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Information from the Statistics and Census Service indicated that the implementation of various large-scale construction projects, all the principal indicators of the establishments operating in licensed construction works registered significant increases in 2004. Number of establishments was 1,097, up by 103.1% compared with 2003; gross output (sum of the total value of construction works performed plus other receipts) and gross value added were MOP9.085 billion and MOP1.443 billion, up by 54.2% and 35.5% respectively over 2003. Number of persons engaged totalled 10,477 (excluding sub-contractors and their employees that only provided labour services), up by 74.6% over 2003. In 2004, among the 298 general contractors (companies), 81 were engaged in the construction of buildings (whole or part) and civil engineering, with their census output amounted to MOP5.286 billion (75.4% of the total of all general contractors). Besides, 144 were engaged in the completion of buildings and their respective census output was MOP907 million, (12.9% of the total). Amongst the 828 construction projects licensed, 455 were government projects and 373 were private construction projects, which represented 57.3% (MOP5.116 billion) and 42.7% (MOP3.809 billion) of the total census output repectively. In terms of the location of construction, the Macao Peninsula topped with 666 operations (80.4% of the total) where the majority were located in the parish of Sé, with 278 (33.6% of the total). In terms of the end-use of the completed construction, 22 were sports facilities, while 39 were hotels, gaming and tourism facilities, which accounted for 27.7% and 25.1% of the total census output respectively. Total consumption of the establishments incurred in 2004 was MOP7.642 billion. Among the components, 58.5% were payments to fee sub-contractors; 35.0% were consumption of materials, supplies and maintenance services; the remaining 6.5% 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 shows that in the third quarter of 2005, the average daily nominal wage of construction workers was MOP426, of which the average daily nominal wage of skilled workers & semi-skilled workers was MOP459 and unskilled workers MOP270. The overall nominal wage index increased 8.8% compared with the second quarter of 2005. Nominal wage index of skilled workers & semi-skilled workers rose 8.1%, and that of unskilled workers went up 13.4%. The overall real wage index increased 6.5% compared with the second quarter of 2005. Real wage index of skilled workers & semi-skilled workers rose 5.9%, and that of unskilled workers went up 11.1%. Among the various occupations of skilled workers and semi-skilled workers, the real wage index of concrete mould and slab carpenters rose the most, up 15.7%, whereas that of iron workers registered the largest decline, down 6.3%. Compared with the third quarter of 2004, the overall real wage index increased 22.2% in the third quarter of 2005, of which the index of skilled workers & semi-skilled workers rose 21.8%, and that of unskilled workers went up 25.5%.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service indicated that number of licensed vehicles in Macao reached 151,060 at the end of September 2005, of which 51% (77,146) were motorcycles and 45% (67,370) were light vehicles. New registration of vehicles surged by 20% year-on-year to 13,273 in the first nine months of 2005, motorcycles and light vehicles accounted for 58% and 38% respectively of the new registrations. There were 9,966 cases of traffic accidents reported in the first nine months of 2005, an increase of 7% over the same period of 2004, resulting in 3,216 casualties and 14 of them were killed. Traffic flow by land between Macao and Mainland China increased by 11% to 2,290,022 vehicle trips. The Border Gate was the major passage that took up 77% of the total, the Checkpoint of CoTai recorded 527,826 vehicle trips. In the first three quarters of 2005, arrival and departure of commercial flights at the Macao International Airport totalled 31,652 up by 13% over the same period of 2004. Taiwan, China and Mainland China were the major routes that accounted for 53% and 36% of the total commercial flights to/from Macao. At the Outer Harbour, 12,283 helicopter flights were recorded (-9% year-on-year) between Macao and Hong Kong; besides, 2,139 flights were recorded between Macao and Mainland China. Passenger transport by sea between Hong Kong and Macao increased by 6% over the first nine months of 2004 to 59,832 ferry trips, while passenger ferry between Macao and Mainland China (8,124 trips) increased by 2% compared with the same period of 2004. Number of cargo vessel departures was 9,296, with a total capacity of 2,430,000 net registered tons, 68% (6,352) of the vessels were flying the Chinese flag. In the first nine months of 2005, total seaborne container throughput was 82,416 TEUs or 59,709 seaborne containers handled, which fell by 15% and 11% compared with the same period of 2004. Number of container flow by land showed a 10% year-on-year decrease to 6,962. In addition, gross weight of seaborne containerized cargo in the first eight months of 2005 decreased by 3% over 2004 to 188,414 tonnes, of which 57,510 tonnes were transshipment goods; meanwhile, gross weight of containerized cargo by land rose by 2% to 59,800 tonnes, including 46,255 tonnes of transit goods. Total weight of outward cargo handled at the Macao International Airport registered a year-on-year decrease of 10% to 63,939 tonnes in the first nine months of 2005; at the same time, respective weight of inward cargo also fell by 8% to 20,033 tonnes. At the end of September 2005, there were 174,159 fixed telephone lines, as well as 501,906 mobile telephone and stored value GSM card users in Macao. In addition, number of internet subscribers increased to 85,670 at the end of September 2005, while total hour of usage reached 56.34 million hours in the first nine months of 2005, up by 15% and 45% over the same period of 2004.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service shows that in the third quarter of 2005, price indices rose in most of the surveyed construction materials, compared with the second quarter of 2005. Among them, aluminium, sand, concrete, lime, timber, red bricks, ceramic products, glass, paint, cement and electric wires rose between 0.2% and 15.5%. However, the price indices of steel, aggregates, pipes and sanitary articles fell between 0.2% and 4.7%. Among the above changes in price indices, sand recorded the largest increase of 15.5%, whereas steel decreased the most, down 4.7%. Compared with the third quarter of 2004, price indices rose in most of the surveyed construction materials, with the biggest increase in electric wires, up 43.8%, followed by sand, up 41.2%.
