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The Chief Executive, Mr Edmund Ho Hau Wah, will deliver his Policy Address for the Fiscal Year 2007 on 16 November (Thursday). The session, to be held in the Legislative Assembly at 3 pm, will be followed by a press conference at 5 pm in Government Headquarters. These will be broadcasted live on the Portal Website of the Macao SAR (http://www.gov.mo) and the website of the Legislative Assembly (http://www.al.gov.mo). Chinese and Portuguese versions of the Policy Address will be available on the websites. On 17 November (Friday), Mr Ho will attend a plenary meeting of the Legislative Assembly to answer questions raised by the legislators. Teledifusão de Macao and Radio Macao will also carry live broadcasts of the Policy Address, the press conference and the plenary meeting. On 20 November (Monday), the Legislative Assembly will discuss the budget of the Government for the Fiscal Year 2007. From 22 November (Wednesday) to 1 December (Friday), the five Secretaries will attend five sessions of plenary meeting of the Legislative Assembly, to introduce their policies and answer the legislators' questions.
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The Chief Executive, Mr Edmund Ho Hau Wah, today met with the Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union, Mr Alpha Oumar Konaré. Mr and Mrs Konaré arrived in Macao for an one-day visit in the morning. The Chairperson paid a courtesy call on the Chief Executive, and attended a luncheon hosted by Mr Ho. Mr Konaré visited Hong Kong and Macao after attending the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) earlier on. Mr Konaré was elected the President of Mali in 1992 and was re-elected in 1997. He became the Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union in 2003.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service shows that there were 1,242 industrial establishments operating in 2005, a decrease of 32 units (-2.5%) over 2004. Total number of persons engaged was 35,745, down 4.9%. Gross output and gross value added amounted to MOP15.906 billion (-5.4%) and MOP3.924 billion (-0.2%) respectively compared with 2004. In the manufacturing sector, there were 1,238 establishments engaging 34,688 persons, which represented decreases of 2.5% and 5.2% respectively over 2004. Analyzed by size of establishments, the 967 establishments (78.1% of the total) with less than 30 persons engaged employed 19.2% of the total workforce, with 6,657 persons. In contrast, the 85 establishments (6.9% of the total) with 100 or more persons engaged absorbed 49.1% of the total workforce, with 17,018 persons. Gross output of the manufacturing sector registered a year-on-year decrease of 10.8% to MOP12.633 billion; gross value added amounted to MOP2.55 billion, down 1.6%. Manufacture of wearing apparel and manufacture of textiles accounted for the biggest shares of the manufacturing sector, with gross output reaching MOP7.704 billion (-12.5%) and MOP2.0 billion (-29.5%), and gross value added amounting to MOP1.469 billion (-5.0%) and MOP306 million (-23.9%) respectively. There were 3 electricity, gas and water supply establishments operating in 2005, with 1,032 persons engaged, up 4.0% over 2004. Gross output increased by 23.4% to MOP3.254 billion, while gross value added rose by 2.8% to MOP1.364 billion.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service indicated that in the first three quarters of 2006, 9,892 contracts of sales and purchases of real estate were made, with value of MOP8.52 billion, down 40.5% and 38.0% respectively over the same period of 2005. In the third quarter of 2006, a total of 3,465 contracts of sales and purchases of real estate were made, of which 4,552 real estate units were transacted, a year-on-year decrease of 26.1%. The corresponding total value went up 3.8% to MOP3.68 billion. In comparison with the second quarter of 2006, the number and value increased 12.1% and 41.8% respectively. In the first three quarters of 2006, the total value of mortgage credits reached MOP60.6 billion, up 4 times year-on-year. In the third quarter of 2006, the total value of mortgage credits was MOP17.68 billion, of which the mortgage credits not involving actual property transactions reached MOP16.5 billion, whereas those related to purchases of real estate was MOP1.18 billion, equivalent to 6.7% of the total. The total value surged 4.3 times over the third quarter of 2005, and the credits involving actual property transactions registered a decrease of 29.1%. Compared with the second quarter of 2006, the above indicators were down 56.1% and up 0.2% respectively. According to the information supplied by the Finance Services Bureau, a total of 16,421 units were transacted in the real estate market in the first three quarters of 2006, with value of MOP13.32 billion. In the third quarter of 2006, the number of units transacted was 6,024 with a total value of MOP5.25 billion. The majority was residential units (63.3% of the total; 3,811 units), accounting for MOP3.28 billion in value. Among all the units transacted, 940 units were exempted from property tax (i.e. they were new buildings) and their value amounted to MOP1.5 billion. In the third quarter of 2006, the average transaction price of residential units per square meter of usable area was MOP11,317, up 1.4% and 13.1% over the third quarter of 2005 and second quarter of 2006 respectively. Meanwhile, the average transaction prices of residential units in the Macao Peninsula and Taipa were MOP10,275 and MOP14,620 per square meter respectively, higher than the levels recorded in the third quarter of 2005 and second quarter of 2006. Moreover, the average transaction price of residential units in Coloane was MOP14,902 per square meter, down 7.2% compared with the third quarter of 2005. The average transaction price of industrial units per square meter of usable area continued to rise, reaching MOP4,450 in the third quarter, up 32.8% and 16.1% over the third quarter of 2005 and second quarter of 2006 respectively. In addition, the average transaction price of office units per square meter of usable area was MOP19,579, up 31.1% and 10.9% over the third quarter of 2005 and second quarter of 2006 respectively. Among the office units, the area of Praia Grande and Penha recorded the highest average, at MOP23,433 per square meter, whereas the area of NAPE and Aterros da Baía da Praia Grande had the lowest average, at MOP17,290.
