The Chief Executive, Mr Sam Hou Fai, attends a plenary session of the Legislative Assembly, to review the MSAR Government’s administration over the past six months, outline the key priorities for the second half of the year, and answer questions raised by Legislative Assembly members' questions on economic, social and public affairs.
The Chief Executive, Mr Sam Hou Fai, today said the Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR) Government will continue to unite all sectors of the society, seize the major opportunities presented by the country’s 15th Five-Year Plan, and effectively implement its policy agenda for the remainder of the year, striving to achieve all annual policy objectives.
During this afternoon’s plenary session of the Legislative Assembly, Mr Sam said the MSAR Government’s work planned for the first half of 2026 has achieved positive results.
Mr Sam said this year’s Legislative Assembly session, conducted under a new format and approach, marked the first time a Chief Executive had appeared before the Legislative Assembly in the middle of the year to review the MSAR Government’s performance during the first half, as well as to outline key priorities for the second half. This initiative reflected the MSAR’s commitment to upholding and improving the executive-led governance model. It also aimed to communicate the MSAR Government’s policy work more promptly, comprehensively and effectively to all sectors of society and the general public – thereby fostering greater consensus and collective strength for Macao’s development.
Reviewing the first half of 2026, Mr Sam noted that, under the strong leadership of the Central Government, the MSAR Government, working in concert with all sectors of society, had thoroughly implemented President Xi Jinping’s important speeches. The MSAR Government has fully, accurately and resolutely implemented the “One country, two systems” principle, and firmly safeguarded national sovereignty, security, and development interests.
With the support of the legislative and judicial branches, the MSAR Government has also proactively aligned itself with the country’s 15th Five-Year Plan, and steadily advanced the implementation of the 2026 Policy Address. Macao maintained overall social harmony and stability, with its economy continued to improve steadily, fiscal revenues and expenditures remained healthy, the employment situation was favourable, and overall prices remained stable.
Mr Sam outlined the MSAR Government’s key achievements over the past six months across eight areas: 1. steady progress in formulating the Third Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development of the MSAR; 2. upholding and improving executive-led governance and enhancing the effectiveness of the MSAR administration; 3. resolutely safeguarding national security and social stability; 4. intensifying efforts to promote appropriate economic diversification; 5. precisely and effectively improving people’s livelihoods; 6. achieving significant progress in phases in the development of the Guangdong-Macao Intensive Cooperation Zone in Hengqin; 7. strengthening youth development and implementing multiple measures to support youth employment; and 8. fully leveraging Macao’s unique advantage of being “backed by the motherland, connected to the world” to better integrate into and serve the nation’s overall development strategy.
Looking ahead to the second half of 2026, the MSAR Government will focus on the following seven key areas, building on the full implementation of the 2026 Policy Address.
The first priority is to firmly safeguard national security and social stability, making every effort to ensure good public order, regional security, and overall social stability in Macao.
The second task is the publication and implementation of the MSAR’s Third Five-Year Plan. The MSAR Government aimed of promulgating it by August this year, with each policy sector aligning and breaking down the key tasks set out in the Third Five-Year Plan for integration into next year’s policy agenda.
The third priority is to advance appropriate economic diversification in an orderly manner. The MSAR Government will continue to push forward the city’s four major projects, including the Macao-Hengqin International Education (University) Town,
the Macao International Integrated Tourism and Cultural Zone, the Macao Technology Research Industrial Park, and the Macau International Airport Hengqin Upstream Cargo Terminal.
The fourth task mentioned by the Chief Executive is to effectively safeguard and improve people’s livelihoods. The 2026 Wealth Partaking Scheme will be implemented efficiently to ensure residents benefit promptly from it. The MSAR Government will continue to strengthen job-matching services, combat illegal employment, and dynamically regulate the number of non-resident workers in the market to ensure they serve only as a supplement to the local workforce, thereby protecting the employment rights of local residents. Enforcement of traffic-related regulations will be intensified, oil price fluctuations will be closely monitored, and urban renewal initiatives will be advanced
The fifth priority is to accelerate development in the Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, with science, technology and education as key drivers, and to implement reforms to overcome development challenges and deepen Macao-Hengqin integration.
The sixth task is to advance public administration reform. With the goal of improving administrative efficiency, the MSAR Government will conduct public department restructure, steadily advance civil service career system reforms, and launch a new public feedback platform. Legislative amendments to key laws, including the Administrative Procedure Code and the legal framework governing the organisation and work of local associations will be accelerated.
The seventh priority is to strengthen external cooperation and exchanges. The MSAR will make full preparations for and host the 13th APEC Tourism Ministers’ Meeting, and make active effort to strengthen practical cooperation with Southeast Asian countries.
