Briefs | Wynn Macau announces salary increase

Wynn Macau yesterday announced a 2.5 to 6.4 percent salary increase, effective Feb. 1 for all eligible employees of Wynn Macau and Wynn Palace (excluding senior management). According to a statement issued by the gaming operator, the number of employees included represents close to 98 percent of the current workforce of 13,700. Eligible team members with a monthly salary of MOP16,000 or below will receive a salary increase of MOP600, equivalent to an increase of 3.8 to 6.4 percent. Eligible team members with a monthly salary above MOP16,000 will receive an average 2.5 percent salary increase. Recently, a one-month bonus was also given to all employees ahead of the Chinese New Year holiday.

Merchandise export value grows 8.1 percent in 2018

The total value of merchandise export increased by 8.1 percent year-on-year to MOP12.19 billion, the Statistics and Census Service revealed.  In 2018, the value of re-exports grew by 12.3 percent to 10.66 billion patacas (about 1.32 billion U.S. dollars), but domestic exports declined by 14.3 percent to 1.53 billion patacas (approximately 189 million U.S. dollars). Analyzed by destination, merchandise export to the nine provinces of the Pan Pearl River Delta increased by 2.7 percent year-on-year to MOP1.96 billion in 2018. Exports to Hong Kong SAR (MOP 7.57 billion) and the European Union (MOP209 million) rose by 14.7 percent and 10 percent respectively. Exports of non-textiles went up by 10.3 percent year-on-year to MOP11.50 billion, of which the value of machines, apparatus and parts (MOP2.56 billion) grew by 93.1 percent, but that of electronic components (MOP491 million) declined by 33.8 percent.

Applications for Young Musicians Competition open in March

The Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) will hold the 37th Macau Young Musicians Competition between July 13 and August 4. Applications will be open from March 4 to 10. According to the IC, this instalment of the musical competition will be dedicated to piano and will feature 18 categories, with elementary, intermediate and advanced levels. First, second and third prizes, and distinction and merit certificates will be awarded in each category. Participants must hold a valid Macau SAR Resident Identity Card and must have been born in or after 1998 to qualify. In order to facilitate the application process, this year applicants must first register online, followed by payment and document submission. Applicants can register online from 10 a.m. on March 4 to 6 p.m. on March 10,  through the Macao Young Musicians Competition webpage.

CE Election Committee member polling day set for June 16

The polling day to choose the members of the Chief Executive Election Committee is set for June 16, according to Executive Order No. 54/2019, which was published yesterday in the Official Gazette. The Chief Executive is appointed by the Central Government and elected by the Chief Executive Election Committee, a body comprised of 400 members from four sectors of society. The First Sector represents the industrial, commercial and financial sub-sectors. The Second Sector comprises people from the cultural, educational, professional and sports sub-sectors. The Third Sector includes representatives of the labor, religious affairs and social service sub-sectors. Finally, the Fourth Sector membership is formed by members of the Legislative Assembly, representatives of the Municipal Affairs Bureau and Macau’s delegates to the National People’s Congress and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, respectively.

Airport passengers traffic up 20 percent in January

The Macau airport passenger traffic volume increased by 20 percent year-on-year in January 2019, according to a press release issued on Saturday. About 25,000 passengers used the airport per day in January. The airlines will add 200 extra charter flights during the Chinese Lunar New Year to accommodate the surging travel demand for local residents and tourists, it said. The airport also recorded steady growth in aircraft movements in the first month of 2019, due to the introduction of new airlines and more destinations, according to the press release.

UM’s English debating team reaches quarter-final of Thailand debate

Two teams from the University of Macau’s (UM) English Debating Team recently participated in the Thailand Debate Open 2019 held in Bangkok. Both teams made it to the final compatition stage and one team reached the quarter-final. This year’s event attracted debating teams from Peking University, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, Taylor’s University in Malaysia, SolBridge International School of Business in South Korea, and Chulalongkorn University in Thailand. According to a statement issued by UM, the team in the quarter-final was made up of Tristan Li Kun, a fourth-year student from the Faculty of Social Science (FSS) and a member of Lui Che Woo College; Kelly Zhang Yi, a third-year student from the Faculty of Business Administration and a member of Moon Chun Memorial College; and Garrett Li Jia Neng, a second-year master’s student from the FSS. The team ultimately placed seventh in the tournament. The three members of the team were ranked among the top 20 debaters out of all 160 tournament participants.