Dear Members and Friends of AustCham Macau
This is the eighth article for AustCham Macau At a Glance and we have just reached the second half of 2021. As compared to what happened in the first half of 2020, I think we now have much better understanding on the pandemic, we are well equipped and prepared for it. Having said that, the unexpected changes in the conditions of our neighboring cities and countries do have significant impact on the recovery of Macau’s economy. The recently announced decrease in gross gaming revenue by 37.4% compared to May 2021 clearly shows how Macau is affected by external factors.
For some of the kids in Macau Summer holidays have just begun and I wish all of them a great and memorable holiday. For those who can travel out of Macau this might be a great opportunity to explore some of the beautiful cities in Mainland China. For others whose travelling might be difficult, do consider enjoying a staycation in some of the finest hotels in Macau. I didn’t normally spend much time in the hotel when I have been travelling to other countries, but my recent staycation experiences have changed my concept, especially after I enjoyed all the great hotel services available. AustCham will be holding our Sunday Arvo Poolside BBQ in late August or early September so stay tuned for more details to follow.
On 23 June we hosted our 12th Power Hour with Jacinta Wu (Physiotherapist, Globallmed Medical Centre) as our speaker. She shared with us lots of exciting and interesting stories of her professional life with the House of the Dancing Water and some of her personal life. As all of the audience who watched the show, I was thrilled by all the actions behind the scenes, the great efforts from the performances and of course the professionalism and care from the medical team of which Jacinta was a key member.
I have received messages from members and Australians in Macau about their concerns on the proposed changes to our Australian Tax Law and how these changes could affect their tax position and liabilities as expatriates in Macau. AustCham Macau, with the support from CPA Australia, will focus the July Power Hour to share key information and answer to those concerns. More details on this informative session on the 28th of July will be announced soon.
The ongoing global pandemic is shaping our world in profound ways since it broke out in early 2020. It will undoubtedly go down in human history as a single event rivalling wars and natural catastrophes in terms of the challenges it has created, and the ways in which lives have been negatively impacted across every single corner of the globe.
While here in Macau we have seen devastating effects to our economy and our ability to undertake travel, we have been exceedingly fortunate from a public health perspective. The Macau Government deserves our warm and effusive praise for the highly effective manner in which it has managed this crisis. This has resulted in Macau suffering just 54 cases and being one of the very few regions of the world to see no deaths from the virus.
Given our Government’s excellent track record in managing the COVID-19 public health crisis, we would like to support the Macau Government in whatever ways possible. While our Chief Executive has noted that no one in Macau is being forced to take a COVID-19 vaccine, he has also stressed that the Government is strongly encouraging vaccination. We all have a role to play in defeating the virus and returning our world to normality. Therefore we would like to join our Government, and many others, in strongly encouraging any of you who have not yet taken the vaccine to do so. COVID-19 vaccines are readily available across Macau and we ask you to seriously consider this for the benefit of yourself, your loved ones, Macau and the world at large. I will take my second shot in the coming days.
Lastly, as always, we need your support for AustCham Macau so please join us or renew your membership today.
Kind Regards
Patrick Liu
Chairman of the Board of Directors
Australian Chamber of Commerce Macau