Macau gov’t announces GBA annex for 5-year plan

The Macau government says it has formulated an annex for the city’s Five-year Development Plan, covering its participation in the construction of the Greater Bay Area.

Officially titled “The Macao Special Administrative Region’s Participation in the Construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area,” the annex represents the Macau SAR government aligning itself closer with the national master plan.

According to a statement from the government, the annex sets out the basic principles for Macau’s Five-year Development Plan and combines them with the eight major development strategies for the territory. Containing more than 11,000 words, the annex is composed of several parts covering issues such as improving overall living standards, jointly boosting economic development, and enhancing the coordination mechanisms between Macau and the other jurisdictions of the Bay Area.

The annex also covers Macau’s major duties for participating in various aspects of Greater Bay Area construction. It covers obligations from fostering education development; employment of young people; facilitating innovation and entrepreneurship; constructing green, livable cities; establishing a base for cultural exchange; building conditions for travel and entertainment; and the promotion of interconnectivity across borders.

The promotion of interconnectivity across the jurisdictions of the Greater Bay Area will involve allowing local residents to work in the region and helping small and medium-sized enterprises from the territory to explore their neighboring markets.

In August last year, the Central People’s Government established the Leading Group for Development of the Greater Bay Area, with the Chief Executive of the MSAR as one of its members. The local government then set up a working committee in November, which oversees Macau’s participation in the construction of the Greater Bay Area and facilitates the development of related systems and mechanisms.

The public may now browse and download the electronic version of the annex of Macau’s Five-year Development Plan from the official websites of the Chief Executive’s Office (www.gce.gov.mo) and the Committee for Development of the World Centre for Tourism and Leisure (www.cccmtl.gov.mo). DB