2008 will be another prosperous year, says CE

This year would be another prosperous one for Macao and its people as the increase in their consumption power continues to enhance their living standards, the Chief Executive, Mr Edmund Ho Hau Wah, said today. In his New Year message to the people, Mr Ho said he expected Macao to become yet more prosperous in the year ahead, and extended his greetings to everyone in Macao and wished them a fruitful year ahead blessed with good health. Reminiscing the previous year, Mr Ho said Macao’s strategy in focusing on the tourism industry took shape in 2007 and brought tangible rewards to the society. The general public contributed their efforts and ideas in public affairs, having prompted some appropriate adjustments in policies and measures, which brought about a more harmonious atmosphere to the society, said Mr Ho. Mr Ho expected the tourism industry would continue its diversification and strengthen other industries, which would maintain a stable employment situation for Macao. Moreover, the increase in the consumption power of the residents would enhance their standard of living, he said. He also expected the increasing and diversifying floating population would also inject the retail business with more consumption. Macao, with the success of building its brand name internationally and because of its internal administrative innovation that enables her to develop a more diversified market in the year ahead, said Mr Ho. He said the government would endeavour to bring advantages to people’s livelihood from fruits of the contemporary prosperous society. He pledged that the government would take measures to restrain destructive impacts that provoked citizens, starting from inflation. Meanwhile, the government would prevent and surmount different challenges as they appeared in the society. Mr Ho also said that the government would continue to its relentless fight against corruption and to heed public opinion to improve on a better society. Last but no least, Mr Ho expressed his warmest wishes to Macao citizens and wished Macao would have a better development in every aspect.