The Secretary for Economy and Finance, Mr Leong Vai Tac (right), meets with the Secretary of State Assistant and of Environment of Portuguese Republic, Mr José Mendes, in Lisbon.
The Secretary for Economy and Finance, Mr Leong Vai Tac, was in Portugal to learn more about policies introduced by the Portuguese Government to support start-up companies, and how these policies are helping young entrepreneurs launch their own business. During an official visit to Lisbon, Portugal, Mr Leong and a Macao delegation – accompanied by Portugal’s Secretary of State of Industry, Mr João Vasconcelos – toured several government-backed venture capital firms investing in innovative start-ups and in new projects related to tourism and hospitality. During a meeting with some of the representatives of the venture capital firms, Mr Leong was briefed on the investment requirements and application procedures used by those companies when selecting their respective investments, and he also learned more about successful investment cases. The SAR Government delegation also visited a business-support centre for start-ups in Lisbon providing one-stop services covering markets in China, Brazil, Angola and Europe. The centre’s services include training, offering access to working space, and business networking. Secretary Leong noted that the Portuguese Government was stepping up efforts to enhance the country’s business environment and to support entrepreneurship. During the visit to Lisbon, Mr Leong also met with the Chairman of AICEP Portugal Global, Mr Miguel Frasquilho, to exchange views on trade and investment promotion. Mr Leong additionally met with Portugal’s Secretary of State Assistant and of Environment, Mr José Mendes, to exchange views on green vehicles and how to boost further Macao’s role as a bridging platform between China and Portuguese-speaking countries on environment-related matters. During the meeting, Secretary Leong extended an invitation to Mr Mendes to attend the Macao International Environmental Co-operation Forum and Exhibition (MIECF), to be held in Macao from 30 March to 1 April. Other members of the SAR Government delegation included: the Director of the Macao Economic and Trade Office to the European Union in Brussels, Ms O Tin Lin; the Director of the Macao Economic Services, Mr Tai Kin Ip; and Executive Director of the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute, Ms Gloria Batalha Ung. Mr Leong returned to Macao on Thursday (8 December). During their official visit to Europe, from 3 to 7 December, Mr Leong and the Macao delegation visited Brussels, in Belgium, and Lisbon.
