A recent survey conducted by the Macau Young Entrepreneur Incubation Centre and University of Macau’s (UM) Centre of Macau Studies shows that 60 percent of residents aged between 15 and 34 support Macau integrating with the Greater Bay Area’s (GBA) development.
The survey figures were presented during a press conference about local residents’ inclination to engage in the GBA’s development, at the Macau Young Entrepreneur Centre in Nape yesterday.
According to a statement provided by the centre, the survey was conducted between December 3 and 19 last year. The statement noted that the survey was conducted through phone interviews, comprising 1,003 respondents, all of them local residents aged 15 or above.
The statement noted that in the 15 to 34 age group, 60 percent support that the city should integrate with the GBA’s development plan, while 35 percent remain neutral towards Macau’s engagement with the GBA. The statement also noted that around 30 percent are willing to relocate to mainland cities in the GBA to become entrepreneurs.
The statement said that those aged between 25 and 34 are the most inclined to invest in the GBA, adding that most of them want to pursue a career in the finance or service sectors. The statement also said that more females are willing to relocate to the mainland than males.
According to the figures, just around five percent of the respondents in the 25- to 34-year-old age group are willing to move to Hong Kong. The statement also pointed out that around 20 percent between the ages of 15 and 24 are willing to work in Hong Kong, noting that the percentage decreases as the age increases.
The centre’s CEO, Carlos Lam Ka Vai, told reporters on the sidelines of yesterday’s press conference that most of the young people want to go to the mainland to work in the science and technology industry. He also pointed out that some youngsters struggle with their intention of moving to the GBA because each region has a different tax system, which sometimes discourages young people to start a business in the area.
The GBA comprises nine cities in Guangdong and the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau. The mainland cities include Zhuhai and Shenzhen.
Macau Young Entrepreneur Incubation Centre CEO Carlos Lam Ka Vai talks to reporters yesterday on the sidelines of a press conference about local residents’ inclination to engage in GBA development, at the centre in Nape. Photo: Prisca Tang
