Macau set to become ‘a sleepless town’ with round-the-clock border

Lao Chi Ngai speaks during the symposium

The upcoming 24-hour operations at the border between Macau and Zhuhai herald not only a city that never sleeps, but also “a world-class large urban conglomeration” in the region, local economists suggest.
The new policy will drive changes in Macau merchants’ business model, the nation’s administration and the lifestyle of its people, while facilitating the two cities’ circulation and integration, said economist Ieong Tou Hong, chairman of the Macau Economic Development Promotion Association, at a symposium hosted by Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST).
“Currently most of the shops and restaurants in San Ma Lo are closed at 9 pm; with the border operating around the clock, Macau may become a sleepless town,” he indicated. “It will also draw demands on the government’s administration, as in the future, civil servants might need to work during the night.”
The scholar further explained that the open border is anticipated to reduce barriers for the transboundary flows of production factors, including human resources, capital, land and entrepreneurship.
“The new policy of 24-hour borders means much more than a relief to the pressure of border crossing for residents and tourists; it implies freer flow of people, cargo and capital, which will have a direct impact on Macau’s tourism, commerce and real estate sectors,” added Pang Chuan, vice dean of MUST’s School of Business.
Mr Lao Chi Ngai, chairman of the Macau Economic Association, also stressed at the symposium that “Macau’s urban development has been stuck in a bottleneck,” with the new policy coming in time to alleviate the surging pressures of citizens’ living conditions and  chronic overcrowding.
“Macau is a city whose size is not much larger than the Guangzhou Airport. Hong Kong and Taiwan also receive about 50 million visitors in a year, but their land scale and population are not comparable to that of Macau,” he said.
The scholars recognized that Macau is ready for a 24-hour operational border, as it is “both necessary and inevitable” in the trend of regional economic integration.
As a result, the city will have more space to diversify its economy, as well as to play a more effective role in bridging Chinese and Lusophone countries in trade and business.
Mr Ieong explained that the new policy of 24-hour border operation could be dated back to a decade ago when Macau and Mainland China signed the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA).
“Local residents’ lifestyles started to change when the CEPA was signed. A decade ago, we already pictured a life across two cities, and now the infrastructure is much more advanced. The interurban one-hour living circle will really come true in the future,” he said.
“I estimate that one third of Macau’s nearly 150,000 migrant workers have already been living in Zhuhai, and the percentage will rise when the border is open 24 hours,” he added.
In the next two years two more checkpoints will be built. “No doubt both of them will be large scale and operational around the clock,” stressed Prof. Pang.
Without exception, the new policy also has side effects, especially a higher demand on transportation and human resources, as well as a certain impact on the local neighborhoods. “It depends on how the government will handle it. I believe the benefits to be brought by this policy outweigh the costs,” he added.