![\"\"](\"https://hogo.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/macaubusiness/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/facts-on-figures-mb-special-1028x660.png\")
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\nMacau Business | May 2024 | Special Report | 20 years, 20 changes
Macau Business is watching
\n\n\n\nMacau today is a vastly different city than it was 20 years ago. Throughout this special report, we’ve identified a list of 20 changes, some of them, but many others had to be left out due to space constraints.
\n\n\n\nWhy 20 years? Because Macau Business was born precisely two decades ago. But also because it was in May 2004 that the transformation, which we can all witness today, began with the opening of the first casino by one of the new gaming operators (Sands).
\n\n\n\nThe city began to change, and here at Macau Business, we’ve been privileged witnesses to these transformations.
\n\n\n\nMacau will continue to change. The difference now is that few dare to predict where it will be in another 20 years.
\n\n\n\nAll you have to do is read our magazine every single month.
\n\n\n\nCo-ordinated by Jo\u00e3o Paulo Meneses jpmeneses@macaubusiness.com
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://hogo.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/macaubusiness/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/AdobeStock_93940843-150x150.jpeg\")
\nMacau Business | April2024 | Special Report | Modern Finance
Making it happen
\n\n\n\nIf someone had predicted ten years ago that Macau would emerge as a central hub for hundreds of bond issues, few would have taken it seriously. Even more incredulous would have been the notion of Macau outpacing Singapore in international bond issuances, as it did last year, according to official data.
\n\n\n\nThis feat was made possible only through decisive intervention and support from the mainland, leveraging every available resource. The idea of establishing a stock market, which surfaced at the decade’s end, now appears to be on the back burner. However, it is realised that Macau need not compete directly with Hong Kong to develop a financial sector that contributes at least 20 percent of GDP. Fintech is here and makes this job a lot easier. A step in that direction was taken last year with the establishment of the Micro Connect Macao Financial Assets Exchange (MCEX), an innovative financial market based in the SAR, linking global capital and small businesses in the mainland.
\n\n\n\nMicro Connect founder and chairman Charles Li shares his vision and aspirations in an exclusive interview for this edition.
\n\n\n\nOver the past couple of years, local authorities have been enacting crucial new legislation and launched the Macao Central Securities Depository and Clearing Limited (“MCSD”).
\n\n\n\nNevertheless, a critical issue persists – this special report underscores: without bolder efforts to attract highly skilled professionals, Macau’s development remains hampered.
\n\n\n\nExpectations are high for Ho Iat Seng, who history may regard as the architect of modern finance in Macau, after the inaugural Chief Executive… a banker.
\n\n\n\nCo-ordinated by Jo\u00e3o Paulo Meneses \u00a0jpmeneses@macaubusiness.com
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://hogo.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/macaubusiness/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/iStock-1213574729.jpg\")
The hardest part is done: Macau is starting to distinguish itself in the green bond niche market
\n\n\n\nMacau\u2019s wealth management scheme struggles to lure non-residents
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mbusiness.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/2019/03/public-works-150x150.jpg\")
\nMacau Business | March 2024 | Special Report | Public works
Old headaches, new remedies
\n\n\n\nThe January 2017 special report editorial bore the title: “In the land where all works are postponed and no deadline is met”
\n\n\n\nThe text aimed to characterise a situation in which delays of years were deemed normal, and deadlines announced at the highest level in the media were systematically disregarded.
\n\n\n\nSeven years have elapsed, and some changes have occurred.
\n\n\n\nFirstly, there has been increased attention paid to these same delays and budget overruns, resulting in heightened supervision.
\n\n\n\nThe government also exhibits a different attitude today: more demanding, more interventionist, and more transparent.
\n\n\n\nMany things still go awry, and it’s not solely old problems that take an extended period to resolve (as exemplified by the lingering issue of K\u00e1-H\u00f3 prison).
\n\n\n\nHowever, challenges with large-scale projects can emerge anywhere.
\n\n\n\nThe distinguishing factor lies in how we address them: with resignation, as was customary in Macau, or with a more proactive approach – from all angles, including the media, which bears the responsibility to hold public authorities accountable in the interest of the social contract with its readers.
\n\n\n\nCo-ordinated by Jo\u00e3o Paulo Meneses jpmeneses@macaubusiness.com
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mbusiness.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/2020/03/work.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https://hogo.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/macaubusiness/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/charlesdeluvio-cKN4UbAeOig-unsplash-150x150.jpg\")
\nMacau Business | February 2024 | Special Report | Demography \u2013 Will the Year of the Dragon come to the rescue?\ufeff
A glimmer in the demographic winter
\n\n\n\nThe year 1988, marked as the Year of the Dragon, saw the highest number of births in Macau. Twenty-four years later, in 2012, more records were established. While there was no noticeable increase in birth rates in 2000, it is indisputable that the Chinese zodiac influences the demography of East Asia.
