The Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR) Government will stand in unity with the community to grasp opportunities created from, and to make a good start implementing, the Master Plan of the Development of the Guangdong-Macao Intensive Cooperation Zone in Hengqin.
Speaking at the press conference, the Chief Executive, Mr Ho Iat Seng, said the Cooperation Zone carried great significance for Macao in terms of facilitating Macao’s adequate economic diversification; in being helpful to Macao people working and living in Hengqin; in promoting the high-quality development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area; and in enriching the implementation of the “One country, two systems” principle.
Mr Ho made the remarks during a MSAR Government press conference held at Government Headquarters regarding major initiatives in the Master Plan. The Government’s five Secretaries also attended the event.
Speaking at the press conference, Mr Ho expressed gratitude to the Central Government for paying close attention to opinions from the MSAR Government during the process of formulating the Master Plan, and for the Central Government’s support and concern for the development of the MSAR.
Focal points of the Cooperation Zone in Hengqin would be: healthcare-related industries, via research and development of traditional Chinese medicine as a starting point; modern financial industry; high and new technology; and cultural tourism, convention and exhibition, and commercial and trade industries.
Mr Ho went on to say that the Central Government had offered solid support for Macao to create further conditions for adequate economic diversification, i.e., by upgrading financial and taxation policies for the Cooperation Zone. These policies would help attract a greater number of quality enterprises to base themselves in the Cooperation Zone, adding vitality to Macao’s economic diversification effort, he added.
The Chief Executive also talked about progress on exploring a collaboration mechanism for cross-boundary welfare services for members of the Macao public living in Hengqin. There would be concrete effort to advance infrastructure connectivity between Macao and Hengqin, and to ensure interconnectivity in relation to Macao’s public services and social security system, including in education, healthcare and social services. The MSAR Government would strive to create better conditions by introducing favourable measures to encourage a greater number of the Macao public either to work, to start a business or to live in the Cooperation Zone.
The Cooperation Zone would complement Macao’s strengths as a separate customs territory and as a global free port, enjoyed under the “One country, two systems” principle. The Cooperation Zone would also benefit from Macao’s extensive network of external connections, as well as from – within the Cooperation Zone itself – a special regulatory system by tiered district, as outlined in the Master Plan. It was believed these advantages would transform the Cooperation Zone as a high-level opening up area, particularly in key areas and major sectors, featuring both Chinese characteristics and the advantages of “two systems”, said Mr Ho.
The Cooperation Zone would fully explore the potential of the Greater Bay Area in systems innovation; and in making breakthroughs relative to the current limitations of cross-boundary movement concerning technologies, talent and the flow of capital and information, said Mr Ho.
Greater effort would be made to explore a regulatory system in the Cooperation Zone that would match that of Macao, and that would align with international criteria, in order to facilitate integrated development and promote convenient flow of necessary elements between Macao and Hengqin, Mr Ho said.
Guangdong and Macao would work closely to realise the goals outlined in the Master Plan, optimising continuously the comprehensive competitiveness of the Cooperation Zone, and turning it into a test field and a standard of measurement in terms of the high-quality development of the Greater Bay Area, added Mr Ho.
After rounds of discussions, Guangdong and Macao had agreed on a proposal regarding the development and management body and the development and execution body for the Cooperation Zone. The document also covered the establishment in the Cooperation Zone of field offices of different entities. Such proposal already had been delivered to the Leading Group for the Development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, for approval. In addition, the MSAR Government had delegated a batch of young civil servants familiar with development effort in Hengqin and in Macao to assist the management work, he added.
Regarding policy research, Guangdong and Macao had set up an aggregate of six task forces – dealing with matters concerning organisation, boundary crossing movement, taxation, finance, legal affairs, and systemic reform – and communication mechanisms covering those topics. Several work meetings had been held. The next phase of work for the task forces would be research on how to implement specific policies based on aspirations of the Master Plan, said Mr Ho.
