Briefs | Cinematheque Passion to reopen to the public on September 1

Having been closed for maintenance and renovations since July, the Cinematheque Passion is now almost ready to reopen to the public. After the arthouse’s contract with the former operator ceased last month, the Cinematheque, under the auspices of the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC), underwent renovations of its façades, interior walls, stairs and drainage pipes, as well as maintenance and repair of the internal equipment. A comprehensive cleaning and disinfection operation was also carried out on the facility. The Cinematheque will reopen to the public from September 1, according to the IC. When it reopens, all visitors will be required to wear face masks, undergo body temperature checks, present their health code and cooperate with the staff on site regarding any health or social distancing instructions.

Serviced offices becoming more popular

Owners of local serviced offices have told Macao Daily News that the popularity of, and familiarity with, the facilities is growing. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, many businesses are turning to serviced offices in the hopes of cutting operational costs. Such offices are more popular with new entrepreneurs, but they have differing concerns. For example, an educator expressed a preference for commercial premises to industrial buildings because the first impression made upon clients is important. Another entrepreneur in the creative industry is considering to move into a serviced office due to lower rental and value-added services such as legal advice and proposal consultation. Some other entrepreneurs told the newspaper that if rents at serviced offices become too high, they may choose to move out.

Consumer prices growth slows in July

The growth in consumer prices slowed considerably in July, according to the latest data provided by the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC). The Composite Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased by 0.27% year-on-year in July to 102.14, corresponding to 0.67 fewer percentage points than the year-on-year growth in June (+0.94%). Still, DSEC attributed the growth to the higher cost of eating out, outpatient services, and hairdressing and beauty services. The Composite CPI reflects the impact of price changes on general households in Macau. Among the various categories of goods and services, price indexes of health and education went up by 5.49% and 5.17% respectively year-on-year in July, whereas the index for communication fell 11.39% year-on-year and that of recreation and culture fell 10.65%. For the 12 months ending July 2020, the average Composite CPI rose by 2.19% from the previous period (August 2018 to July 2019).