21 DE DEZEMBRO DE 1991

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the necessary public utilities and services, including, without limitation by reason of this enumeration, electricity, water, sewerage, gas, post, telephone, telegraph, local transportation, drainage, collection of refuse and fire protection, and that such public utilities and services shall be supplied on equitable terms.

2 — In case of any interruption or threatened interruption of any such services, the appropriate authorities shall consider the needs of the Institute as being of equal importance with the official agencies in Macau and shall take steps accordingly to ensure that the work of the Institute is not prejudiced.

3 — The director shall, upon request, make suitable arrangements to enable the appropriate public service bodies to inspect, repair, maintain, reconstruct and relocate utilities, conduits, mains and sewers within the premises of the Institute.

Article VI Inviolability or archives

The archives of the Institute shall be inviolable.

The term «archives» includes all records, correspondence, documents, manuscripts, photographs, films and recordings belonging to or held by the Institute, wherever located.

Article VII

Immunity of the Institute

1 — The Institute its property and assets wherever located and by whomsoever held, shall enjoy immunity from every form of legal process except insofar as in ay particular case it has expressly waived its immunity. It is, however, understood that no waiver of immunity shall extend to any measure of execution.

2 — The Institute's property and assets wherever located and by whomsoever held shall be immune from search, requisition, confiscation, expropriation and any other form of interference, whether by executive, administrative, judical or legislative action.

Article VIII

Communications and publications

1 — a) All official communications directed to the Institute, or to any of its personnel, and all outward official communications of the Institute, by whatever means or in whatever form transmitted, shall be immune from censorship and from any other form of interception or interference with their privacy. However, the Institute may install and use a wireless transmitter only with the consent of the appropriate authorities.

b) The Institute shall have the right to use codes and to dispatch and receive official correspondence and other official communications by courier or in sealed bags, which shall have the same privileges and immunities as diplomatic couriers and bags.

2 — a) The Institute shall have the right to publish freely within Macau, in the fulfilment of its purposes.

b) It is, however, understood that the Institute shall respect the laws and the international conventions applicable to Macau, relating to intellectual property.

Article IX Freedom from taxation

1 — The Institute, its assets, income and other property shall be:

a) Exempt from all direct taxes; it is understood, however, that the Institute will not claim exemption from taxes which are, in fact, no more than charges for public utility services;

b) Exempt from customs duties and prohibitions and restrictions on imports and exports in respect of articles imported or exported by the Institute for its official use. It is understood, however, that articles imported under such exemption will not be sold in Macau except under conditions agreed with the appropriate authorities;

c) Exempt from customs duties and prohibitions and restrictions on imports and exports in respect of its publications.

2 — While the Institute will not, as a general rule, claim exemption from excise duties and from taxes on the sale of movable and immovable property which form part of the price to be paid, nevertheless when the Institute is making important purchases for official use of property on which such duties and taxes have been charged or are chargeable, the appropriate authorities will, whenever possible, make appropriate administrative, arrangements for the remission or return of the amount of duty or tax.

Article X Financial facilities

Without being restricted by financial controls, regula-tins or moratoria of any kind, the Institute may:

a) Hold funds, gold or currency of any kind and operate accounts in any currency;

b) Freely transfer its funds, gold or currency to or from Macau or within Macau and convert

. any currency held by it into any other currency.

; Article XI

Social security

1 — The Institute shall be exempt from all compulsory contributions to, and the personnel of the Institute shall not be required by the appropriate authorities to participate in, any social security scheme of Macau.

2 — The appropriate authorities shall, under conditions to be agreed upon, make such provisions as may be necessary to enable any of the personnel of the Institute who is not afforded social security coverage by the Institute to participate, if the Institute so requests, in a public social security scheme of Macau. The Institute shall, in so far as possible, arrange, under conditions to be agreed upon, for the participation in the Macau public social security system to those locally recruited members of its personnel to whom the Institute does not grant social security protection at least equivalent to that offered under the laws applicable to Macau.