Briefs | Hong Kong-based diplomats attend exhibition, concert

On the occasion of the 32nd Macao International Music Festival (MIMF), the government invited members of the consular corps accredited in Hong Kong and Macau to participate in a visit to an art exhibition organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) and gave the delegation the opportunity to attend a MIMF concert. The delegation, accompanied by the IC president, Mok Ian Ian, among others, visited the exhibition “Beyond the Scenery: Exhibition Commemorating the 300th Anniversary of the Passing of Wu Li” at the Macau Museum of Art. On Saturday evening, the delegation headed to the Cultural Centre for a concert performance of Anton Bruckner’s Symphony No. 8, as part of the 32nd Macao International Music Festival.

Residential property prices fall slightly

The overall residential property price index for June – August 2018 decreased slightly by 0.3 percent over the previous period (May – July 2018) to 269.9. According to information released by the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC), the indices for the Macau Peninsula (272.2) and Taipa & Coloane (259.3) dropped by 0.3 percent and 0.1 percent respectively. The index for existing residential units (291.2) was similar to the previous period, with the index for those in the Macau Peninsula (286.9) dropping by 0.2 percent while that for Taipa & Coloane (311.1) rose by 0.7 percent. Analysed according to year of building completion, the indices for residential units completed between 6 and 10 years ago and more than 20 years ago grew by 0.8 percent and 0.4 percent respectively, whereas the index for those built within 5 years or fewer fell by 0.2 percent. Meanwhile, the index for pre-sale residential units (281.5) increased by 0.1 percent.

Money supply remains stable

Broad money supply continued to grow in August with a stable share of patacas, according to statistics released this week by the Monetary Authority of Macau.  Currency in circulation and demand deposits dropped by 0.3 percent and 3.8 percent respectively.  Resident deposits grew by 0.9 percent from the preceding month to MOP606.1 billion, whereas non-resident deposits fell by 1.8 percent to MOP236.3 billion.  Meanwhile, public sector deposits with the banking sector increased 1.7 percent to MOP218.7 billion. Domestic loans to the private sector fell 0.6 percent from the previous month to MOP478.5 billion, while external loans also dropped 0.6 percent to MOP503.2 billion.

UM, University of Aveiro develop modelling system

Diogo Lopes, a Portuguese doctoral student of civil engineering from the University of Macau (UM) Faculty of Science and Technology (FST), has passed the oral defense for his PhD thesis titled ‘Development of a Multi-Scale Air Pollution Modelling System’, which is part of the All-in-One research project jointly conducted by UM and the University of Aveiro (UA) in Portugal. Lopes developed an all-in-one air quality modelling system by integrating models ranging from regional to local scales to assess the changes in air quality as a result of transboundary pollution, urban air pollution, and road traffic emissions within street canyons of building clusters. According to a statement issued by the UM, the modelling system can be a useful tool in formulating air-quality management strategies by identifying different air pollution processes in the design and assessment of air-pollution control measures. The All-In-One project was funded by the Science and Technology Development Fund of Macau. This is the latest collaboration between UM and UA as part of a partnership that began in 1998.