The Macau Government Information Bureau (GCS) announced in a statement yesterday that Chief Executive of the Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR), Ho Iat Seng, went to Hengqin yesterday to attend the fourth meeting of the Administrative Committee of the Guangdong-Macau In-depth Cooperation Zone.
Yesterday’s meeting, according to the statement, was jointly chaired by the Administrative Committee’s two directors Ho and Guangdong Governor Wang Weizhong.
During the meeting, Ho raised four aspirations for the Cooperation Zone’s next phase of development. The first aspiration Ho mentioned, the statement said, is to come up with innovative ideas while staying true to the Cooperation Zone’s original intent.
Ho pointed out that those involved should attempt new approaches in order to seek breakthroughs in its development as long as such approaches are in line with the “four new” strategic positions outlined in the Master Plan of the Development of the Guangdong-Macau In-depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, and are true to the original objective of establishing the zone.
The second aspiration that Ho raised is to press ahead with Hengqin and Macau’s integration, underlining that their integration is among the Cooperation Zone’s key development goals, the statement said.
Particularly, the statement noted that Ho said that more “should be done regarding administrative arrangements to advance the Cooperation Zone’s special tariff system by tiers, cross-boundary financial management, relaxation of regulations for market entry, and facilitation of movement of people, as well as alignment of public services in the Cooperation Zone with public services in Macau, and application of international standards for trade and investment”.
The third aspiration Ho raised is to put the Cooperation Zone’s Master Plan into practice in its economic and social aspects, adding that the various development goals and benchmarks outlined in the plan should be implemented in earnest, the statement said.
The fourth aspiration Ho raised is to further incentivise members of the Cooperation Zone’s Executive Committee in their daily work. The Committee members, Ho said during the meeting, “shouldered a great responsibility as they are on the front line of implementing the Master Plan, and should work conscientiously to facilitate the sharing mechanism between Guangdong and Macau”.
Meanwhile, the statement said that Wang outlined five major tasks for the Cooperation Zone. The first task, according to the statement, is that the “four new” strategic positions outlined in the Master Plan should be bolstered to attract more investment, enterprises and talent from Macau, and to better serve the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA).
Second, Wang said the effective implementation of major policies should be made a priority. Wang added that it is hoped that policies related to the establishment of a special tariff system by tiers and cross-boundary financial management could be realised by the end of this year.
Thirdly, Wang said that high-quality sustainable development should be promoted by facilitating high-end manufacturing, expediting the growth of the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) sector, and upgrading the cultural, tourism and trade sectors, as well as building an international hub of technological innovation in the GBA.
Fourth, Wang said that interconnection in social services between the Cooperation Zone and Macau and the infrastructure interconnectivity should be deepened, while the quality of education, healthcare and social services in the zone should be enhanced, in order to offer people a favourable environment to live and work in.
Fifth, the mechanism for mutual discussion, mutual development and joint administration between Guangdong and Macau should be continuously enhanced to take the Cooperation Zone to the next level, with the action being a way to welcome the opening of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, Wang said.
Senior officials from Macau and Guangdong also attended yesterday’s meeting.
This handout photo provided by the Macau Government Information Bureau (GCS) yesterday shows Chief Executive of the MSAR Ho Iat Seng (centre right) and Guangdong Governor Wang Weizhong (centre left) during the fourth meeting of the Administrative Committee of the Guangdong-Macau In-depth Cooperation Zone.
