In the Policy Address for the Fiscal Year 2018, the Chief Executive, Chui Sai On, highlighted the Government would dedicate more effort to speed up all urban development projects.
Mr Chui’s blueprint on urban development are: (1) Optimise the emergency response mechanism and enhance public safety; (2) Build a smart city to strengthen Macao’s competitiveness; (3) Consolidate transportation management to establish an accessible city; (4) Conserve the natural environment and promote green development; and (5) Foster cultural diversity to enhance cultural soft power.
He disclosed the initiatives in the Policy Address for the Fiscal Year 2018, entitled “Be pragmatic yet enterprising, and share the fruits of development”, delivered at the Legislative Assembly this afternoon.
On optimising the emergency response mechanism and enhancing public safety, the Government would implement its development strategy for enhancing soft and hard infrastructure, while prioritising people’s lives, properties and public safety; enhance disaster prevention and mitigation capability; perfect the integration of government leadership and community participation, and the mechanism for preventing and responding to emergencies; strengthen top-down coordination and inter-departmental synergy; and focus on establishing systems and investing in resources for implementing short-, medium- and long-term measures to develop a long-term disaster prevention and mitigation mechanism.
The short-term measures mentioned by the Chief Executive included: commence formulation of emergency response action plans in all departments; establish a department focused on civil protection and emergency response coordination; perfect the laws and regulations on risk management and emergency responses; improve flood prevention and drainage infrastructure at the Inner Harbour; complete the mainland China section of the fourth raw water pipeline, to enhance safe operations and emergency water storage capacity of the tap water supply company; provide additional means of emergency communication for timely delivery of information on emergencies; plan to establish a wind resistance standard for windows; improve management of basements and underground car parks, to minimise potential for flooding during storms including typhoons; revise the standards for design and installation of electric facilities; and establish a special border crossing system for emergency situations.
On the medium- and long-term measures include: enhance safe operating capacity of the city by prioritising infrastructure development in new urban planning; actively facilitate the construction of a third interconnection between Macao’s electrical grid and China Southern Power Grid; commence formulating an electrical grid master plan for preventing and responding to disasters; enhance Macao’s water storage capacity; and make use of big data and other technologies to establish a crisis information management system.
The Policy Address also proposed the construction of an office building on Macao peninsula for the newly established Civil Protection Action Centre, to strengthen the software and hardware development of the centralised command centre; the establishment of a third-party assessment mechanism on comprehensive disasters risks and emergency response capability; the improvement of human resources development for disaster prevention and reduction; the establishment of a professional and efficient emergency rescue team; and improvements to professional training for meteorological staff. The formulation of a ten-year plan for disaster prevention and mitigation (2019-2028) would commence next year.
To build a safe city, the Government would implement diverse measures, such as optimise community policing, promote smart policing, establish an online security centre, improve the disciplinary forces, strengthen law enforcement efficiency and capability, enhance cooperation in regional security, combat and prevent all types of crime, attach importance to anti-terrorism, intensify anti-terrorism drills, plan to conduct more comprehensive and professional anti-terrorism drills at the city’s airport and casinos next year, and enhance professional facilities for maritime law enforcement, to ensure and maintain public safety of the MSAR.
The Chief Executive stressed Macao would expedite its strategy of developing into a smart city. The Government’s cloud computing centre and big data platform would be completed and commence operations next year. With the support of cloud computing and the big data platform, data exchange efficiency between public departments would be greatly enhanced, thus enabling the Government to demonstrate the benefits of digitisation to the public in the areas of administration, transport, tourism, healthcare and public security.
He said, in particular, that the Government would speed up the formulation of a long-term development plan for the telecommunications industry, and strengthen regulation of telecommunications services, to ensure network quality. Through an inter-departmental working group, the Government would facilitate e-commerce and support development of a third-party electronic payment platform. The Government would also strive to foster technological development and popular science activities, and encourage development of smart city mobile apps.
Mr Chui said the Government would focus on solving traffic problems. Regarding consolidating transportation management to establish an accessible city, various transportation management approaches would be integrated to create an effective, efficient and convenient green commuting environment.
Besides controlling vehicle growth, the Government would continue promoting the use of environmentally-friendly vehicles and electric cars, perfect the Inspection and Administration System for Road Facilities to reduce inconvenience caused by road works, improve planning of the bus routes network, spare no effort in the comprehensive renewal of the Border Gate bus terminal facilities, and perfect the establishment of the system for taxi services by submitting the “Legal System Governing Taxi Services” to the Legislative Assembly for deliberation.
Mr Chui said the Government would advocate the concept of green commuting by perfecting walking routes and improving the walking environment. Furthermore, the Government would expedite the establishment of an LRT operation company responsible for construction and operations of the LRT system, and continue facilitating the legislation on the future operation of the light rail transit.
The Government would accelerate construction of transport infrastructure facilities; develop a transportation hub in the Islands District that integrates land, sea and air transport; enhance Macao’s regional and international connectivity to provide efficient and convenient transportation services to local residents and visitors; and improve border-crossing facilities to achieve efficient regional commuting. The construction of the superstructure of the Macao border crossing area of Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and related ancillary facilities would be completed at the same time as the main structure of the bridge.
On conservation of the natural environment and promoting green development, the Policy Address emphasised deepening green education, promoting green industries, advocating green living, and facilitating ecological civilisation. Mr Chui stated the Macao Solid Waste Resources Management Programme (2017-2026) which affirmed Macao’s waste reduction target for the next ten years. The Government would commence improvement of construction waste landfill soil, facilitate planning of the incineration centre's phase-3 expansion project, proceed with the optimisation and design of the basic facilities of Macao’s sewage treatment system, and plan to establish a centralised food waste processing facility.
The Government would proceed with the legislation on: the scheme to subsidise equipment for the recycling industry, the management system for construction waste in Macao, and the restrictions on using plastic bags, with the aim of reducing waste. Also, the Government would soon commence a tree planting and maintenance plan, to accelerate greening work; and enhance regional cooperation on environmental protection and collaboration on tackling pollution.
On promotion of cultural diversity to enhance cultural soft power, the Government would focus on building a new image of “cultural Macao” to raise the city’s competitiveness.
Mr Chui explained that the Government was committed to developing cultural succession education and constructing cultural facilities, conserving tangible and intangible cultural heritage, enhancing staff training to raise Macao’s professional standards in heritage protection, continued facilitating census on tangible and intangible cultural heritage, commencing an assessment process, compiling the List of Macao Intangible Cultural Heritage, establishing a heritage monitoring mechanism, and commencing the formulation of the Plan for Protection and Management of the Historic Centre of Macao by-law.
The Government would also promote cultural and art education, encourage local original art creation, facilitate cultural exchanges with overseas parties, strive to commence research on and publicise history and culture, strengthen education on related subjects for citizens – especially young people, to boost their self-confidence and pride in Chinese culture, and consolidate their recognition of the country and nationality, said Mr Chui. Meanwhile, Macao would continue recognising contributions from the Macanese and Portuguese residents living in the city, who have played an important role to the intermingling of Chinese and foreign cultures.