The Secretary for Economy and Finance, Ms Ng Wai Han, speaks to reporters.
The newly-appointed Secretary for Economy and Finance, Ms Ng Wai Han, today said she believed Macao was at a crucial stage of economic transition and faced numerous challenges. Under the leadership of the Chief Executive, Ms Ng said she and her team would make every effort to carry out all planned tasks within the economy and finance portfolio and achieve all policy objectives.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of today’s Legislative Assembly plenary session, Ms Ng expressed her sincere gratitude to the Central Government for her appointment, as well as to the Chief Executive for the trust placed in her through her nomination as Secretary for Economy and Finance of the Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR) Government.
Ms Ng was sworn in as Secretary for Economy and Finance on Monday (15 June). She immediately held meetings with members of the economy and finance team to gain an in-depth understanding of the operations of the various departments and entities under her portfolio.
Ms Ng highlighted her strong background for the role, noting that she had previously served for many years in departments under the economy and finance portfolio. She added that, during her tenure at the Public Administration and Civil Service Bureau, she had frequently worked closely with departments under the economy and finance portfolio.
Moving forward, Ms Ng said she would draw on her accumulated experience to work alongside her team to accelerate Macao's appropriate economic diversification. She also pledged to listen closely to all sectors of society, and dedicate herself to carrying out every task to the best of her ability, with the aim of joining efforts with the public to enhance the resilience of Macao’s overall economy.
Ms Ng noted that the bodies under the economy and finance portfolio had consistently implemented and advanced their tasks in accordance with policy guidelines, regardless of personnel changes. She added that the work within the economy and finance portfolio was closely related to the daily lives of residents, and was also connected with the responsibilities of other government portfolios. Looking ahead, Ms Ng pledged to continue to cooperate fully with other MSAR Government secretaries and departments, adopting a broad perspective in order to carry out her administrative tasks comprehensively and effectively.
The Secretary further noted that promoting appropriate economic diversification was an important task of the MSAR Government. The economy and finance team would continue to make good use of existing mechanisms, including establishing government guidance funds and promoting investment in non-gaming projects by Macao’s integrated tourism and leisure enterprises, to steadily advance appropriate economic diversification through concrete measures.
Regarding efforts to optimise the business environment across Macao’s districts, Ms Ng said the MSAR Government had always dedicated significant effort to promoting the community economy, including through the recently-launched “Tourism and Leisure buses” project, which successfully encouraged visitors to explore different districts of Macao. Departments under the economy and finance portfolio would continue to strengthen communication with small- and medium-sized enterprises, with the aim of introducing more targeted support measures, she added.