CE: Orientation fund not expected to generate substantial returns early on

Chief Executive (CE) Sam Hou Fai has clarified that the government does not expect the recently created orientation fund to generate substantial investment returns from the outset, but rather sees it as a tool to promote economic diversification over the long term.

Continuing to respond to lawmakers’ inquiries on the current fiscal year’s Policy Address, Sam noted that the newly unveiled fund is intended to support strategic development rather than deliver immediate investment returns. He made the remarks in response to questions from lawmaker Kevin Ho.

“Concerning the orientation fund, it is a tool we use to support our strategic development, and the government has a clear vision and a well-defined action plan for it. We do not intend to pursue returns that are doomed to fail from the outset; secondly, we will use funds, sub-funds, and various investment portfolios to support businesses, guiding them to focus on major industries. We also want to use this fund to promote the restructuring of companies and our business ecosystem, in line with our foundational policy. We also use the fund to finance the commercialization of research outcomes, increase the added value of industries, and foster greater business development,” the CE noted.

He explained that companies invited to apply must be headquartered in Macau. Through the funding, their managers’ performance will be tied to the definition and achievement of results, including their rewards and compensation.

“We must also establish complementary objectives and support measures for this purpose,” the CE added, noting that economic diversification is one of the government’s main and most important missions and a guiding principle for all government work related to the economy.

“We are committed to fostering new companies with great potential, particularly in the four key industries, and, with the support of the orientation fund, promoting innovative development and setting new benchmarks for growth,” Sam remarked.

SMEs are a focus of attention

Addressing the situation of local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), Sam said, “The government is closely monitoring the situation of small and medium-sized enterprises and has been launching numerous support programs to boost commerce at the community level and to channel visitor and pedestrian traffic to community areas, thereby stimulating the economy. At the local level, in April, we held another round of a major consumer rebate program, which contributed MOP970 million.

We have also developed additional initiatives, such as night tours in different locations, to continue promoting the local economy. We have also been launching initiatives to boost the economy in the southern districts and surrounding areas, as well as promoting various attractions, sightseeing itineraries, and culinary experiences through promotional videos.”

Sam also noted the collaboration with gaming operators, which led, for example, to the creation of community sightseeing buses that stop at various points throughout the city to bring visitor traffic to local areas.

On this aspect, he remarked that while the initiative, launched two months ago, initially had only one-way routes, it was optimized last week to include two-way routes.

The CE also said that the government is working to decentralize resources at the community level by promoting local cuisine and maritime tourism to more effectively divert visitors to community areas and boost economic activity there.

Additional efforts on tech

The CE also stated that additional efforts are underway to strengthen Macau’s capacity to foster technology research and development.

“At the Macao Science and Technology Research and Development Industrial Park, we have already set aside land for the creation of high-performance computing centers focused on the development of artificial intelligence. These centers have sufficient capacity to support initiatives that place heavy demands on computing power,” the CE said.

“Regarding industry, we also collaborate with Portugal, Guangzhou, and the Chinese mainland. We work with various entities to establish laboratories. In March 2025, a laboratory for this purpose was inaugurated in Lisbon, and we also have platforms for training in the field of computing services, as well as partnerships with entities outside China for the training of human resources and artificial intelligence professionals in these fields,” he added.

Sam said that the government will also commit “with determination and dedication to human resources development, accelerating the development of artificial intelligence infrastructure to support the development of key industries,” efforts that he claims will soon have “more visible results.”

The CE remarked that the government will use the four key industries to promote the recovery of small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as the Technology Research and Development Park, to establish a research and development base that “will play a role in various areas, such as the development of science and technology initiatives, and also promote and adopt more supportive measures to facilitate business establishment and streamline all business procedures, development, and activities, thereby promoting these companies’ operations and their recovery.”