Legislative Assembly (AL) President Kou Hoi In reaffirmed yesterday that the legislature is committed to enhancing the government’s administrative level and effectiveness by exercising its supervisory powers.
Kou made the remarks in a speech during a Spring Festival luncheon hosted by the legislature for local journalists and correspondents working for media enterprises in the mainland, Hong Kong and Portugal. Macau Government Information Bureau (GCS) Director Inês Chan Lou also attended the luncheon held at MGM MACAU in Nape.
Kou noted that 2024 marked the 75th Anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the 25th Anniversary of Macau’s return to the motherland, the 3rd Anniversary of the establishment of the Guangdong-Macau In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, and the year in which the zone’s first-phase development goals were achieved. Last year was also the inaugural year of the government implementing its plan for appropriately diversifying Macau’s economy (2024-2028), Kou pointed out.
Xi’s visit boosts confidence in ‘One Country, Two Systems’
In this important historic moment, Kou said, President Xi Jinping “once again” visited Macau, attending the celebration of the 25th Anniversary of Macau’s return to the motherland and the inauguration ceremony of the sixth-term government of the Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR), where he delivered an important speech, which, Kou said, has greatly boosted local residents’ confidence in the institutional advantages brought about by the implementation of the “One Country, Two Systems” principle and the development prospects that it provides for Macau, inspired residents to explore new horizons and create new glories, and motivated them to make greater achievements in Macau’s development and strive for the great goal of building China into a strong country and achieving national rejuvenation.
Kou said that Xi’s speech highly acknowledged the successful implementation of the “One Country, Two Systems” principle with Macau characteristics, providing a clear direction for Macau’s future development and fundamental guidance for Macau to make better achievements.
Positive interaction & sincere cooperation
In the current legislative term – which started on October 16, 2021 and is scheduled to end on August 15 this year, Kou said, 2024 was the busiest year for the Legislative Assembly, during which, he said, all legislators, with an active and pragmatic work attitude and a strong sense of political responsibility, diligently performed their duties in accordance with the law. Working in unity with the government, fostering positive interaction, and engaging in sincere cooperation, Kou said, the legislature continuously enhanced the efficiency and effectiveness of its work last year, ensuring that all tasks were carried out and completed in a solid, orderly and steady manner.
In advancing legislation concerning the safeguarding of national security and its complementary systems, Kou underlined, the local legislature has always considered the safeguarding of the nation’s sovereignty, security and development interests as its guiding principles as far as the respective legislative work is concerned.
Last year, Kou noted, the legislature completed its legislative work on a government-initiated bill regulating the private possession and use of weapons and related items, providing a solid legal guarantee for the construction of a national security defence line and the effective prevention and resolution of various types of latent risks and dangers. Kou also said that the legislature’s passage of the bill highlighted its sense of responsibility as the MSAR’s legislative organ in advancing the steady and far-reaching implementation of the “One Country, Two Systems” principle.
Macau enacted amendments to its law on safeguarding national security in 2023.
Kou also said in his speech yesterday that with the objective of ensuring the better implementation of the “patriots governing Macau” principle and further improving the enforcement mechanism for safeguarding national security and the MSAR’s security, the legislature enacted amendments to the Chief Executive Election Law in 2023, and enacted amendments to the Legislative Assembly Election Law and to the MSAR’s oath-taking law last year, ensuring the smooth completion of the chief executive election last year while also providing an institutional guarantee for the upcoming legislative election to be held later this year.
In addition, Kou said, in alignment with the local government’s work on deepening its administrative reform, enhancing governance efficiency, further improving e-government, optimising the city’s business environment, and improving the quality of public services, the legislature passed a number of government-initiated bills last year, such as amendments to the e-government law, a bill enabling electronic submission of court documents, amendments to the Civil Registration Code, a bill on vehicle registration, and a bill enabling the digital formalities for property, commercial registrations and notarisation procedures.
Kou thanked the Central People’s Government and the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office (HKMWO) of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee as well as the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government and the Foreign Ministry Commissioner’s Office in the MSAR for always supporting the local legislature’s work. He also expressed his gratitude to the local government for its sincere cooperation with the legislature and for strongly supporting its work.
Kou noted that this year marks the final year of the current legislative term as well as the inaugural year of the MSAR’s sixth-term government, adding he expects the legislature to have an intense workload in the coming months. In terms of legislative work, Kou said, nine bills are still being reviewed by any of the legislature’s three standing committees after the passage of their respective outlines during plenary sessions.
In addition, Kou noted, the new local government is scheduled to deliver its first policy address to the legislature later this year, which will be followed by Q&A sessions about the policy guidelines to be presented by the government’s five policy secretaries.
For the future work, Kou pledged that the local legislature will adhere to the principle of “One Country” and leverage the advantages of “Two Systems”, ensuring the steady and far-reaching implementation of the “One Country, Two Systems” cause and aiming to enhance the MSAR’s governance level and effectiveness through the exercise of its supervisory powers.
Kou also pledged to improve the legislature’s institutional structure and promote its high-quality development in a steady and progressive manner.
Legislative Assembly (AL) President Kou Hoi In addresses yesterday’s Spring Festival luncheon hosted by the legislature at MGM MACAU in Nape. – Photo: Ginnie Liang
