The Chief Executive, Mr Ho Iat Seng, delivers a speech at a reception hosted for representatives of local Macanese community.
The Chief Executive, Mr Ho Iat Seng, today called on the local Macanese community to promote Macao, making use of its founding traditions, people-to-people networks, and connection with Portuguese-speaking countries.
At a gathering with representatives of the local Macanese community, Mr Ho said such effort would enhance the role of Macao as a bridge between China and Portuguese-speaking countries, cementing Macao’s positioning as a world centre of tourism and leisure, and as a base for exchange and cooperation where Chinese culture is the mainstream, and diverse cultures coexist.
Mr Ho thanked the local Macanese community, and Portuguese living in Macao, for their support and cooperation throughout 2022. The year had been challenging for Macao, with recurring need for epidemic-prevention measures; social and economic difficulties; falling revenue in the tourism and entertainment industries and many other sectors; a decrease in inbound tourists; and, more recently, a spike in COVID-19 infection rates. These factors had all greatly affected the population of Macao. The city as a whole had struggled through the hardships, and Macanese people, as an important component of the general Macao community, had played their part in that.
The Government had done everything it could to prevent and control COVID-19 infections, improve people’s livelihoods, and boost the local economy. The Government launched packages of economic relief measures for local residents, and for small and medium-sized enterprises; took concrete steps to drive tourism recovery; got the public involved in the new collaboration efforts regarding the Guangdong-Macao Intensive Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, and increased the quota for singly-registered vehicles permitted to enter and leave the Cooperation Zone.
The Government actively fulfilled its constitutional responsibility of safeguarding national sovereignty and security, and carried out infrastructure improvements for people’s livelihoods in a practical manner. These steps would not have been possible without the understanding, support, cooperation, and participation of the local Macanese community, which had demonstrated its own strengths and contributions.
There had been gradual lifting of COVID-19 measures, and the effects of the epidemic-related alert had been wearing off. The most difficult days were almost over, and Macao was stepping up its efforts at post-epidemic recovery, said Mr Ho.
It was hoped that the local Macanese community would seize opportunities arising from such post-epidemic recovery, give full play to its traditional tenacity and vitality, and rally to generate new achievements. Mr Ho called on the Macanese community to actively promote Macao, our beautiful home, and play a part in driving the social and economic recovery of the city.
The Government would carry forward support for Macao’s fine tradition of harmony between different communities, respecting their languages, customs, traditions, religious beliefs, and other aspects of their culture. The Government would also continue its efforts to support fully the advancement of the local Macanese community in various fields, stated Mr Ho.