\n\n\n\nCurrently grappling with a demographic winter (this year, for the first time, the young population will be smaller than the elderly), Macau might observe a new peak of births towards the end of the year. However, irrespective of the number of births, problems will persist: in 2025, fewer babies are expected to be born, all while witnessing greater longevity.
\n\n\n\nDemographic challenges have multifaceted implications, extending beyond the social and economic realms. The primary issues are addressed in this dedicated report, providing insights into whether it is possible to counter the trend and outlining potential government interventions: more financial investments (as seen in Hong Kong)? increased immigration? additional working hours to subsidise reform?
\n\n\n\nThe reader will discover answers to these questions in the subsequent pages of a special report that had the privilege of featuring a panel of Macau’s leading academic scholars with an interest in demographic implications.
\n\n\n\nCo-ordinated by Jo\u00e3o Paulo Meneses jpmeneses@macaubusiness.com
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mbusiness.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/2018/12/baby-basket-blanket-161534-1028x685.jpg\"){kind=spacer}
Parents believe so, but scientific studies say it\u2019s nothing more than superstition
\n\n\n\nMacau had been slow in implementing a mandatory pension system, delaying what seems inevitable
\n\n\n\nChina entered an era of negative population growth. Will China get old before it gets rich?
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mbusiness.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/2019/08/Screen-Shot-2019-08-12-at-6.23.26-PM-150x150.png\")
\nMacau Business | January 2024 | Special Report | New gaming concessions \u2013 The first year (and beyond)
\u201cFor the times they are a-changin’\u201d
\n\n\n\nThis is the first year of the decade-long new gaming concession contracts, with the incumbent six gaming companies operating but under new terms. The first year of the ‘new era’ of Macau\u2019s core industry also coincided with the city\u2019s post-pandemic reopening. One year is not long, many will say, but enough to realize that several things started to change, if compared with the previous contracts (of 20 years).
\n\n\n\nOne of them is the interventionist role of the Government, which now is more proactive in supervising what operators do and put forward demands for urban revitalisation\u2014never seen before. Another new development is the pressure to attract tourists outside of Greater China\u2014the Government wants two million in Macau throughout this year. An aim that comes in the face of a shortage of long-haul connections at the local airport.
\n\n\n\nAnother novelty is the early end of junkets, which is not the same as the end of high rollers. Last note: tourists from Mainland continue to arrive in large numbers, but here too there seem to be changes\u2014there are more young people than before, experts say. And this will lead to the need for more adaptations.
\n\n\n\nCo-ordinated by Jo\u00e3o Paulo Meneses / jpmeneses@macaubusiness.com
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://hogo.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/macaubusiness/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/AdobeStock_15045048-1028x684.jpg\")
\u2026 but that doesn\u2019t mean VIP gaming is dead or has become irrelevant
\n\n\n\nWith the new law, national security takes centre stage
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mbusiness.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/2019/08/Screen-Shot-2019-08-01-at-7.10.19-PM-150x150.png\")
\nMacau Business | December 2023 | Special Report\u00a0| Portugal\u00a0in\u00a0Macau
Distinctive Feature
\n\n\n\nAs Macau edges closer to the halfway point of the 50-year special period, we take stock of what remains of Portugal, a country that administered Macau for over four hundred years, and the future prospects for development and cooperation.
\n\n\n\nUnsurprisingly, with Macau returning to the full exercise of Chinese sovereignty, integration with mainland China deepens, with the city organically becoming “more Chinese.”
\n\n\n\nAmid this, Portuguese features equip the SAR with assets that differentiate it and, in fact, are an important component of its identity, while also embodying the practice of One Country Two Systems.
\n\n\n\nThis also brings into the picture how to strike a balance between distinctive features and integration as we move further down the road.
\n\n\n\nTwenty-four years after the handover, we review the role of remaining prominent Portuguese individuals and companies hailing from Portugal, while providing an overview of a waning presence in the judiciary, a generally positive sentiment regarding Portuguese legacy and heritage, and the new momentum arising from the increasing interest and focus by the SAR and Beijing in the Portuguese language.
\n\n\n\nOur readers will certainly come across some surprises in these pages. One of them is that when mainland Chinese tourists come to Macau, they value Portuguese cultural heritage more than Chinese cultural heritage.
\n\n\n\nAs Macau embraces the “1+4” diversification strategy, Portuguese companies and skilled professionals can play a renewed valuable role, as stressed by the Consul General of Portugal in an in-depth interview for this Special Report.
\n\n\n\nCo-ordinated by Jo\u00e3o Paulo Meneses jpmeneses@macaubusiness.com
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mbusiness.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/2018/05/Consulado-Portugue%CC%82s-na-RAEM-1028x681.jpg\")
The Macanese community is often likened to bamboo, given the instability it faces without breaking.
