The Chief Executive, Mr Ho Iat Seng, today called on the personnel of all the relevant entities working under the administrative committee of the Guangdong-Macao In-depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, to ensure a smooth dovetailing of effort with mainland authorities in order to achieve progress in advancing the initiative.
Mr Ho, who is also director of the Cooperation Zone’s administrative committee, made the remark while visiting offices in Hengqin for the relevant entities set up under the administrative committee. Mr Ho was in Hengqin this morning for a plaque-unveiling ceremony marking the advent of the administrative committee and of the executive committee.
There is an aggregate of nine work entities established under the executive committee. They are: an administrative affairs bureau; a legal affairs bureau; an economic development bureau; a financial development bureau; a commercial services bureau; a finance bureau; a statistics bureau; an urban planning and construction bureau; and a livelihood affairs bureau.
Speaking during the visit, Mr Ho said the interests of the Macao public would be the inspiration for the Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR) Government to develop the Cooperation Zone as a new ‘homeland’, but one with greater resources in terms of livelihood and employment opportunities.
The MSAR Government would arrange further visits to the Cooperation Zone to enable departmental officials to learn for themselves more about the living conditions and business environment there. In doing so, they would get a better grasp on how to advance their work, for the benefit of the Macao public, Mr Ho added. Their work would be crucial to maintaining the long-term stability of Macao and promoting the city’s effort regarding adequate economic diversification, as well as furthering the integration of Macao into the progress of national development.
Those also attending today’s office premises visit included: the Secretary of the CPC Zhuhai Municipal Committee and deputy director of the Cooperation Zone’s administrative committee, Mr Guo Yonghang; Macao’s Secretary for Economy and Finance, and director of the Cooperation Zone’s executive committee, Mr Lei Wai Nong; and the Director of the Hengqin Office of the Guangdong Provincial People’s Government and deputy director of the Cooperation Zone’s executive committee, Mr Nie Xinping. The officials held a work meeting during the visit.
Macao’s Secretary Lei also attended a ceremony to unveil a plaque marking the advent of the nine work entities established under the Cooperation Zone’s executive committee.
Speaking to reporters, Mr Lei said the Cooperation Zone provided enormous opportunities for Macao to press ahead with its adequate economic diversification. The Cooperation Zone would be run under the principle of “mutual discussion, joint construction, joint administration, and shared benefits”. Such an arrangement would create new impetus for steady implementation in Macao of the “One country, two systems” principle, enabling Macao to further its integration with the country’s overall development.
The administrative committee for the Cooperation Zone is to be run under a dual-director system, i.e., one jointly led by the Governor of Guangdong Province and the MSAR Chief Executive. The body would coordinate effort and make decisions on major plans, major policies, major projects and major personnel appointments, concerning the Cooperation Zone, noted Mr Lei.
The Secretary also talked about Macao’s effort regarding the four major industries outlined in the Master Plan of the Development of the In-depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, namely: modern financial industry; high and new technology; traditional Chinese medicine; and cultural tourism, convention and exhibition, commercial and trade industries.
Mr Lei gave an example of an opportunity for the Cooperation Zone, relating to Macao’s convention and exhibition industries. The city had more than 200,000 square metres of exhibition space, offering an entry point for organising joint events hosted by Macao and Hengqin. This was with a view to attracting more events to the region, he said.
