The Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR) Government will devote its utmost effort to implement the guidance outlined in the Opinions on Financial Support for the Development of the Guangdong-Macao Intensive Cooperation Zone in Hengqin and in other related policies introduced to accelerate the development of the Cooperation Zone.

The Chief Executive, Mr Ho Iat Seng, spoke to reporters today in Hengqin, after attending a ceremony marking the “Policy Release on Financial Support for the Development of the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin and the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone”.

Mr Ho stated that the Central Government and other relevant departments had, since the establishment of the Cooperation Zone on 17 September 2021, given strong support to the latter’s development, injecting new impetus into the project and contributing to its advancement.

The Chief Executive said he believed that the Cooperation Zone had bright development prospects, underpinned by the joint effort of the MSAR Government and the Guangdong Government in the framework of the Master Plan of the Development of the Guangdong-Macao Intensive Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, in conjunction with a number of favourable measures that were being introduced: from preferential customs and immigration policies, to the promulgation of the Regulation for Promoting Development of the Guangdong-Macao Intensive Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, as well as the publishing of the latest Opinions document.

Mr Ho discussed some of the measures featured in the Opinions document, including Macao’s role as a financial service platform for commercial and trade cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking countries. He said Macao was playing that role effectively: Mr Ho noted that the headquarters and the supporting office to the permanent secretariat of the Forum for Economic and Trade Co-operation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries were both based in Macao.

In addition, he added, the MSAR Government had always played an important role in helping to organise the Ministerial Conference of the Forum for Economic and Trade Co-operation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries. There were plans for Macao to host this year another edition of the Ministerial Conference, and MSAR Government was stepping up effort to support the event, said Mr Ho.

In a separate occasion today, speaking on the sidelines of a reception to mark the International Women's Day, Mr Ho stated that the mutual recognition of driving licences between the mainland and Macao did not mean that drivers from the mainland had the right to work in Macao. The new measure would not affect driver positions reserved for Macao ID holders only, Mr Ho stressed.

The Chief Executive also talked about the planning of a forthcoming visit to Portugal, Luxembourg and Belgium, which aimed to strengthen external exchange and bolster synergy within industries.

He said he was confident that city-wide gross gaming revenue for 2023 would meet the Government’s target of 130 billion patacas.