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://hogo.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/macaubusiness/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/IMG_4082-150x150.jpeg\")
\nMacau Business | November 2023 | Special Report | Our good and old Grand Prix
\n\n\n\nOne-of-a-kind
\n\n\n\nMore than an annual flagship event, the Macau Grand Prix has become a component of the city’s identity and a symbol of the “Tourism+ Sports” initiative. It also showcases the SAR’s external image as the Guia Circuit is recognized as a unique and special track.
\n\n\n\nAs the MGP celebrates its 70th edition, spanning two weekends \u2013 just like in the 50th and 60th editions – this special report delves into various aspects, including the event’s historical significance, its impact on the local economy, tourism development, and residents’ livelihoods.
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://hogo.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/macaubusiness/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/feb3e2cc3f532b8ccef7732d0b60f37b-1028x685.jpg\")
As mentioned in this report by Ubaldino Couto, a prominent Macau-based scholar specializing in the MGP, even though residents in general tend to complain about the GP being a nuisance due to traffic congestion and overcrowding express their desire for the MGP to continue.
\n\n\n\nSurveys indicated that “everyone wanted the MGP to continue, retracting their dismay by claiming, \u2018it’s just for a few days\u2019.”
\n\n\n\nThis year’s edition, the first with all major international races after three years of pandemic restrictions, also brings an unprecedented involvement from the six gaming concessionaires. They have been called upon to cover nearly half of the costs. For the SAR’s coffers, this means that the government will be spending the lowest amount in several years.
\n\n\n\nCo-ordinated by Jo\u00e3o Paulo Meneses jpmeneses@macaubusiness.com
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://hogo.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/macaubusiness/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/429712-MGP-image-jpg-400x0-Bub3Jo.jpeg\")
As a consolidated brand over time, MGP has a great capacity to attract visitors
\n\n\n\nExpenses regarding works rank first, followed by marketing and advertising
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://www.macaubusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/sinotrans-freight-train-guangzhou-china-guangdong-gba-asia-asean-xinhua-hanoi-vietnam-150x150.jpg\"){kind=spacer}
\nMacau Business | October 2023 | Special Report | A decade of Belt and Road Initiative
The largest-ever global infrastructure endeavour
\n\n\n\nExactly 10 years ago, President Xi Jinping launched what would become the largest-ever global infrastructure undertaking. Never has humanity benefited from such an ambitious and vast program. While the overwhelming majority of countries sought to join both the maritime and land aspects of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), some, especially in the West, expressed doubts. One concern gaining strength was that the BRI is often accused of engaging these countries in a so-called debt-trap diplomacy, a charge that China vehemently denies.
\n\n\n\nHowever, this criticism has prompted China to set new goals, and the 2023 BRI intends to be very different from what was initiated a decade ago. This special report delves into history, re-evaluates priorities, and introduces new challenges while acknowledging the potential role that a small city like Macau can play in this global project.
\n\n\n\nCo-ordinated by Jo\u00e3o Paulo Meneses jpmeneses@macaubusiness.com
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://hogo.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/macaubusiness/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/China-Europe-freight-1028x678.jpg\")
Different projects with a similar vision and some basic principles
\n\n\n\nOPINION \u2013 By Edmund Li Sheng
\n\n\n\nFrancisco Leandro, Associate Professor, Department of Government and Public Administration, Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Macau, is a leading expert on Belt and Road Initiative-related studies and research. In this interview\u00a0with Macau Business, he\u00a0anticipates further changes to the initiative, including a stronger focus on the \u201cGreen Silk Road\u201d dimension.
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://hogo.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/macaubusiness/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Forum-150x150.jpeg\")
\nMacau Business | September 2023 | Special Report | Forum Macau: 20 years on
\n\n\n\nAchievements, shortcomings and potential
\n\n\n\nEstablished in 2003 by the Chinese Central Government, the Forum for Economic and Trade Cooperation between China and Portuguese-Speaking Countries (Forum Macau) has emerged as a new mechanism in international relations, adding a multilateral layer to existing bilateral ties.
\n\n\n\nThe Forum initially comprised China and seven Portuguese-speaking countries but expanded to include nine Lusophone nations with the admission of Sao Tome and Principe and Equatorial Guinea.
\n\n\n\nThe then newly-formed Macau Special Administrative Region was entrusted with the mission of serving as a platform for Sino-Lusophone relations. Macau’s role has consistently received praise from both central and local authorities as trade soared, and numerous events involving thousands of officials, professionals, entrepreneurs, scholars, and artists have taken place in Macau under the auspices of Forum Macau.
\n\n\n\nHowever, the effectiveness of the SAR as a platform remains a subject of scrutiny. While Beijing’s directives have been consistently clear, critics point out that the city still lacks a substantial critical mass of experts and an actively engaged business community in Sino-Lusophone ties.
\n\n\n\nTwo decades on, we take pulse of this project, primarily through the perspectives of scholars and businesspeople. A key takeaway from this special report is that while scholars and those connected with the Forum’s structure emphasize the project’s relevance and outcomes, business representatives tend to express a level of disappointment with the results, even as they acknowledge its significance and potential.
