A scheme for eligible Macao-registered vehicles to enter Hengqin Island, Zhuhai Prefecture, will start on 20 December, the Macao Government and the Zhuhai Municipal People's Government confirmed today. The Macao and Zhuhai authorities started today accepting applications under the scheme, officials from both sides announced at a press conference held today in Hengqin. Detailed arrangements regarding the implementation of the first phase of the scheme – including a management plan and information on the application procedures – were also announced. The Government will work closely with mainland authorities to ensure successful implementation of the measure. Both sides would review – in a timely manner – the effectiveness of the scheme, said the Assistant Director-General of the Macao Customs Service, Mr Ng Kuok Heng, at the press conference. The measure will further benefit the flow of people and goods between the two cities, and will help Macao achieve its goal of economic diversification. Mr Ng said the Government paid great attention to the implementation of the scheme, noting that the measure highlighted the Central Government’s great support to Macao and represented a significant achievement for Guangdong-Macao cooperation. Also at the press conference, the Director of the Hengqin New Area Management Committee, Mr Niu Jing, said that the entry of Macao-registered vehicles to Hengqin would have a positive impact in several areas, including: furthering the economic development of Macao and Guangdong; enhancing overall border-crossing efficiency in Macao and Zhuhai; and improving convenience of travel for people from the two cities. Premier of the State Council, Li Keqiang, had announced – during his visit to Macao in October – that the initiative to enable Macao-registered vehicles to enter Hengqin Island would be implemented before year-end. In 2009, the State Council published the Overall Development Plan of Hengqin, outlining the initiative of allowing Macao-registered vehicles to enter the island. The scheme aims to create better living, working and business conditions for Macao residents, including the possibility of living in Hengqin. In 2011, the vehicle scheme was also included in the Framework Agreement on Cooperation Between Guangdong and Macao. In June this year, the Guangdong and Macao governments agreed on the terms of the scheme enabling Macao-registered vehicles to enter Hengqin. On 8 December, the Guangdong Government issued a set of provisional procedures for managing Macao-registered vehicles entering Hengqin. The Zhuhai Government issued on the same day a set of detailed measures for managing Macao-registered vehicles entering the island. Officials from the Macao Customs Service, the Public Security Police Force and the Transport Bureau attended today’s press conference. Also present were representatives from the Zhuhai Municipal People’s Government, the Public Security Bureau and the Gongbei Customs.
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