Animal Farm | As time goes by

Albano Martins

Nine years ago, I wrote about the election of Chui Sai On as Chief Executive in which I said that it was necessary to “continue, improve, simplify, anticipate and innovate, with a new and fresh government.”

Today I realize that the vast majority of the questions that I raised so long ago remain stubbornly current. Due to space considerations, I condense my piece to the essentials, but I keep what was written ipsis verbis.

“(…) The economy began, with the opening of the gaming industry, increasingly centered around that industry, and diversification is today, as it was thirty years ago, an activity that should not depend on the government, as who brings it to reality are the entrepreneurs and investors. Although, the government is duty bound to encourage it and more (…).

The only big [industry] cluster in Macau is gaming. However, there is potential for other [sectors] to appear, especially due to Macau’s peculiar location in China.
Today low taxation and the climate of high fiscal tolerance (…) constitutes not only an incentive supporting businesses but also for the emergence of new industries and foreign investors. This competitive advantage must be further encouraged.

At the perimeter, Chui Sai On will have to head in the direction of minimizing non-gaming taxation as has been outlined previously (…).

Now it is necessary to minimize bureaucracy and speed up the decision-making processes for new entrepreneurs and investors and the highly qualified workforce that moves to Macau.

Ao Man Long’s case has hampered much of the Administration’s activity (…). A climate of fear to make decisions or of indecision driven by deliberately increasing bureaucratic processes (…) has constituted a huge bottleneck in the implementation of the strategies outlined by the Government (…).

Today, after the opening of the gaming sector and the economic boom (…), Macau is facing economic and social problems with a worsening income inequality (…), and greater demands for participation in political life (…).

Macau must aspire to move with the flow of modernity and the government should create a climate of greater harmony and stability that will allow economic and social development (…), political development (…). [These are] the great challenges of Chui Sai On, at all levels (…)! He will have to be attentive and prepare himself to face them and especially anticipate them. The lack of a generalized pension system [for instance] is a time bomb.
(…) Prosperity has given us options (…) not always guided by the rules of sound management of public funds.

No one doubts the added value of continuing to make Macau the platform between China and the Portuguese-speaking countries, (…) the benefits of CEPA and further integration into the Great Pearl River Delta, if we solve the issues that are affecting us today.

But growth, and above all development, presuppose the availability of resources, one of which is labor.

Its scarcity is now an enormous factor obstructing sustained growth. Chui Sai On will have to be brave enough to wage a battle against cheap and ignorant populism (…). The use of imported labor is essential should the alternatives, if any, of local labor (…) be exhausted, of course.
Today, efficiency suggests this process of recruitment should be easier, faster and more flexible (…). The civil servant machinery must be a leading facilitator in the growth and modernity of the economy and not a hindrance (…).
In a strictly economic sense, Chui Sai On will therefore have to look closely at the developments of his industrial queen, gaming, in countries that may rise as potential competition, and audaciously anticipate problems (…). Outside gaming or against gaming, Macau has no chance of surviving.”

As time goes by!