Public consultation on Third Five-Year Plan concludes with 92% ‘positive’ feedback

[Photo: Renato Marques]

The Policy Research and Regional Development Bureau (DSEPDR) published the final report yesterday on the public consultation related to Macau’s Third Five-Year Plan for 2026-2030 (FYP).

According to the DSEPDR, the consultation ran from May 20 to June 28. It included 14 consultation sessions (three dedicated to the general public, 10 for specific sectors, and one held for the first time in the Cooperation Zone in Hengqin).

The report notes that over 500 participants attended these public sessions, contributing around 180 comments and opinions. Additional feedback came through legislators, community organizations, and public channels such as the Macao One Account platform, phone, email, and the media.

In total, the consultation received 1,716 submissions containing 8,230 opinions, figures that the DSEPDR said were, respectively, 2.2 times and 2.6 times higher than those in the previous plan consultation.

The bureau also noted that the majority of the submissions came directly from the public, followed by online platforms and media (1,191 submissions in total). Of these, 848 were submitted through the Macao One Account, 193 during public sessions, and 277 via online platforms. Notably, the large majority were received on Facebook (236), with only 21 via WeChat. A total of 248 pieces of opinion and feedback were also compiled from comments by representatives of different sectors, scholars, and groups published in the media.

Analyzing the content expressed in such comments and opinions, the DSEPDR noted overall support for the policies and measures proposed in the consultation document, claiming that 92.1% of the opinions were “positive,” 6.9% were “neutral,” and 1% were “negative.”

On the topics that attracted the most feedback, the bureau noted matters related to “improving public welfare” (21.6% of opinions), economic diversification (16%), and the development of the Hengqin Cooperation Zone (13.3%).

The entity responsible for the public consultation and the policy draft said it had reviewed all the feedback received and incorporated the widely supported, feasible suggestions into the final version of the plan, which will be published at a later stage.

The DSEPDR also added that some of the suggestions received that could not be incorporated into the upcoming plan “will still serve as references for future policymaking.”

The complete consultation report is available on the Macau Government Portal and the DSEPDR website in the section specially dedicated to the Third Five-Year Plan.