News

Statistics and Census Service released the results of Manpower Needs and Wages Survey for the third quarter of 2005. The survey coverage included Manufacturing; Electricity, gas & water supply; Hotels & restaurants; and Financial intermediation sectors, but excluded all own-account workers and intermediary not directly employed by insurance companies. Information on the number of employees, vacancies and earnings was extrapolated based on the results obtained from 627 statistical units successfully interviewed, which was given as follows: At the end of the third quarter of 2005, the Manufacturing sector had 31,554 paid employees, with 22,394 working in the manufacture of wearing apparel. Compared with the same period of 2004, number of paid employees in the Manufacturing sector decreased 12.9%. In September 2005, average monthly earnings (excluding year-end bonuses, holiday allowances, profit-sharing bonuses and other similar bonuses) for full time employees in this sector was MOP 4,388, up by 5.8% over the same month of 2004. Electricity, gas & water supply sector had 1,033 paid employees, down 1.4% over the third quarter of 2004. Average monthly earnings in this sector increased by 4.2% over September 2004 to MOP 18,660. Hotels & restaurants sector had 21,184 paid employees, with 12,311 working in the restaurant industry. Compared with the third quarter of 2004, number of paid employees in Hotels & restaurants sector surged 9.9%; average monthly earnings increased by 2.8% to MOP 5,676. Financial intermediation sector had 4,414 paid employees, with 3,767 working in banking. Compared with the third quarter of 2004, number of paid employees in the Financial intermediation sector increased 6.3%; average monthly earnings went up by 3.0% to MOP 13,159. At the end of September 2005, the Manufacturing sector had 6,272 vacancies, of which 4,626 were in the manufacture of wearing apparel. Hotels & restaurants sector had 2,724 vacancies, Financial intermediation sector and Electricity, gas & water supply sector had 102 and 50 vacant posts respectively. In terms of recruitment prerequisites, over 85% of the vacant posts in the Manufacturing sector required working experience. Nearly all the vacant posts in the Electricity, gas & water supply sector and the Financial intermediation sector required senior secondary or higher in educational attainment. Besides Cantonese, English (99.0%) and Mandarin (81.4%) were the more preferable language skills needed for the vacancies in the Financial intermediation sector, while English was required for all the vacant posts in the Electricity, gas & water supply sector.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service indicated that in October 2005, visitor arrivals in package tours totalled 215,510, up 5.8% over October 2004. Visitors from Mainland China (168,607) increased 7.7% year-on-year; visitors from Taiwan, China (21,775) decreased 11.9% and those from Hong Kong (9,418) increased 2.6%. In the first ten months of 2005, arrivals in package tours grew 6.9% over the same period of 2004 to 2,145,419. Number of Macao residents travelling in package tours totalled 23,095 in October 2005, a year-on-year increase of 43.3%. Mainland China; Taiwan, China; and Thailand were three of the more popular tour itineraries, which accounted for 85.1%, 4.1% and 3.3% of the total respectively. In the first ten months of 2005, Macao residents travelling in package tours showed a notable increase of 47.7% over the same period of 2004. Meanwhile, 27,486 Macao residents travelled under own arrangements with the assistance of travel agencies, an increase of 33.7% over October 2004; Mainland China (37.6%); Hong Kong (24.8%); and Taiwan, China (16.9%) were the major destinations. In the first ten months of 2005, Macao residents travelling under such arrangements rose 8.9% compared with the same period of 2004. At the end of October 2005, there were 10,635 rooms available in hotels and similar establishments, an increase of 1,557 rooms (+17.2%) over October 2004. In October 2005, a total of 351,692 guests checked into hotels and similar establishments in Macao, up 5.9% over October 2004. The average hotel occupancy rate fell by 1.8 percentage points to 75.3% compared with the same month of 2004; the highest average hotel occupancy rate was in 3-star hotels, at 84.3%. The average length of stay of hotel guests showed an increase of 0.08 night over October 2004 to 1.25 nights. The majority of the guests came from Mainland China (59.0%); Hong Kong (25.0%); and Taiwan, China (3.5%). In the first ten months of 2005, number of hotel guests recorded a year-on-year increase of 2.8% to 3,346,624. In the first ten months of 2005, hotel guests (excluding Macao residents) accounted for 42.8% of the total number of tourists, which was lower than the 45.6% recorded in the same period of 2004.