\n\n\n\nIn the following pages, we review the outcomes and delve into diverse perspectives of experts and entrepreneurs on the achievements, shortcomings, and suggestions for the improvement of this key project, as Macau further integrates into the Greater Bay Area, a trend that is also reflected in the Forum’s activities and direction.
\n\n\n\nCo-ordinated by Jo\u00e3o Paulo Meneses jpmeneses@macaubusiness.com
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://hogo.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/macaubusiness/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/cdd20-iNVY0hQvgCE-unsplash-150x150.jpg\")
\nMacau Business | August 2023 | Special Report | Creative Industries
A Transformative Moment
\n\n\n\nOn August 28, 2003, Creative Macau was established under the initiative of the Institute of European Studies of Macau, bringing the role of creative industries in the process of economic diversification to the city’s agenda.
\n\n\n\nBy late 2010, the contribution of cultural and creative industries started to take a more central stage in the public discourse, but its role is yet to be properly gauged and quantified.
\n\n\n\nThe Cultural Bureau, for example, speaks of the “promotional effect that the policies and measures of the Macau SAR Government have had on cultural industries,” and states that the revenue generated “clearly reflects the economic contribution of these industries.”
\n\n\n\nHowever, Ho Iat Seng, in his first Policy Address, recalls that “the contribution of nascent industries to the overall economy is still relatively low.”
\n\n\n\nOne thing is certain, however: the creation of Creative Macau has transformed the industry, stirred up universities, and given opportunities to Macau’s artists and consumers.
\n\n\n\nIn this special report, we take stock of what has been achieved over the past two decades, without neglecting to address issues such as government subsidies or the need to nurture start-ups and generate business.
\n\n\n\nP.S. – L\u00facia Lemos has been at the helm of Creative Macau for 20 years. Macau should thank her. We, at Macau Business, thank her for the collaboration for this special report.
\n\n\n\nCo-ordinated by Jo\u00e3o Paulo Meneses
\n\n\n\njpmeneses@macaubusiness.com
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mbusiness.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/2020/06/02.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https://mbusiness.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/2017/01/patacas-150x150.jpg\")
\nMacau Business | July 2023 | Special Report | Pataca, 170 years on \u2013 Quo vadis?
1553 \u2013 1853 \u2013 2013 -2053
\n\n\n\nMany historians recognize the year 1553 as the year of the establishment of permanent trading depots by the Portuguese in Macau. Over the course of the first 300 years, business transactions were conducted through barter or the use of silver as a currency. It wasn’t until 1853 that an official law was enacted, formally introducing the pataca as the currency of Macau. Remarkably, after 170 years, the pataca remains the city\u2019s official currency.
\n\n\n\nIn this special report, we delve into the historical context and shed light on the growing threats faced by the pataca, particularly due to the rise of digital payments and cryptocurrencies. A notable example of this is the Chinese project involving the central bank-backed digital yuan.
\n\n\n\nWhile the pataca may not be the most widely used currency globally in Macau, where the Hong Kong Dollar takes the lead, it holds a special place among residents who have developed a close bond and fondness for it. Experts warn that its disappearance would have profound consequences on the level of identity.
\n\n\n\nWhy is the pataca under pressure? There are factions defending the pataca, primarily led by the AMCM, and opposing forces that aim to diminish its influence, such as digital currencies and the proposal to introduce the renminbi into the casino business.
\n\n\n\nAfter 170 years, the pataca still perseveres and resists the challenges it faces. The question remains: will it endure for another 30 years to celebrate its 200th anniversary? (Considering that 2053 comes after 2049…)
\n\n\n\nCo-ordinated by Jo\u00e3o Paulo Meneses
\n\n\n\njpmeneses@macaubusiness.com
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mbusiness.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/2017/05/patacas-1028x685.jpg\")
Gaming, in particular, works with HKD, increasing the risk of currency substitution over the pataca
\n\n\n\nLegislators are discussing the best way to tackle the counterfeit currency problem
\n\n\n\nWill a stronger digital currency lead to a weaker pataca?
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://hogo.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/macaubusiness/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/lok-yiu-cheung-o6k0ZH1eOwg-unsplash-150x150.jpg\")
\nMacau Business | June 2023 | Special Report | Macau \u2013 Hong\u00a0Kong\u00a0| So\u00a0near,\u00a0so\u00a0far
\n\n\n\nSide by Side (Back-to-Back)
\n\n\n\nThe relationship between China\u2019s two special administrative regions has often been referred to as one of ‘a tale of two cities’. At first glance, they appear similar but are conspicuously divergent. So near, yet so far.
\n\n\n\nDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, the 62 kilometres that separate the two cities seemed like a bridge too far. However, with the post-pandemic reopening in January, it was heart-warming to see the enthusiasm of visitors from Hong Kong returning to the once \u2018sleepy enclave\u2019 now thriving gaming/tourism hub. Likewise, Macau residents returning to the neighbouring SAR were excited about experiencing again the big city feeling across the Delta.