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Data collection for “Macao Health Survey 2006” has been completed in late October after a period of more than four months. The survey was jointly organized by the Health Bureau of the Macao SAR government and the Macao Polytechnic Institute to study the prevalence of selected diseases and risk factors among the adult population in Macao. This is the first health survey in Macao with an approach of a random sample of population and a representative sample size, in a total of 3,120 participants. The next step will be data entry and data analysis. According to the plan, a final report of the survey will be presented in the end of next year. The government will then have more details about the health status of the Macao inhabitants. The Coordination Committee of the “Macao Health Survey 2006” appreciates the support from the society and particularly, all the participants in the survey, as well as the strict collaboration from all personnel involved in the total process. For inquiries or suggestions, please call “Macao Health Survey 2006” coordination center at 5976114 from 3:00 pm to 10:00 pm during Monday to Friday.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service indicated that due to the implementation of various large-scale construction projects in 2005, the construction sector registered significant increases in all principal indicators. Overall, there were 1,419 establishments operating in licensed construction works, a year-on-year increase of 29.4%; gross output (sum of the total value of works performed plus other receipts) and gross value added amounted to MOP19.522 billion and MOP2.954 billion, up 114.9% and 104.7% over 2004 respectively. Number of persons engaged totalled 15,986 (excluding labour-only sub-contractors and their employees), up 52.6% compared with 2004. Among the 355 main contractors, 130 were engaged in the construction of buildings and civil engineering, with their census output amounted to MOP12.889 billion (84.7% of the total census output of all main contractors). Moreover, 70 were engaged in special installation and their respective census output was MOP1.136 billion (7.4% of the total). Amongst the 997 licensed construction projects, 498 were government projects and 499 were private construction projects, representing 20.1% (MOP3.903 billion) and 79.9% (MOP15.485 billion) of the total census output repectively. In terms of the location of construction, the Macao Peninsula topped with 798 operations (80.0% of the total) of which the majority were located in the parish of Sé, with 322 operations (32.3% of the total). Analyzed by the end-use of the completed construction, 55 were hotels, gaming and tourism facilities, while 196 were residential facilities, which accounted for 63.1% and 10.8% of the total census output respectively. Total consumption of the establishments incurred in 2005 was MOP16.568 billion. Among the components, 61.7% were payments to fee sub-contractors; 27.8% were consumption of materials, supplies and maintenance services, and remaining 10.5% were rentals for buildings, machinery and equipment, as well as payments for architectural design, surveying, project management and other contractual services.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service indicated that number of licensed vehicles in Macao reached 160,901 at the end of September 2006, of which 52% (83,240) were motorcycles and 41% (66,453) were private vehicles. Registration of new vehicles grew by 2% year-on-year to 13,515 in the first nine months of the year, with motorcycles and light vehicles accounted for 62% and 34% respectively. From January to September of 2006, there were 9,723 cases of traffic accidents, a drop of 2% over the same period of 2005, resulting in 3,333 casualties and 13 of them were killed. Traffic flow by land between Macao and Mainland China rose by 6% to 2,435,988 vehicle trips in the first nine months of 2006. The Border Gate was the major passage that took up 81% of the total, while the Checkpoint of CoTai recorded 470,427 vehicle trips. Moreover, arrivals and departures of commercial flights at the Macao International Airport totalled 35,583, up by 12% over the same period of 2005. Taiwan, China and Mainland China were the major routes that accounted for 48% and 35% of the total commercial flights to/from Macao. At the Outer Harbour, helicopter flights between Macao and Hong Kong registered a 1% year-on-year increase to 12,170, whereas 2,172 helicopter flights were recorded between Macao and Mainland China. Passenger transport by sea between Hong Kong and Macao rose marginally by 0.03% to 59,849 ferry trips from the same period of 2005, while passenger ferry between Macao and Mainland China surged significantly by 36% to 11,032 trips. For containerized cargo, total seaborne container throughput reached 98,911 TEUs or 69,954 seaborne containers handled, up 20% and 17% compared with the first nine months of 2005. In addition, gross weight of seaborne containerized cargo in the first three quarters of 2006 increased by 13% over 2005 to 240,475 tonnes, of which 53,685 tonnes were transshipment goods; meanwhile, gross weight of containerized cargo by land decreased by 9% to 60,057 tonnes, including 40,831 tonnes of transit goods. Outward air cargo handled at the Macao International Airport registered a year-on-year decrease of 1% to 63,503 tonnes in the first nine months of 2006. Taiwan, China was the major destination that accounted for 66% of the total, followed by Mainland China and Luxembourg, representing 15% and 8% respectively. Concurrently, inward air cargo fell by 8% to 18,456 tonnes, of which those from Taiwan, China took up 89% of the total. In addition, transit cargo by air increased by 14% year-on-year to 81,516 tonnes.