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Due to renovation works, the information counter located at Largo do Senado, No. 9, Edif. Ritz will be temporarily relocated to the lobby of Central Post Office on Av. Almeida Ribeiro from 9th to 31st December 2005. During the period, the tourist hotline remains unchanged at 333000.
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The Chief Executive, Mr Edmund Ho Hau Wah and the Governor of Guangdong Province, Mr Huang Huahua, today officiated the opening of the Guangdong-Macao Co-operation Joint Conference at the Macao Government Headquarters. According to a joint statement, the two chief executives have placed high value in their various co-operation last year: they have achieved consensus on further mutual complementary co-operation. Mr Huang said trading, livelihood, large-scale infrastructure and port, Greater Pearl River Delta and pan Pearl River Delta, culture and education on science and technology: these were the five main issues Guangdong and Macao delegates should focus on in the next stage co-operation. Mr Ho said the Macao Government would take Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA) as a valuable opportunity and fully promote co-operation between Guangdong and Macao in providing chances for development for the residents. Both sides agreed to implement their plans and to further perfect the co-operation mechanism. Moreover, Guangdong and Macao would actively participate in the deveopment of Henqgin economic-cooperative zone under the principle of the Central Government.
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Development of Hengqin economic co-operative zone will be carried out jointly by the members in the Pan-Pearl River Delta Region, chief executives of Guangdong and Macao said today. The Chief Executive, Mr Edmund Ho and the Governor of Guangdong Province, Mr Huang Huahua, maintained this when they spoke to the press after officiating the Guangdong-Macao Co-operation Joint Conference. The development of Hengqin Island was one of the key issues of the meeting. Mr Ho said it was realistic to develop the Hangqin economic co-operative zone jointly by members of the Pan-Pearl River Delta Region, with Guangdong and Macao playing a “more active role”. He said that it would take much planning to carry out such a task. “It will take time and we should not rush it. This is the only way to ensure a successful development to the benefit of all parties.” Mr Huang said the project proposal for the Hengqin economic co-operative zone had been completed and was now being reviewed by governments in the Pan-Pearl River Delta Region. The next step would be overall planning and preparation for bringing in investments. “A lot have to be done and it must be approved by the Central Government,” said Mr Huang. During the meeting, officials of Guangdong and Macao reviewed the co-operation in the past year and set the course for future co-operation. They also talked over topics such as the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, implementation of facilitated Individual Travel Scheme, trade and investment and co-operation in infrastructures, medical support and rescues, technology, environment protection and education.
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Jointly organized by the Macau Sports Development Board (MSDB), the Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO) and the China-Macau Autosports Club (ACMC), the 2005 Macau International Kart Grand Prix will be staged in Macau on December 17 and 18. This year, the organizer has given the race higher profile by inviting a number of world-class karters to join the Formula A category in addition to the fourth round of the region’s leading karting series - the 2005 Asian Karting Open Championships (AKOC). Director of MGTO João Manuel Costa Antunes, Acting Vice President of MSDB José Maria da Fonseca Tavares, President of the General Assembly of ACMC Lo Keng Chio, President of ACMC Chong Coc Veng were present at the press conference today (December 6) to brief the media about the race arrangement. Macau will host this karting event for the second consecutive year and the previous event was acclaimed as successful by both