\n\n\n\nWeeks into the reopening, the Chiefs Executive of the two SARs visited each other’s cities in late February/early March, signalling the impetus for (re)connecting and enhancing not only cooperation but also coordination, which was significantly impacted by the pandemic.
\n\n\n\nAt the end of the day, it is a fact that Macau still depends on Hong Kong in several sectors, such as currency, the international airport, and certain medical facilities. However, since the resumption of the exercise of Chinese sovereignty, Macau has become increasingly reliant on the mainland.
\n\n\n\nThis would explain why the two SARs have lived not only side-by-side but also ‘back-to-back’. However, the truth is that this has always been the case, both before and after the 1999 handover.
\n\n\n\nOver the span of the first two decades, the tables have turned to some extent. If this article had been written 20 years ago, it could have been titled \u201cRich Man, Poor Man\u201d, in reference to the famous novel by Irvin Shaw, where a rich brother and a poor brother are the protagonists. Today, it no longer makes sense to say that Macau is the \u201cpoor brother\u201d.
\n\n\n\nFurthermore, the two SARs share not only the same constitutional arrangement but also their participation in the \u201c9+2\u201d Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area, alongside nine cities in the neighbouring province.
\n\n\n\nAs the two cities enjoy the momentum of (re)connecting, Hong Kong remains both near and far.
\n\n\n\nPS – Is there still room for some kind of rivalry? Those who follow the Macau Grand Prix races know that Macau spectators are thrilled when local drivers beat those from the neighbouring region…
\n\n\n\nCoordinated by Jo\u00e3o Paulo Meneses jpmeneses@macaubusiness.com
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://hogo.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/macaubusiness/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/ChkhgeE007011_20230626_CBMFN0A005.jpg\")
Hong Kong residents enjoy gambling even if they don\u2019t come to Macau.
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://hogo.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/macaubusiness/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/raghu-nath-X8q8dByMyqA-unsplash-150x150.jpg\")
\n\u2018Abundant Happiness Street\u2019
\n\n\n\nIn Macau, we have Rua da Felicidade (Happiness Street), Travessa da Felicidade (Felicidade Lane), Beco da Felicidade (Happiness Alley), and P\u00e1tio da Felicidade (Happiness Courtyard). Therefore, there is no lack of happiness. By the way, in Chinese, Rua da Felicidade is known as Fok Long San Kai [\u798f\u9686\u65b0\u8857], meaning Abundant Happiness New Street.
\n\n\n\nOne of the first questions addressed in this special report is whether Macau residents, including the elderly, are happy. We then suggest approaches that can improve individual well-being, such as religion or mindfulness, and end up talking about what prevents us from being happy, such as stress at work, mental health, and the pandemic, and how to seek help.
\n\n\n\nWhen Rua da Felicidade was the local red-light district and not just a tourist spot, there were also two very different realities. At first glance, it was the heart of Macau’s love district, but during the day it hid several human dramas, as reported by historian Manuel Teixeira.
\n\n\n\nThen, as now, happiness can also hide a lot of unhappiness.
\n\n\n\nCo-ordinated by Jo\u00e3o Paulo Meneses
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mbusiness.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/2018/10/mental-health-3285625_640.png\")
Macau is not included in The World Happiness Report
\n\n\n\nProblems such as loneliness and dementia are a part of everyday life for older people.
\n\n\n\nAll jobs can be stressful, but working shifts compounds the problem.
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://hogo.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/macaubusiness/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/AdobeStock_173650974-150x150.jpeg\")
\nMacau Business | April 2023 | Special Report | ESG/CSR Spotlight
Raising the bar
\n\n\n\nESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) criteria are fast becoming the bedrock of corporate integrity, reflecting the growing awareness of the importance of sustainability for our planet’s future. As such, it behoves us in Macau to act proactively in response to this evolving paradigm.
\n\n\n\nDuring the three-year pandemic period, gaming concessionaires, the city\u2019s main employers, have adopted numerous ESG and CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) measures. While some wonder if it was the outcome of genuine effort or mostly a response to the then upcoming public tender, the fact of the matter is that the new concession contracts, in effect since January 1, include several CSR-related strings attached.
\n\n\n\nThe next few years will provide an answer to the commitment and effectiveness of this drive, not least because a number of non-gaming projects to be developed by the gaming and operators are framed within the CSR/ESG realm.
\n\n\n\nThis special report discusses these criteria in diverse areas such as gaming and integrated resort operators, finance, start-ups, and steps towards nurturing a greener city.
\n\n\n\nCo-ordinated by Jo\u00e3o Paulo Meneses jpmeneses@macaubusiness.com
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://hogo.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/macaubusiness/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/green-sustainability-mice-events.png\")
Experts applaud the Government\u2019s efforts in this area
\n\n\n\nPathological gamblers are a fringe of society, but studies indicate that they can reach 7 per cent
\n\n\n\nThere is no consensus. Different studies carried out in Macau show different results.
