CE: ‘Unswerving effort’ to implement ‘patriots governing Macau’ principle

The Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng has called for “unswerving effort” to ensure implementation of the “patriots governing Macau” principle and the safeguarding of the central government’s overall jurisdiction regarding the SAR.

For the first time ever, the principle of “patriots governing Macau” was mentioned in the Central Government’s Work Report, delivered to the recently concluded National People’s Congress (NPC). 

Ho made the remarks in a briefing held in the city to share information on policies and aspirations from the recent “Two Sessions” in Beijing, comprising plenary sessions of the NPC and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

According to the Chief Executive, the fact that the principle of “patriots governing Macau” was listed in Beijing’s work report comes down to the central government’s determination and confidence in maintaining the “one country, two systems” principle. He added that it was also a new requirement raised by the central government at the present time. 

“The MSAR government [will] resolutely adhere to ‘patriots governing Macau,’ to ensure political power and […] governance [are] firmly in the hands of patriots,” the city’s leader said. 

At the opening of the fifth session of the 13th NPC annual plenary sessions in Beijing, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang highlighted the “patriots ruling Macau” principle in his speech, mentioning the need to implement the central government’s full authority over both Hong Kong and Macau. 

At his briefing, Ho said that there was a need for “unrelenting effort to coordinate social and economic recovery,” and to maintain Covid-19 pandemic control measures, while stepping up adequate economic diversification. 

Recently, the Macau Economic Association (MEA) forecast that the city’s Prosperity Indices will see a rise in the period from February to May, although the association noted several uncertainties surrounding the recovery of the city’s economy. 

This includes the share prices of the six casino operators, which are significant in determining the city’s Prosperity Index and have recently plummeted, dampening forecasts of the Prosperity Indices.

Forecasts previously made by the International Monetary Fund also noted that the SAR’s gross domestic product is expected to surpass its pre-crisis level only in 2025, given the depth of economic losses during the pandemic.

Although the city’s recovery is likely to continue throughout 2022 due to strong fiscal support and the financial strength of the gaming operators, cushioning employment and consumption, Ho pledged that the government would continue to pursue stable economic development via modest progress for the remainder of 2022.

He said efforts would be made to ensure the implementation of planned policies and initiatives, and to strive for progress in relation to adequate economic diversification.

Further, city’s leader said it would continue a series of welfare initiatives relating to education, healthcare, social security, and wealth partaking. 

Work would be conducted to ensure employment of local residents and the “five-rung housing ladder” policy, a policy which provides home upgrading – for example, moving from the public housing segment to private housing.