spectators and competitors alike. New elements are added to bring the race to a new level. The organizer specially invited about 30 world-class karters who had outstanding performance in the CIK-FIA World Karting Championship held in Portugal this September, including the two runners-up Jon Lancaster from the United Kingdom and Davide Fore from Italy, to compete in the Formula A category along with other world leading drivers (see entry list). In addition, the region’s most talented drivers will also battle it out for the fourth round of the 2005 Asian Karting Open Championships. A line up of over 150 competitors from 20 countries and regions, including the United Kingdom, Italy, Denmark, Sweden, France, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Japan, Finland, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, India, Singapore, Korea, Mainland China, Taiwan China, Hong Kong and Macau will take part in various racing categories of the Macau International Kart Grand Prix, including Formula A, Rotax Max Junior, Rotax Max Senior/Veteran, ICA, Formula Cadet 60 and Formula Cadet 85. The youngest racers, Master Pattarapol from Thailand who will compete in the Formula Cadet 60 category and Andy Chang from Hong Kong who will compete in the Formula Cadet 85 category are both only 9 years old. Two young female drivers from the Philippines, 15 years old Harriet Campbell and 16 years old Michele Marie Bumgarner will join the Rotax Max Senior/Veteran and ICA respectively. 2005 Macau International Kart Grand Prix will gather together the best drivers from the world to bring thrilling and high level races to motor fans and visitors alike. And to host this prestigious event, the Karting Track, Coloane has already been issued by the Commission Internationale de Karting – FIA an international grade B karting licence. The venue is fully equipped with a 1.25km circuit, a grandstand which can seat up to 800 spectators, control tower, briefing room, restaurant, VIP rooms – and even has a children’s go-kart circuit. While admission is free, entry will be restricted to holders of admission coupons which are available from December 8 at the main office of the Macau Sports Development Board (Macau Forum, Block 1, 4th floor, Av. Dr. Rodrigo Rodrigues), the China-Macau Autosports Club (Edf. Grande Prémio de Macau, Av. da Amizade, opening hours: 9:30am to 7pm) and 4 tourism information counters of MGTO at the Macau International Airport, Macau Ferry Terminal, Border Gate Checkpoint and Shun Tak Center in Hong Kong. Limited amount of tickets will also be available on site on December 17 and 18. There will be free admission for the practice days on December 15 and 16. The event will be broadcast live on TDM Radio and Metro Radio on December 17 and 18 to bring the excitement to both local and Hong Kong residents. Macau Satellite TV will also transmit a 10-minute highlight of the races on December 17 and 18 through satellite, facilitating more instant and convenient coverage by the international media.
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The Governor of Guangdong Province, Mr Huang Huahua, and his delegation arrived in the Macao Special Administrative Region today for a three-day visit. Mr Huang’s delegation will meet with the Chief Executive, Mr Edmund Ho Hau Wah, and officials of the MSAR Government in the Guangdong-Macao Co-operation Joint Conference tomorrow. On their arrival in the afternoon, delegation members visited the Zhuhai-Macao Cross-Border Industrial Park, where the Guangdong Governor met with the Chief Executive. In the evening, members attended a welcome banquet hosted by the MSAR Government. At the dinner, Mr Ho told the delegation that in the meeting tomorrow, Macao and Guangdong representatives would discuss topics that would be of benefit to long-term development of both regions. He said he was confident that the meeting would achieve satisfying result through mutual support and assistance. Mr Huang in response congratulated Macao on its success in having the “Historical Centre of Macao” listed in the United Nation’s World Heritage list and its success in hosting the 4th East Asian Games. After the banquet, the Guangdong Delegation visited the new Sai Van Bridge.
