The Chief Executive, Mr Sam Hou Fai, shares with visitors the delight of attending the first day of the Government Headquarters Open Day sessions
The Chief Executive, Mr Sam Hou Fai, today attended Government Headquarters during the Open Day session there, greeting and talking to locals and tourists, and also admiring this year's 15th National Games-themed floral display.
The Government Headquarters is opening its doors to the public this weekend (18 and 19 October), from 9am to 6pm on both days.
Mr Sam greeted visitors in the afternoon today, welcoming them to the building. He then went to floral display areas in the gardens, where he and guests admired arrangements of blooms and posed for photographs with the flowers as a backdrop.
The 15th National Games is being jointly hosted by Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao. Noting the imminent launch of the Games, Mr Sam highlighted how the Open Day's creatively-designed floral installations served as both a preview of the major sporting event and an enhancement of the public's experience for their visit to Government Headquarters.
Mr Sam subsequently went inside the Protocol Palace, meeting more visitors and having photographs taken with well-wishers. He expressed gratitude for their enthusiastic participation in the Open Day and extended a warm welcome to some of the guests touring the building.
He emphasised that the annual Open Day sessions allow the public to deepen their understanding of the Government Headquarters' functions and its role as a venue for official events. More importantly, the Open Day sessions have a bridging role between residents and the Government, strengthening mutual relationships. He looked forward to more visitors during the two-day opening of the Government Headquarters.
Some members of the public mentioned that today wasn't their first Open Day visit. They described today’s chance encounter with the Chief Executive – involving conversations and photograph-taking – as revealing of his approachable nature. Some tourists were complimentary regarding the architectural significance of the Protocol Palace and the visually-appealing themed floral displays and performances, stating they would recommend friends to visit Macao during future Open Day sessions.
When talking to reporters, Mr Sam said, regarding a public consultation on the Policy Address for the Fiscal Year 2026, that a month-long period for collection of opinions had concluded on Friday (17 October). Preliminary statistics indicated 3,548 submissions had been received, signifying increased participation compared to similar consultation processes in previous years. The most recent Policy Address public consultations were done in 2017 and 2018. The resumption demonstrated the Government’s commitment to multi-channel public engagement. The Government would thoroughly analyse all submissions in this year’s consultation, to see if they were appropriate for incorporation into the 2026 Policy Address.
After taking part in the Government Headquarters Open Day session, the Chief Executive visited Rua da Emenda for grocery shopping. There, he talked with local merchants to understand the trading outlook of small- and medium-sized enterprises and to garner first-hand insight into public sentiment.
