The Liaison Office in Macau yesterday held a briefing session about the spirit of this year’s “two sessions”, during which Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai pledged that his government will adopt a more targeted approach to improving residents’ well-being, while Liaison Office Director Zheng Xincong raised three points concerning the national and local development.
Yesterday’s 1½-hour briefing session hosted by the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR) at its headquarters in Zape came after the closing meetings of the annual sessions of the National People’s Congress (NPC) and the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) in Beijing on Tuesday and Monday respectively.
Edmund Ho Hau Wah, Macau’s first chief executive and now a vice-chairman of the CPPCC National Committee, said during yesterday’s session that with the aim of ensuring effective market forces, the local government should not assume every task and duty, adding that civil society should not require the government to meet all its needs.
In addition to Sam, Zheng and Edmund Ho, four other guests sat on the rostrum for the briefing session, namely the two other former chief executives, Fernando Chui Sai On and Ho Iat Seng, as well as Lao Ngai Leong representing Macau’s 12 NPC deputies, and Chui Sai Cheong, a Macau member of the Standing Committee of the CPPCC National Committee.
The session was attended by about 240 guests such as Foreign Ministry Commissioner Liu Xianfa, Macau Legislative Assembly (AL) President Kou Hoi In, Court of Final Appeal (TUI) President Song Man Lei, as well as local government top officials, NPC deputies and CPPCC National Committee members from Macau, and other community leaders.
Sam raises 6 points
During yesterday’s session, Sam raised six points that he said he has “learned” from the spirit of this year’s “two sessions”, i.e., six aspects of tasks that his government will place special emphasis on.
Firstly, Sam said that the local government will resolutely ensure the implementation of the spirit of President Xi Jinping’s important speeches during his inspection visit to Macau in December last year as well as the central authorities’ decisions and strategies concerning Macau, with the aim of opening up new horizons for development and continuously creating new glories.
Sam underlined that since his government took office in December last year, it has been leading various segments of Macau’s civil society to thoroughly study the spirit of Xi’s speeches, adding that his government is extensively gathering opinions from different segments of civil society for drafting its first policy address scheduled to be delivered later this year.
Sam said that as the implementation of the “One Country, Two Systems” principle has entered a new stage, the local government will correctly grasp the principle’s new important direction for its continued implementation, firmly safeguard the nation’s sovereignty, security and development interests, build a strong barrier for safeguarding national security, and maintain social harmony and stability.
Sam also said that the government will ensure the full implementation of the “patriots governing Macau” principle, particularly by ensuring the smooth conduct of this year’s legislative election, the first one since amendments to the local national security law took effect in 2023.
Secondly, Sam pledged that his government will deepen public administration reform and strengthen cross-departmental coordination, with the aim of enhancing governance capability.
Sam noted that his government has set up several working groups aiming to enhance cross-departmental coordination in different aspects, adding that his government would, if necessary, possibly establish other new interdepartmental coordination mechanisms with the aim of resolving the issues of poor communication, coordination and even “blame-shifting” among different public entities.
Sam also pledged that his government will revamp its systems for licensing different businesses, such as by streamlining its approval procedures, with the aim of making it easier for residents to launch and run their business.
Sam stressed that public servants and officials must adopt a broader perspective, demonstrate responsibility and commitment, collaborate effectively, and uphold integrity and honesty. They must balance their core duties with innovative reforms, think boldly, and innovate courageously, he said.
Moreover, Sam said, public servants and officials must also handle the correct relationship between strict adherence to the law and the effective and proper use of their discretionary powers, based on which his government will ensure that they do not use legal compliance as an excuse for inaction.
Thirdly, Sam said that his government will accelerate the development of the Guangdong-Macau In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, by using legal and institutional innovation as a breakthrough, with the aim of achieving the Macau-Hengqin integrated development.
Sam underlined that advancing the zone’s development is an important responsibility and obligation of his government, which he said will better leverage Macau’s leading role in developing the zone.
Sam also said that on the premise of not violating the legal principles of the nation’s Constitution and the Macau SAR Basic Law while also upholding the red line of national sovereignty and security, his government will boldly reform, explore, innovate, and break new ground in advancing Hengqin’s development.
Fourthly, Sam pledged that his government will inject new impetus into Macau’s economic growth and plan for its long-term development while making concrete achievements in its appropriate economic diversification campaign.
Sam acknowledged that Macau’s economic development is currently facing complex internal and external environments while the city is also being affected by its economic structural problems and global economic uncertainties.
Sam also said that with the city’s ongoing slowdown in its post-pandemic economic recovery, which is partially attributed to the changing consumption patterns by locals and visitors alike, this year’s government revenues would possibly be less than initially forecast.
While consolidating Macau’s economic recovery, Sam said, the government will intensify its efforts to advance its appropriate economic diversification drive while also addressing the city’s unbalanced economic development.
Fifthly, Sam said that his government will adhere to its people-centred approach by effectively addressing the issues affecting residents’ well-being, with the aim of continuously enhancing their sense of gain, happiness, and security.
Sam said that his government will put residents’ interests first while also having to implement social welfare measures in a sustainable way. The government will adopt a more targeted approach in its policy of improving residents’ well-being, such as by more precisely helping those in need and allocating more welfare resources to the elderly, children, those with disabilities, and others in vulnerable groups.
Sixthly, Sam said that his government will consolidate and enhance Macau’s unique advantages and deepen international exchanges, with the aim of enabling Macau to play a greater role in the international community and better integrate into and serve the nation’s overall development.
Zheng voices 3 opinions
During yesterday’s session, Zheng voiced three opinions concerning the national and local development.
Firstly, Zheng said that this year’s “two sessions” have boosted confidence in the nation advancing Chinese modernisation.
Zheng said that last year was an extraordinary year of the nation’s economic development, adding that with complex internal and external environments, the central authorities continued to deepen reform and advance high-quality development, thereby being able to complete its main socioeconomic development goals.
Secondly, Zheng underlined the nation’s great potential for development, adding that the historical process of advancing the building of a strong country and national rejuvenation through Chinese modernisation has become irreversible.
Thirdly, Zheng said that Macau should make special contributions to promoting the nation’s overall development, urging the city to thoroughly study Xi’s important speeches, advance its appropriate economic diversification drive, and firmly safeguard national security and ensure Macau’s stability.
Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee Vice Chairman Edmund Ho Hau Wah (centre) speaks during yesterday’s briefing session at the headquarters of the Central People’s Government Liaison Office in Zape about the spirit of this year’s “two sessions” while Macau Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai (right) and Liaison Office Director Zheng Xincong look on. – Photo: Tony Wong
Guests attend yesterday’s briefing session about the spirit of the third sessions of the 14th National People’s Congress (NPC) and the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference which were held in Beijing earlier this month. – Photo: Tony Wong