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The Vice-Premier, Ms Wu Yi, tonight officially opened the 4th East Asian Games, before an audience of some 2,000 athletes and more than 10,000 spectators. The opening ceremony started at 8:00 p.m. at the Macao Stadium. After all the athletes had entered the stadium, the President of the Macao Olympic Committee, Mr Laam Wah Ying, and the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the 4th East Asian Games Organising Committee, Mr Manuel Silvério, delivered the welcoming speech and the opening speech respectively. Mr Laam said that with the 12 new venues built to house the 4th East Asian Games, “Macau has equipped itself with a series of top quality facilities and a pool of experienced personnel, and has become a city ready to host more international events in the future!” Mr Silvério said the Games was an inspiring project for Macau that has gifted the city with many invaluable legacies to prepare our city and youths to meet the challenges of the 21st century. The ceremony came to a climax when Ms Wu announced “The 4th Asian Games is now open”, with the raising of the national flag and the regional flag of the Macao SAR, followed by the raising of the Asia Games Flag and the entry of torches. The ceremony continued with a cultural performance entitled "Light of East Asia -- Symphonic Poem of Macau", which was divided into : "Sunrise Sonata"; "Serene Sea Nocturne"; "Homeward Voyage Concerto"; "Macau Symphony" and "New Era Rhapsody". Ms Wu and the Central Government delegation returned to the Mainland after soon after the ceremony.
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The Vice Premier, Ms Wu Yi said today that the 4th East Asian Games was more than a sporting event: it was a platform to promote Macao’s link with other countries in the region. Ms Wu was speaking at a banquet hosted by the Macao SAR Government before officiating at the opening ceremony of the Games in Macao. She said the Games also demonstrated Macao’s achievements in the six years since its reunification with the motherland, encouraged solidarity among Macao people and raised their spirits. The delegation sent this time was the largest and most competitive ever for the Asian Games, and it demonstrated the support of the Central Govrnment for the Macao SAR, said the Vice Premier. “I believe that with the ledership of the Chief Executive and the SAR Government, and the support of Macao’s people, this year’s Asian games will be a very successful event,” she said. The Chief Executive of the MSAR, Mr Edmund Ho Hau Wah, extended the warmest welcome to Ms Wu and other guest on behalf of the Macao SAR and the people of Macao, and said he was very honoured to have Ms Wu officially opening the Games. He said the hosting of the Games was a trial to Macao’s capability of overall development and evidence of the success of the “One Country Two Systems” principle. He pledged that the Macao SAR would do its best to accomplish the mission. Mr Ho said that high-level exchanges in sports and culture enabled Macao to further develop links and achieve higher standard and broader visions. Before the banquet, Ms Wu met with the Olympic committees delegates and Chefes de Mission of the countries and regions participating the Games. The Chief Executive, Mr Ho, accompanied her during the meeting. Representatives of the East Asian Games Association and the East Asian Games Organising Committee were also present at the meeting.