\n\n\n\n\u2026 is green! Green finance is a new mantra. Also in Macau.
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://hogo.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/macaubusiness/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/decarbonisation-pollution-150x150.png\")
\nMacau Business | March 2023 | Special Report | Decarbonisation. When? How?
A big problem cannot be solved with small ideas
\n\n\n\nThe time will come when all countries and regions will have to do their utmost to combat climate change and achieve decarbonisation.
\n\n\n\nMacau, which hitherto has shown a rather passive attitude in this respect, will not be left out.
\n\n\n\nAnd when it is called upon to effectively contribute, experts point to the installation of wind farms, eventually combined with other renewable sources, by making the most of the 85 square kilometres of waters surrounding the city which were granted to the SAR by the Central Government in December 2015.
\n\n\n\nSo far this \u2018gift\u2019 has been closed and underutilized.
\n\n\n\nHowever, this situation is unlikely to persist for much longer, as the reader may find throughout the next 20 pages of this special report.
\n\n\n\nPS – Macau is facing a general shortage of talent in technical fields, which is due to several factors, including the small size of the city. This lack of experts is hampering the city’s growth and development in various sectors. On the other hand, when it comes to environmental issues, Macau is home to world-class specialists. For instance, Yonghua Song, the rector of the University of Macau, is an internationally recognized authority on energy and low carbon power systems, while Joseph Lee, the president of the Macau University of Science and Technology, is a leading expert in Hydro-Environment Engineering. Macau should not waste these experts who are eager to contribute, as evidenced by their valuable inputs to requests for collaboration from Macau Business.
\n\n\n\nCo-ordinated by Jo\u00e3o Paulo Meneses (jpmeneses@macaubusiness.com)
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://www.macaubusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/israel-solar-power-plant-photovoltaic-panels-kiryat-gat-renewable-energy-xinhua.jpg\")
While other air pollutants reduce their impact, ozone levels remain hazardous.
\n\n\n\nMacau lost 29 hectares of trees, which resulted in the emission of about 44 tons of carbon dioxide.
\n\n\n\nMacau has done a lot to combat the use of plastics, but a step forward is needed
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://hogo.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/macaubusiness/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/digital-macau-phone-technology-150x150.png\")
\nMacau Business | February 2023 | Special Report | Digital Macau
Aiming at the cutting edge
\n\n\n\nThe Chief Executive recently quoted what President Xi Jinping emphasized in the report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China: “We must consider science and technology as our main productive force, the qualified cadre as our main resource, and innovation as our main engine of growth.”
\n\n\n\nHo Iat Seng has made the commitment to science and technology a priority, thus becoming one of the hallmarks of his three years in office.
\n\n\n\nIn the latest Policy Address, the 1+4 concept took centre stage: If the ‘1’ refers to promoting the diversified development of the tourism and leisure sector, the ‘4’ represents perseverance in promoting the development of four nascent industries: big health industry; modern financial services; high technology; conferences and exhibitions, commerce and trade, and culture and sports.
\n\n\n\nLet’s take the example of the commitment to e-government: the topic began to be talked about exactly two decades ago, but only in the last few years has the formula made big strides.
\n\n\n\nThis special report shows that much has been done, but that much more remains to be achieved.
\n\n\n\nA way to gauge the effectiveness of research and development is through the spin-offs generated by universities. Macau is still somewhat at an infant stage in this respect, with one case clearly standing out: Digifluidic, a dynamic biotechnology company installed in Hengqin.
\n\n\n\nDigifluidic is the result of the most strategic and profitable effort in science and technology made in the history of Macau, by the Institute of Microelectronics (University of Macau), thanks to the visionary work of Professor Rui Martins and his right-hand man, Professor Pui In Mak.
\n\n\n\nThis special report talks about these and other success stories but also some shortcomings, such as the delay in launching the 5G network, which was something of a trial by fire for the current Government, which, nevertheless could not prevent Macau from being the last city within the Greater Bay Area to have 5G up and running, two and a half years behind Hong Kong.
\n\n\n\nCo-ordinated by Jo\u00e3o Paulo Meneses jpmeneses@macaubusiness.com
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://www.macaubusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Digital-currency-Getty-913629708.jpg\")
2023 could be the year when finance and technology fruitfully meet in Macau
\n\n\n\nMany steps have been taken, but there is a problem that is limiting the development of the project.
\n\n\n\nNot just the metaverse but also Radio Frequency Identification chips and gaming tables or AI/ Facial recognition technology. A\u00a0Brave New World\u00a0is taking shape.
![\"\"](\"https://hogo.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/macaubusiness/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/DOC.20220627.38848175.20220627_LUSA_COMERCIANTES_03-150x150.jpg\")
\nMacau Business | January 2023 | Special Report | Three years of pandemic \u2013 What changed?
