The Government would step up efforts to diversify the economy and increase regional co-operation to ensure all the people-oriented policies would not be affected by the slowdown in the gaming sector, the Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, said today.

It was normal for the gaming industry to experience consolidation after years of rapid growth, he told reporters in a press briefing before he left with an official delegation on a four-day visit to Beijing.

Mr Chui is scheduled to meet with the State Administration of the Traditional Chinese Medicine, the Ministry of Commerce and the National Development and Reform Commission, to seek further co-operation opportunities in the Guangdong-Macao Chinese Medicine Technology Park, and explore more ties in trade liberalisation and reforms under the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA).

He said cabinet members, Secretary for Economy and Finance Leong Vai Tac and Secretary for Transport and Public Works Raimundo Rosário, will visit Guangdong soon to study emerging opportunities in the free trade zone.

To tackle challenges brought on by the recent situation, he said the Government had a well-established fiscal reserve mechanism -- foreign currency reserves, basic fiscal reserves and surplus reserves -- to maintain the long-term stability and prosperity of Macao.

In regard to the completion of large-scale entertainment projects in the near future, Mr Chui said the Government would not change its policy on restricting the increase in the number of gaming tables to no more than three per cent in each year.

When asked for his views on a legislator’s comments on domestic violence, Mr Chiu said he respected freedom of speech, but the Government was firmly against such behaviour.

As to his views on the appointment of members to the Legislative Assembly, Mr Chui said any change to the constitution had to be made by the Central Government, adding that the five-step constitutional development, including amending the selection methods of members of the Legislative Assembly and the Chief Executive, had been approved in 2012. And the incumbent members of the Legislative Assembly and the post of Chief Executive have been elected in accordance with the related methods.

The Government would highly respect and strictly abide by the selection methods stipulated in the Basic Law, and continue to listen to the people’s opinions, he said.