 2009. The reserves rose by 2.1% from the revised value of MOP131.6 billion (USD16.48 billion) for the previous month. When compared with the same period last year, the reserves increased by MOP19.4 billion or 16.9%. Macao SAR’s foreign exchange reserves at end-March 2009 represented 29 times the currency in circulation or 241.5% of Pataca M2 at end-February 2009. 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 slightly by 0.01 point month-to-month and 5.79 points year-on-year to 93.26 in March 2009. For enquiry, please contact: Research and Statistics Department, Monetary Authority of Macao (Tel: 83952532; Fax: 28353042)
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that the average daily wage of construction workers was MOP542 in the first quarter of 2009, up by 3.0% quarter-to-quarter. The average daily wage of skilled & semi-skilled workers rose by 1.5% to MOP557, of which structural iron erectors (MOP707), plant operators (MOP667) and concrete formwork carpenters (MOP643) were earning higher average wages; meanwhile, the average daily wage of unskilled workers (MOP344) registered a decrease of 3.9%. After discounting the effect of inflation, the wage index of construction workers for the first quarter of 2009 was 96.8 in real terms, up slightly by 1.0% over the previous quarter. As regards construction materials, the average price of spiral and round reinforcing steel bars continued its downward trend from the last quarter, falling sharply by 15.9% quarter-to-quarter to MOP5,127 per tonne, and that of concrete declined slightly by 0.6% to MOP317 per cubic metre; however, the average price of cement registered an increase of 4.2%, at MOP651 per tonne. In the first quarter of 2009, the price index of construction materials for residential buildings dropped further by 8.9% quarter-to-quarter to 127.2. Compared with the same quarter of 2008, the price index registered a decrease of 10.8%, owing to a 20.1% and 29.8% plunge in the price indices of steel and electric wires; besides, the price indices of aluminium and concrete went down by 12.4% and 3.6% respectively.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that the value of total exports of goods amounted to MOP642 million in March 2009, down significantly by 51.9% year-on-year, with the value of domestic exports decreasing by 63.9% to MOP277 million and that of re-exports dropping by 35.8% to MOP366 million. The value of total imports of goods amounted to MOP2.73 billion, down by 28.0% year-on-year. A trade deficit of MOP2.09 billion was recorded for March 2009. From January to March 2009, total exports of goods fell by 49.2% year-on-year to MOP2.03 billion, with the value of domestic exports and re-exports declining by 63.5% and 24.0% respectively. Meanwhile, total imports of goods slid by 20.9% to MOP8.21 billion, and the trade deficit for the first three months of 2009 narrowed by 3.2% to MOP6.18 billion. The exports/imports ratio went down by 13.8 percentage points year-on-year to 24.7%. Analysed by the destinations of Macao’s exports, in the first three months of 2009, the value of merchandise exports to the USA, the EU and Mainland China decreased by 70.5%, 61.1% and 35.6% respectively year-on-year. The value of Textile & garment exports declined by 64.0% year-on-year to account for 42.1% of the total exports of goods; meanwhile, the value of Non-textile exports dropped by 27.6%, with exports of Articles of copper falling by 65.8%, but exports of Jewellery rising by 17.6%. Regarding the country of origin of imported goods, the value of imports from Mainland China and Hong Kong dropped by 42.8% and 12.7% respectively year-on-year. The value of imports of all broad economic categories registered year-on-year decreases, of which Raw materials & semi-manufactures dropped by 41.9% and Fuels & lubricants fell by 28.9%; meanwhile, the value of imports of Consumer goods recorded a slower decrease of 6.7%, with that of Food and beverages rising by 10.2%.
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