Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai paid a one-day fact-finding visit to the Guangdong-Macau In-depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin yesterday where he called for concerted steps to advance reforms while also taking “bold steps” to innovate in terms of policymaking, according to a statement by the Macau Government Information Bureau (GCS) released last night.
The statement said that in the morning, Sam visited the “Music at Tianmu River”* exhibition hall, after which he headed to the Macau New Neighbourhood (MNN) residential estate where he visited facilities such as the Macau government’s 24-hour self-service centre and health station, as well as Hengqin School Affiliated to Hou Kong Middle School, with the aim of gaining a better understanding of the MNN living conditions, as well as the extension to Hengqin of Macau’s government services, community healthcare, and education services.
According to the statement, Sam also visited the Traditional Chinese Medicine Science and Technology Industrial Park of Cooperation between Guangdong and Macau, where he went to the exhibition centre of the Chinese Medicine Science and Creativity Museum. In addition, Sam also met representatives of enterprises based in the park, and received a briefing about the park’s overall planning and operational development, as well as about the situation of companies that have launched their operations in the park.
After completing his site visits, the statement said, Sam held a meeting with members of the zone’s executive committee and leading officials of bureaus run under the executive committee, with the aim of gaining a better understanding of the zone’s overall development over the past three years since its establishment.
Speaking in the meeting, according to the statement, Sam quoted President Xi Jinping’s important speech delivered at the celebration of the 25th Anniversary of Macau’s return to the motherland and the inauguration ceremony of the Macau Special Administrative Region’s (MSAR) sixth-term government. Xi outlined four expectations for the new-term MSAR government.
Sam noted that the first expectation laid out by Xi for the local government is to endeavour to promote appropriate economic diversification, including effort to: promote high-level coordination and deep alignment of rules between the zone and Macau; ensure the smooth cross-border flow of various factors; and target key areas promoting the development of “distinctive” industries at scale and creating a series of landmark and impactful projects and programmes.
According to the statement, Sam also noted that the central government’s decision to develop Hengqin aims to promote Macau’s appropriate economic diversification and to facilitate Macau residents’ living and employment conditions there.
The statement said that Sam urged the zone’s management team to further expedite work for its development, selecting key industries in the zone to set up pilot projects, on the basis of ensuring the nation’s sovereignty, security and development interests, and in line with the mainland’s fundamental and constitutional legal principles.
According to the statement, Sam noted that there are a number of differences in terms of institutions, laws, regulations, and preferential policies between the zone and Macau because of which there should be further efforts to complement the two sides’ strengths.
The statement said that Sam also stressed the need to strengthen the training of public servants in Macau enabling them to gain a deep understanding of the regulations of both sides. The chief executive also said that the Macau government will second more public servants to the zone to work in its executive committee with the aim of strengthening the Macau-Hengqin integrated development drive.
Secretary for Administration and Justice André Cheong Weng Chon and Secretary for Economy and Finance Tai Kin Ip accompanied Sam on his inspection visit.
Meanwhile, the zone’s Livelihood Affairs Bureau announced on New Year’s Eve that effective from February 1, eligible young people from Macau working in the zone can apply for a monthly subsidy of 4,000 yuan for a period of up to 36 months.
*Tianmu is a river in Hengqin
This photo released by the Macau Government Information Bureau (GCS) last night shows Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai (centre) talking to Macau residents seeking treatment at the Macau New Neighbourhood (MNN) residential estate’s health station in Hengqin yesterday.