Living a in bubble
Some will say ‘it’s only been three years’, while others, fed up with this pandemic, think that three years is too much.
\n\n\n\nWe tried to take both perspectives into account when we set out to understand what has changed in Macau in these three years – and, by the way, we include, at the end of this special report, some situations that have changed in the world but not in Macau.
\n\n\n\nAfter all, when did places in the world manage to live in a bubble for three years, while the rest of the world returned to normalcy? Tourism numbers in Europe surpassed last year those of 2019, for example.
\n\n\n\nWhat happened in Macau was excellent from a health point of view, but disastrous in economic terms (with all that that means of unemployment or bankruptcies). At the same time, it forced many entrepreneurs to look for alternatives (such as live streaming sales or delivering food by apps).
\n\n\n\nMacau discovered distance learning, adapted to live with far fewer non-resident workers and resisted vaccines, not knowing how to deal with traditional Chinese medicine remedies: they treat or only prevent?
\n\n\n\nMacau started to eat at home, abused smartphones and realized that it has a serious problem on its hands: the piles of waste food that accumulate every day is not the fault of tourists, but ours.
\n\n\n\nWelcome to such new normal.
Co-ordinated by Jo\u00e3o Paulo Meneses jpmeneses@macaubusiness.com
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://hogo.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/macaubusiness/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/gallery003614_01-1028x684.jpg\")
Dining experiences in an\u00a0O2O\u00a0environment has changed the thinking and behaviour of customers, state local researchers.
\n\n\n\nThe pandemic ended up heightening Macau\u2019s\u00a0bipolar\u00a0relationship with its non-resident workers.
\n\n\n\nIt was the first time that distance learning was used intensively. Very few were prepared
\n\n\n\nThere are no longer 30 million tourists entering Macau, but solid waste is still too high.
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://hogo.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/macaubusiness/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/macanese-food-minchi-150x150.png\")
\nMacau Business | December 2022 | Special Report | Macau as Creative City of Gastronomy
Five years
\n\n\n\nOne of the most distictive features in the projection of Macau’s tourist image is its gastronomy. And UNESCO’s decision to include the city in the network of Creative Cities in this area was a decisive argument.
\n\n\n\nAs this special report points out, Macau has many different cuisines.
\n\n\n\nStill, one stands out: the Macanese cuisine, which has a 450-year history.
\n\n\n\nIt turns out that, as the reader will notice, there are several constraints to the development of this gastronomy, which, by the way, is also part of the Macanese community’s identity.
\n\n\n\nOne thing is certain: the Macau Government Tourism Office has been tireless in its promotion over the last five years, with the assistance of various institutions, with the Macau Institute for Tourism Studies playing particularly meaningful role.
\n\n\n\nMuch remains to be done, but the groundwork has been laid and a path has been blazed thus far.
\n\n\n\nCo-ordinated by Jo\u00e3o Paulo Meneses
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://hogo.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/macaubusiness/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/1_imagem2.jpg\")
\u2026 so many that it is not always clear what we are eating
\n\n\n\nA Macanese cuisine or two? Served in Portuguese restaurants mixed with Portuguese dishes?
\n\n\n\nFood tourism has gradually become the primary reason for people to travel, experts say
\n\n\n\nIdentity in Macau remains a complicated matter. Can food help?
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mbusiness.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/2020/02/5W9A7061a-150x150.jpg\")
\nMacau Business | November 2022 | Special Report | Macau\u2019s\u00a0insurance\u00a0industry
Enduring and thriving amid the pandemic
\n\n\n\nHow can one understand that the first text of this special report on the insurance sector in Macau is entitled “2021: the \u2018good\u2019pandemic..” and the last “The insurance industry is able to maintain steady growth in spite of the pandemic” (from an exclusive opinion article by the Director of the Insurance Supervision Department of the Monetary Authority of Macau)?
\n\n\n\nIf it is true that the pandemic has been disastrous for the economy in general (not to mention people), there are some rare exceptions that seem to be left unscathed to a great extent\u2014insurance, namely life insurance, is one of them.
\n\n\n\nAs F\u00e9lix Pontes, former AMCM\u2019s Executive Director and Insurance Commissioner, explains in this special report, local companies offer “much more diversified products than the Chinese insurance companies: wider range of insurance cover and more options in terms of currency of the insured capital, namely in the American dollars (in China, the insurance policies are only denominated in Renminbi).”
\n\n\n\nIn the following pages, we will also address pandemic-related risks, opportunities, and challenges for local insurance firms in setting their foothold in Hengqin and the risks associated with the use of virtual currencies.
\n\n\n\nCo-ordinated by Jo\u00e3o Paulo Meneses jpmeneses@macaubusiness.com
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mbusiness.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/2017/03/insurance-1028x771.jpg\")
The end-2021 accounts for most insurers operating in the SAR\u2019s life segment were rosy.
