External investors injected 27 pct less last year

Last year, the city attracted some MOP26.3 billion (US$3.29 billion) of direct investment from outsiders, a year-on-year decrease of 27.2 per cent as enterprises reduced their reinvestment of earnings after dividend distributions, according to official data released by the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC).
Official data indicated 2,469 enterprises from outside the SAR invested in the city last year. Total income from this investment reached MOP85 billion, up 7.5 per cent year-on-year. Meanwhile, at the close of 2014, inward direct investment in Macau totalled MOP218.9 billion, up 15.5 per cent year-on-year.
In terms of sector, 11 outside investors injected funds into the local gaming industry last year amounting to MOP12.4 billion, or 47.1 per cent of the total investment the city received. Nevertheless, the investment amount represents a year-on-year plunge of 55.3 per cent, according to DSEC.
Nevertheless, these gaming enterprises saw the income from their investment hit a record high of MOP57.1 billion for the year, up 2.7 per cent from 2013. In addition, inward direct investment in the gaming industry increased 11.4 per cent year-on-year to MOP128.1 billion as at the close of 2014, of which 52.7 per cent emanated from the Cayman Islands.
Other sectors
Meanwhile, the city’s banks & securities field were invested with some MOP4.9 billion by 31 external investors last year, surging 32.5 per cent from the same period in the year prior. Income from investing in the sector also rose 26.8 per cent year-on-year to MOP9.1 billion. As at the end of last year, the sector had investment stock of MOP37.9 billion, an increase of 18.7 per cent year-on-year, of which more than half of the capital was from Mainland China.
Moreover, 1,101 enterprises outside the territory invested in the city’s wholesale & retail businesses in 2014. Their invested amount reached a total of MOP3.6 billion, up 165.4 per cent year-on-year. The enterprises saw the income from their investments grow 4.6 per cent year-on-year to MOP8.8 billion. In addition, the sector had MOP22.1 billion of inward investment, with investment from Hong Kong 57.7 per cent.
Analysed by country or territory, the investment that the city received was mainly from the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands and Hong Kong, at MOP8.4 billion, MOP5.7 billion and MOP5.5 billion, respectively.
Outward investment
On the other hand, local firms invested MOP5.4 billion outside the territory last year, plunging nearly 60 per cent year-on-year. The firms generated income of MOP0.7 billion from their investments, which is a year-on-year jump of 174.6 per cent.
In fact, most of the total income, 57.1 per cent of the total, was earned by gaming enterprises, at MOP0.4 billion, soaring 169.4 per cent year-on-year.
As at the close of 2014, stock of outward direct investment of local companies also registered a year-on-year increase of 26.4 per cent to MOP 31.4 billion, of which MOP5.6 billion was invested in Hong Kong, while MOP5.2 billion was invested in Mainland China, primarily in Guangdong and Zhuhai.