News

The Monetary Authority of Macao (AMCM) raised the Base Rate of the Discount Window today (17 March 2022) by 25 basis points to 0.75%.
…

Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that receipts of the interviewed restaurants & similar establishments grew by 0.3% year-on-year in January 2022; receipts of Chinese Restaurants increased by 5.5% whereas those of Western Restaurants and Local Style Cafes, Congee & Noodle Shops dropped by 10.8% and 7.6% respectively. Meanwhile, sales of the interviewed retailers went up by 16.3% year-on-year in January, with notable rise in the sales of Leather Goods Retailers (+24.0%), Department Stores (+20.0%) and Watches, Clocks & Jewellery Retailers (+19.6%); on the other hand, sales of Motor Vehicle Retailers (-23.9%) showed a marked decrease.
…

Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that visitor arrivals totalled 655,505 in February 2022, up by 53.5% year-on-year but down by 5.6% month-on-month. Same-day visitors (376,033) and overnight visitors (279,472) increased by 106.8% and 13.9% year-on-year respectively. Meanwhile, the average length of stay of visitors shortened by 0.4 day year-on-year to 1.5 days, on account of an uplift in the proportion of same-day visitors; the duration for same-day visitors stayed at 0.1 day while that for overnight visitors went up by 0.1 day to 3.3 days.
…

In response to the changes in the epidemic situation in Nanping Town, Xiangzhou District, Zhuhai City today (17th), in order to prevent the epidemic from happening in school campuses, after listening to the advice from the health department, the Education and Youth Development Bureau (DSEDJ) announced that students and teachers of tertiary education institutions and non-tertiary education schools who, in the past 14 days, have lived in sealed areas, controlled areas and prevention areas of Nanping Town, Xiangzhou District, Zhuhai City will be suspended from face-to-face teaching from March 17th (Thursday). For the abovementioned people who have already returned to school, the schools should arrange them to stop all face-to-face teachings, separate them from the other staff and students and assist them to go home when it is safe to do so. The DSEDJ will announce the school return date in due course depending on the changes in the epidemic situation. Students will study at home instead, and their assessment will be handled flexibly.
…

Prevent food and sundries from COVID-19 contaminationWash and disinfect key to worry-free consuming
…

The University of Macau (UM) Macao Base for Primary & Secondary STEM Education (UM Faculty of Science and Technology) has been included in the first batch of 2021-2025 national science education bases. UM is the first university in Macao to have entered the list.
…

Organized by the Sports Bureau and the Dragon Boat Association of Macao, China, and co-organized by the Municipal Affairs Bureau and the Public Administration and Civil Service Bureau, the Macao International Dragon Boat Races 2022 will be held on 29 May and 3 June at Nam Van Lake Nautical Centre.
…

Organized by the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC, from the Portuguese acronym), the 32^nd Macao Arts Festival (MAF), themed “Invigorate”, sets off in May, featuring a range of programmes and outreach activities to encourage the public to invigorate imagination through art. Previews of four programmes are now launched, including the contemporary dance theatre production Free Man from the South, the cutting-edge theatrical production I Am a Moon, the Ancient Greek tragedy Electra, and the new Shanghai-style Peking opera New Dragon Inn. Details of the full programme of the 32^nd MAF will be announced later.
…

In response to the development of the pandemic in the neighbouring regions, the Economic and Technological Development Bureau (DSEDT) met with suppliers and supermarket operators today (15) to inform the trade to arrange their stock clerks to undergo a nucleic acid test every 7 days as required by the Health Bureau (SSM). Meanwhile, the DSEDT also demanded the trade to enhance the disinfection of the goods after their arrival in Macao for lowering the risk of transmission of COVID-19 through goods.
…

The CCAC has completed the “Inquiry report on the intelligent terminal system for taxis”, where it believes that there was no illegality in the award of the contract for the “Supply and maintenance service of the taxi management system” by the Transport Bureau (DSAT), and the monthly service fees as well as the deposits charged to the taxi licence and permit holders by the awarded entity, New Leader Tecnologia Informatica (Macau) Lda (hereinafter referred to as “New Leader”), were also legal and reasonable. The CCAC points out that the taxi management system has two components, namely the “vehicle device” and the “taxi monitoring system”. The tender scheme makes it clear that no matter who the awarded bidder for the former would be, MOP300 would be charged per month. As for the latter, namely the “taxi monitoring system”, the monthly service fees are borne by the SAR Government. Moreover, it was not found that the DSAT failed to monitor New Leader properly. The CCAC stressed that entry into force of the Legal Regime forTransport of Passengers in Light Vehicles for Renting (hereinafter referred to as “New Taxi Law”) as well as the implementation of the supervisory mechanism for the terminal system for taxis have indeed played an important and positive role in combating the “taxi chaos” that had remained rampant in the past.
…