COVID-19 pushes up locals' jobless rate to 3.1 pct

Macau's general unemployment rate for February-April rose 0.1 percentage point to 2.2 percent from the previous employment survey period (January-March 2020), while the unemployment rate of local residents grew 0.2 percentage points to 3.1 percent, the Statistics and Census Bureau (DSEC) has announced. The general unemployment rate comprises local employees and non-resident workers. Yesterday's DSEC statement attributed the rise in unemployment to the impact of the novel coronavirus

May 30, 2020 | BY admin

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76 million facemasks sold by Macau government

The Macau government has sold more than 76 million facemasks to residents and non-resident workers since late January, the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Centre announced today at its daily press conference about the local situation of COVID-19.The 14th 10-day round of "government facemasks" - as they are colloquially known - will start on Monday, officials said at the press conference, pointing out that the government is studying new recommendations for using the

May 29, 2020 | BY admin

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Macau top court upholds June 4 vigil ban

Macau's Court of Final Appeal has upheld a decision by the local authorities to disallow this year's June 4 vigil due to the government's ongoing COVID-19 prevention measures, public broadcaster Radio Macau-TDM reported today.Non-establishment veteran legislators-cum-activists Au Kam San and Ng Kuok Cheong, who have held the vigil in remembrance of the June 4 incident since 1990, had appealed to the city's highest court in an attempt to have the authorities' ban overturned. Several hundred

May 29, 2020 | BY admin

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Ex-HK CE CY Leung calls for mass exit from HSBC accounts: report

Former Hong Kong chief executive Leung Chun-ying, aka CY Leung, has exhorted everyone with HSBC bank accounts, especially Hong Kong officials and Hong Kong delegates to the legislative and consultative bodies in the mainland, to stop using them, to let British companies know "which side of their bread is buttered", public broadcaster RTHK reported today. Leung – a vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) – wrote

May 29, 2020 | BY admin

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Safeguarding national security shared obligation of all Chinese people, including HK compatriots

CommentaryBEIJING – Deputies to the National People’s Congress (NPC) voted overwhelmingly yesterday at the third session of the 13th NPC to approve the NPC Decision on Establishing and Improving the Legal System and Enforcement Mechanisms for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) to Safeguard National Security.The decision by the highest organ of state power fully demonstrated China’s stern stand and firm will to safeguard its sovereignty, territorial integrity and national

May 29, 2020 | BY admin

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NPC adopts decision to make HK national security laws

BEIJING – The National People’s Congress is set to make Hong Kong national security laws as a related decision was adopted at the national legislature yesterday.The decision will also allow the central government’s national security organs to set up agencies in Hong Kong when needed.Deputies to the 13th National People’s Congress (NPC) voted overwhelmingly to approve the decision at the closing meeting of the NPC annual session.Rounds of applause erupted in the Great Hall of the People

May 29, 2020 | BY admin

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Hotel guests drop 90.6 pct in April

Macau’s 110 hotels and guesthouses recorded 107,000 guests in April, a year-on-year decline of 90.6 percent, the Statistics and Census Bureau (DSEC) announced yesterday. The number of guests from the Chinese mainland (70,000) and Hong Kong (10,000) fell 91.1 percent and 92.8 percent respectively.In the first four months of the year, the number of guests fell 65.9 percent to 1.58 million. Macau’s tourism sector has been severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic since late

May 29, 2020 | BY admin

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A Fundamental Guarantee for the Long-term Smooth Implementation of ‘One Country, Two Systems’

National Security Legislation for HKSAR: A Fundamental Guarantee for the Long-term Smooth Implementation of ‘One Country, Two Systems’Signed Article by Shen BeiliCommissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China in the Macao SAR     On May 28, the third session of the 13th National People’s Congress (NPC) of the People’s Republic of China passed the Decision on Establishing and Improving the Legal Systems and Implementation Mechanisms for Safeguarding National

May 29, 2020 | BY admin

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Govt repossess idle plot in Nape

The Lands, Public Works and Transport Bureau (DSSOPT) announced this week that its officials, in conjunction with officials from several other government entities, have repossessed a plot of land in Nape whose concession had previously been annulled by the government.According to a DSSOPT statement on Wednesday, the officials carried out the repossession of the idle plot covering an area of 6,480 square metres earlier that day.The rectangular plot covered in weeds is bordered by Alameda Dr.

May 29, 2020 | BY admin

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Sports Bureau vows to improve online payment system for sports facilities bookings

In order to provide better services for residents to use the city’s public sports facilities, the Sports Bureau (ID) promised in a statement yesterday that it will implement a verification code function from today for online payments for sports facility bookings.According to the statement, from today when residents make an online booking for sports facilities, they can only book for one hour at a time, upon paying their fees, before they can make their next booking.Each individual can book a

May 29, 2020 | BY admin

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2 cops, 1 retired cop probed for fake employment of Vietnamese women

The Public Security Police (PSP) said in a statement last night that two police officers and a retired police officer have been transferred to the Public Prosecution Office (MP) for the “fake employment” of three Vietnamese women in Macau.According to the statement, the Public Security Police discovered some time ago that an officer surnamed Chao who joined the police in 1992 had pretended to be the employer of two Vietnamese women so that they could obtain a non-resident worker permit

May 29, 2020 | BY admin

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Schoolgirl, boyfriend nabbed picking up drug parcel: police

A 17-year-old schoolgirl and her boyfriend were arrested after they collected a parcel sent through the post which contained cocaine weighing 13.2 grammes with a street value of 44,000 patacas, Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesman Leng Kam Lon announced in a special press conference yesterday.The female suspect surnamed Teng is a high school pupil, and the male suspect is a 23-year-old surnamed Mak who told the police that he is unemployed. Both suspects are local residents.According to Leng, the

May 29, 2020 | BY admin

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Mainland’s Civil Code a landmark law to protect people’s rights

CommentaryBEIJING – The mainland’s newly adopted Civil Code has once again demonstrated the nation’s strive for bettering people’s life by rule of law.As the first law defined as a “code” in the Chinese mainland, the Civil Code is a tangible legislation that offers concrete and effective responses to people’s growing demands for a better life – security, equality, dignity, and many others.In addition to general and supplementary provisions, the Civil Code includes six parts on

May 29, 2020 | BY admin

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Imports fall 44.1 percent in April

Macau’s merchandise imports fell 44.1 percent to 3.84 billion patacas last month, the Statistics and Census Bureau (DSEC) said yesterday.According to a statement by the bureau, imports of gold jewellery, handbags and wallets, and watches dropped 92.2 percent, 76.1 percent and 69.6 percent respectively.Total merchandise exports – comprising exports and re-exports – dropped 24.8 percent to 716 million patacas. Re-exports accounted for 88 percent of the total exports.In the first four months

May 29, 2020 | BY admin

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