At the end of September 2006, number of fixed line telephone totalled 176,229; mobile telephone and stored value GSM card users reached 613,296 when the number of internet services subscribers increased by 20% to 102,752. The cumulative usage of internet services reached 86.55 million hours in the first nine months of the year, up by 54% over the same period of 2005.
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Com base nos resultados do Inquérito ao Emprego, a Direcção dos Serviços de Estatística e Censos divulga as seguintes informações: a taxa de desemprego entre Julho e Setembro de 2006 desceu 0,1 pontos percentuais face ao período anterior (Junho a Agosto de 2006), situando-se nos 3,8%, e registou um decréscimo de 0,3 pontos percentuais em relação ao período homólogo de 2005. A taxa de subemprego foi de 1,0%, igual à do período de Junho a Agosto de 2006, mas decresceu 0,5 pontos percentuais em comparação com o período homólogo de 2005. O número de desempregados à procura do primeiro emprego foi de cerca de 1.400, isto é, 13,5% do total da população desempregada, o que representa uma subida de 2,1 pontos percentuais em relação ao período anterior. Relativamente ao período anterior, verificou-se uma melhoria na situação de desemprego nos ramos das actividades imobiliárias e serviços prestados às empresas, dos transportes, armazenagem e comunicações e dos hotéis, restaurantes e similares, enquanto que no sector da construção, se registou uma situação menos favorável. No período de Julho a Setembro de 2006, a população activa era estimada em 282 milhares de pessoas, das quais 271 milhares estavam empregadas e 11 milhares encontravam-se desempregadas. A taxa de actividade foi de 65,9%, representando um ligeiro decréscimo de 0,1 pontos percentuais face ao período de Junho a Agosto de 2006, mas uma subida de 2,5 pontos percentuais em relação ao período homólogo de 2005. Com base nos dados administrativos fornecidos pela Direcção dos Serviços para os Assuntos Laborais e pelo Corpo de Polícia de Segurança Pública, o número total de trabalhadores que possuem o título de identificação de trabalhador não-residente, no final de Setembro de 2006, era de 56.553, subindo 12,6% face ao final de Junho de 2006. Divulga-se em anexo os dados relativos à quantidade de trabalhadores não-residentes por ramo de actividade económica.
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Boosted by encouraging gaming revenue in the third quarter and steady increase in visitors, Macao's GDP in 2006 is expected to grow by 10 pert cent, the Secretary for Economy and Finance, Mr Francis Tam Pak Yuen, said today. Speaking when he was interviewed by the press after attending an event, Mr Tam said he expected the gaming tax for the year would increase by about 15 per cent. He expected to see pay rises for workers in Macao as the economy continued to expand.
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The Government would subsidise needy families and social services organisations in buying bottled water once the four-level ‘Potable Water Salinity Classification Scale’ rose to ‘Moderate’ (yellow). In the meantime, the Macao Water Company would also distribute two million bottles of distilled water to the elderly and the disabled, by teams of volunteers organised by the Social Welfare Bureau. The Salinity Response Task Force today announced these and other initiatives to relieve difficulties caused by the seasonal period of increased salinity in potable water. Financially vulnerable people and families on Social Welfare Bureau subsidies would be given 90 patacas each per month, 50 per cent up from last year, to buy bottled water to dilute potable water. The subsidies, costing the Government about 1.45 million patacas each month, would benefit about 6,500 families, or 16,100 people. Moreover, 135 social services facilities -- nursery schools, centres for children, youth, the elderly and the disabled -- that had been receiving subsidies would be given certain varying sums of subsidies by the Government. This is expected to help about 12,000 people, at a cost of 300,000 patacas each month. Meanwhile, volunteers organised by the Social Welfare Bureau and more than 20 NGOs would distribute bottled water to those who in need. The Macao Water Company would not collect the minimum charge from consumers starting next month to February 2007, and would offer further reduction when the salinity scale reached 'Fairly High' (orange).
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