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The Governor of Guangdong Province, Mr Huang Huahua, is scheduled to lead a delegation to the Macao Special Administrative Region tomorrow for a three-day visit. Mr Huang’s delegation is scheduled to visit the Zhuhai-Macao Cross-Border Industrial Park shortly after their arriving tomorrow afternoon; they have been invited to a welcoming banquet hosted by the MSAR Government. On Tuesday morning, Mr Huang’s delegation will meet with the Chief Executive, Mr Edmund Ho Hau Wah, and other officials of the MSAR Government in the Guangdong-Macao Co-operation Joint Conference. Mr Huang and Mr Ho will meet the media after the meeting. In the afternoon, the Guangdong delegation will meet with members of the Industrial and business sector of Macao. The delegation will visit infrastructure projects in Macao during their stay in Macao. They will return to Guangzhou on Wednesday. The Guangdong delegation will include the Executive Vice-governor of Guangdong Province, Mr Tang Bingquan, The Secretary-general of the Guangdong Provincial Government, Mr Xu Shangwu, vice secretary-general of the Guangdong provincial government, Mr Tang Hao and the Mayor of Zhuhai , Mr Wang Shunsheng.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service indicates that, in October 2005, Macao’s total value of exports amounted to MOP2.14 billion, up 13.2% over the same month of 2004. Among this, the value of domestic exports increased 9.7% to MOP1.60 billion and the value of re-exports rose 25.1% to MOP537 million. Value of imports amounted to MOP3.08 billion, up 29.0% over the same period of 2004. A trade deficit of MOP940 million was recorded this month. During the period of January – October 2005, the value of total exports decreased 17.2% year-on-year to MOP15.51 billion. Among this, the value of domestic exports decreased 22.7%, whereas the value of re-exports went up 1.1%. Meanwhile, the value of imports amounted to MOP25.30 billion, up 10.8% over the same period of 2004. In the first ten months of 2005, Macao’s trade balance registered a deficit of MOP9.79 billion. During this period, the exports/imports ratio decreased from 82.1% in the corresponding period of 2004 to 61.3%. In the first ten months of 2005, the value of Textile & garment exports, which accounted for 77.1% of the total exports, decreased 20.4% over the same period of 2004. Moreover, the value of Non-textile exports also dropped 4.2%. As the major components of non-textile exports, Machines & apparatus, parts & accessories thereof expanded 14.0%, whereas Footwear fell 91.3% year-on-year. The USA and the EU remained as Macao’s major export markets, together making up 64.4% of the total value of exports. Among this, exports to the USA, which made up 49.3% of the total value of exports, decreased 16.7% over the same period of 2004; exports to the EU, which made up 15.1% of the total value of exports, also decreased 41.7% over the same period of 2004. During the period of January – October 2005, Macao’s total value of imports increased 10.8% year-on-year, mainly due to a general increase in broad economic categories. Increases were registered for Fuels & lubricants (42.1%), Capital goods (25.2%), Consumer goods (6.7%) and Raw materials & semi-manufactures (2.1%). Meanwhile, Macao’s main suppliers of imported goods still concentrated in the Asian region. Imports from Mainland China and Hong Kong together constituted 52.4% of the total value of imports. Compared with the same period of 2004, the value of imports from Mainland China and Hong Kong rose 5.5% and 3.3% respectively.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service shows that in the third quarter of 2005, the available amount of Gasoline (unleaded) and Electricity rose markedly by 18.9% and 10.5% respectively, whereas Fuel oil and Gas oil & diesel fell 3.9% and 2.1% respectively, compared with the third quarter of 2004. The available amount of Electricity and Gasoline (unleaded) increased by 18.4% and 6.2% respectively over the second quarter of 2005, whereas LPG registered the only decrease of 14.3%. In comparison with the third quarter of 2004, consumption of Gasoline (unleaded) and Electricity rose by 12.9% and 12.4% respectively, while Gas oil & diesel registered the only decrease of 3.2%. Compared with the second quarter of 2005, consumption of LPG recorded the only decrease of 9.9%, whereas Gas oil & diesel registered the largest increase of 41.7%. With respect to the import quantity of fuels in the third quarter of 2005, Common kerosene (kerosene for illumination) and Gasoline (unleaded) increased significantly by 92.4% and 22.9% respectively over the same quarter of 2004, while Gas oil & diesel registered the biggest decrease of 26.2%. In comparison with the second quarter of 2005, import quantity of Common kerosene (kerosene for illumination) registered the only increase, up 124.5%, while LPG and Gas oil & diesel decreased 20.8% and 14.4% respectively. In the third quarter of 2005, the total import value of liquid and gas fuels reached the amount of MOP743 million, representing an increase of 27.8% year-on-year and an increase of 2.1% over the second quarter of 2005. At the end of the third quarter of 2005, the list prices of all fuels went up compared with the end of the third quarter of 2004, among which those of Fuel oil and Common kerosene (kerosene for illumination) rose markedly by 28.5% and 27.1% respectively. Compared with the end of the second quarter of 2005, the list prices of all fuels increased, among which those of Common kerosene (kerosene for illumination) and Fuel oil rose 12.7% and 11.3% respectively.
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