Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng said yesterday that he expected the second phase of the government’s High-end and Outstanding Talents Programmes for highly qualified human resources could get off the ground in May, which would mainly focus on “excellent” non-local graduates who study subjects related to Macau’s four new key industries.
Ho made the remarks during a Q&A session of the Legislative Assembly during which he answered 29 lawmakers’ questions on government policies and social issues.
The legislature has 33 members.
Ho said that in the second phase, the programme will be limited to only 20 subjects related to Macau’s four new key industries, and he estimated that non-local students now enrolled in local tertiary education institutions who could meet the criteria currently total fewer than 200, as the candidates’ Grade Point Average (GPA) must be 3.6 or above.
A 3.6 GPA is equivalent to an A minus grade, or 90-92 percent.
Concerning the government’s “1+4” economic development plan, “1” refers to Macau’s target of becoming a World Centre of Tourism and Leisure, while “4” refers to the continuous promotion of four new local key industries, namely big health, modern finance and high-tech, as well as MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions), culture and sport.
Ho emphasised that Macau is too small to attract many talents to move here at once, and therefore Macau should attract talents in a gradual and orderly manner and in accordance with the city’s development goals.
According to Ho, among the over 1,000 eligible persons who applied for the first phase of the programme, which ran from August last year to March this year, many are academician-ranked industry leaders, gold medal athletes, and core management staff of renowned foreign enterprises.
Ho stressed that the programme does not amount to the large-scale import of talents, but rather aims to enable talents to find jobs suitable for their development step by step after moving to Macau.
Ho also said that students from outside Macau studying for undergraduate or master’s degrees here are welcome to stay in Macau if they wish to do so, as he believed that this would help enhance Macau’s learning atmosphere and competitiveness.
According to the government-appointed committee’s website, the non-local talent import system consists of three specific programmes – High-end Talents, Outstanding Talents, and Advanced Professionals. Successful applicants and their spouses and underage children will enjoy the same rights and social welfare as Macau residents, including 15-years free education, medical care and social security, with low corporate and individual income tax rates.
Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng (left) answers questions from lawmakers during yesterday’s three-hour Q&A session in the Legislative Assembly’s (AL) hemicycle while Macau Legislative Assembly (AL) President Kou Hoi In looks on. – Photo: GCS