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The Vice Premier, Ms Wu Yi, arrived in the Macao SAR this afternoon to officially open the Macao 2005, 4th East Asian Games, at the Macao Stadium. Ms Wu’s plane landed at Macao International Airport about 1:20 p.m and she was met by the Chief Executive, Edmund Ho Hau Wah, secretaries and principal officials of the Macao SAR. A student also presented her with bouquet in the arrival hall. The Vice Premeir was accompanied by the Minister of the General Administration of Sports, Mr Liu Peng; Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao Special Administrative Region, Mr Bai Zhijian: Deputy Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, Mr Chen Zhuoer: and Deputy secretary-general of the State Council, Mr Xu Shaoshi. Also greeting Ms Wu at the airport were the President of the MSAR Legislative Assembly, Ms Susana Chou; Secretaries and principal officials of the MSAR Government: Ms Florinda Chan, Mr Francis Tam Pak Yuen, Mr Fernando Chui Sai On and the Commissioner of the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China in the MSAR, Mr Wan Yongxiang. After a short rest, Ms. Wu met with the Chief Executive, Mr Ho and representatives of Mainland officials based in Macao, the commander of the Macao Garrison Troops of the People’s Liberation Army and the representatives of Mainland companies in Macao. During the meeting, she praised the contributions made by the Mainland companies to Macao’s economic development and urged them to promote co-operation between the Mainland and Macao, especially in the scope of CEPA. The Vice Premier also visited the Wine Museum and Handover Gifts Museum of Macao, during her brief visit.
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The Chief Executive of the Macao SAR, Mr Edmund Ho Hau Wah, hosted a welcome dinner this evening for the distinguished guests attending the 4th East Asian Games. They included senior government officials from the Central Government, the Pan-Pearl River Delta region and representatives from the Olympic Committees of the countries and regions participating in the Games. Addressing the guests, the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Dr Chui Sai On, said: ”With the strong Government support and the dedication and hard work of the people involved with the preparation of the Games over the last few years, I am happy to note that Macao has certainly reached new heights in its sporting development.” “It is the common goal of Macao to ensure the successful organinsation of one of the most memorable Games,” he said. “Most encouraging of all is to see the enthusiastic participation of the whole community of Macao in the preparation work leading to the opening of the 4th East Asian Games,” he said. “Without the continuous and unfailing support of the Macao citizens, it is impossible to have come this far and achieved what we have done in our preparation work,” he said. Dr Chui praised the contribution from the different government departments, private organisations and business enterprises. Moreover, he vowed for Macao’s full commitment to continue to support East Asian Games Association in its development and activities, the Olympic movement within the Asian region, and the development of the local sporting community. The 4th East Asian Games will open tomorrow.
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Vice-Premier Wu Yi is scheduled to come to Macao tomorrow to officiate the opening of the 4th East Asian Games. She will be accompanied by the Minister of the General Administration of Sports, Mr Liu Peng; Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao Special Administrative Region, Mr Bai Zhijian; Deputy Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, Mr Chen Zhuoer; and Deputy Secretary-General of the State Council, Mr Xu Shaoshi. The Vice-Premier is scheduled to return to the Mainland soon after the opening ceremony. During her brief visit in the SAR, she will meet with representatives of the East Asian Games Association, the chairmen of the Olympic committees and Chefes de Mission of the participating countries and regions. She will also attends a banquet hosted by the SAR Government before the opening ceremony. The heads of eight provinces and one autonomous region, which comprised the Pan-Pearl River Delta Region delegation, arrived in Macao yesterday. The Macao 2005 4th Asian Games will be held from 29 October to 6 November. The 17 games will be held in 13 venues: 234 gold medals will be won. About 2,000 athletes from China, China Macao, North Korea, Mongolia, China Hong Kong, China Taipei, Japan, Guam and Korea will compete this year’s games.
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The signing ceremony of the Agreements on Mutual Abolition of Visa Requirements and on the Readmission of Persons with Unauthorized Stays between the Government of the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China and the Swiss Federal Council took place in the Macao Cultural Centre on 28th October 2005. The Government of the Macao SAR has obtained the authorization from the Central People’s Government of the People’s Republic of China to conclude the above-mentioned agreements. The Secretary for Administration and Justice Ms. Florinda da Rosa Silva Chan, and the Consul General of Switzerland in Hong Kong, Mr. François Barras, representing the Government of the Macao SAR and the Swiss Federal Council respectively, signed the agreements. The above-mentioned agreements will be effective from 1st December 2005 and are applicable to the territory of the Principality of Liechtenstein. After the agreements come into effect, holders of a valid passport of the Macao SAR will be able to enter into Switzerland or Liechtenstein without a visa, for a stay of up to 90 days. To date, there are 68 countries/territories that agree to grant the abolition of visa or to issue visa upon arrival to the holders of the Macao SAR passport, 7 countries agree to abolish visa requirement to the holders of the Macao SAR Travel Permit.
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