\n\n\n\nThe market evolves so quickly that the regulator\u2019s job is never done
\n\n\n\nOpinions are divided on the pros and cons of using digital currencies in the insurance market
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://hogo.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/macaubusiness/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/hanson-lu-qzKW98X-078-unsplash-150x150.jpg\")
\nMacau Business | October 2022 | Special Report | Chinese\u00a0Millenials
China\u2019s future
\n\n\n\n\u201cThe world is yours as well as ours. But in the last analysis, it is yours. You young people [\u2026] are like the sun at eight or nine in the morning [\u2026] We put our hopes in you\u201d (Mao Zedong)
\n\n\n\nMillennials are defined as the generation born between 1980 and 1999 (or sometimes more narrowly, between 1981 and 1996), and they differ from other generations in a variety of ways.
\n\n\n\nChina labels its generations by the decades they were born in, and this special report focuses on the balinghou (those born \u201cafter \u201980\u201d, who grew up as China reformed and opened to the world under Deng Xiaoping) and the jiulinghou (those born \u201cafter \u201990\u201d).
\n\n\n\nThese two cohorts in China represent some 400 million people, and for sheer size they\u2019re important; it makes them one of the nation\u2019s largest emerging consumer groups.
\n\n\n\nFor a place like Macau that intends to remain a tourist city, the group is vital \u2013 something our MGTO knows all too well.
\n\n\n\nSo, in this special report we try to get to know them a bit better: their tastes and the options available to them, at school and at work, and the difficulties and anxieties they face.
\n\n\n\nRejecting characterization based on stereotypes, we always look for a scientific basis, but the truth is that defining 400 million by whatever methodology is not easy. It may even be impossible given the segment\u2019s inherent contradictions: Are they selfish or altruistic? Are they consumerists or ecologically aware?
\n\n\n\nAbove all, as several experts have warned, this group has a unique identity distinct from its counterpart in the west and mustn\u2019t be measured with the same yardstick.
\n\n\n\nCo-ordinated by Jo\u00e3o Paulo Meneses jpmeneses@macaubusiness.com
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mbusiness.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/2020/04/04587753.jpg\")
The under-40s represent an almost total break with their parents\u2019 generation
\n\n\n\nOnline shopping has become a national pastime among millennials in China
\n\n\n\nBut depression and student suicide also warrant attention from authorities
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://hogo.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/macaubusiness/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/alexandr-bormotin-Hd8b_WtKIck-unsplash-150x150.jpg\")
\nMacau Business | September 2022 | Special Report | Housing: A place to call home
Real estate, the social debate
\n\n\n\n\u201cThe Government can learn from the Singapore housing model. Nearly 80 per cent of Singaporeans reside in government-built apartments, whereas social and economic housing only account for about 20 per cent of the total number of residential units in Macau. Therefore, ensuring that the housing needs of low-income people are met is an urgent problem the Macau government needs to address,\u201d Edmund Li-Sheng, Professor of Political Economy and Public Policy tells Macau Business.
\n\n\n\nIt’s true that, overall, between 2011 and 2021 the number of households accommodated in economic housing (26,553) and in social housing (12,963) surged by 61.3 per cent and 121.4 per cent, respectively.
\n\n\n\nBut that is not enough.
\n\n\n\nAnd for the first time in many years there is a Government-led construction plan taking aim at the problem.
\n\n\n\nIt\u2019s not an easy one to solve, however; note that from 2005 to 2015 Macau’s housing prices increased some six-fold according to data from the DSEC.
\n\n\n\nThe real estate market has become a central fixture in social debate, and this special report reflects that focus.
\n\n\n\nAs usual, we present the concerns and visions of several experts, along with several recommendations and statistics allowing for a more complete understanding of the issue.
\n\n\n\nCo-ordinated by Jo\u00e3o Paulo Meneses jpmeneses@macaubusiness.com
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://hogo.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/macaubusiness/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/hengqin-1028x686.png\")
The latest Census results show Macau\u2019s housing market undergoing a profound transformation
\n\n\n\nAnd the downward trend is expected to continue, experts say
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://hogo.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/macaubusiness/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/017_187582-150x150.jpg\")
\nMacau Business | August 2022 | Special Report | Hato\u2019s\u00a0\u201cghost\u201d\u00a0\u2013\u00a05\u00a0years\u00a0on
Why the ghost\u00a0lives
\n\n\n\nLast April, the Transport Bureau suspended its Ferreira Amaral Square bus station improvement project \u2013 which planned to reroute some buses below street level using the underground motorcycle parking facility \u2013 after the severe flooding recorded in June of last year.
\n\n\n\nA few months earlier, it was announced that preliminary design work for the East Line of the LRT will factor in the probability of future flooding on a time scale of 200 years.
\n\n\n\nThe truth is that Macau has never been the same since 23 August 2017.
\n\n\n\nEvents surrounding the landfall of super typhoon Hato, which became known as the \u201cHato incident\u201d, had multiple repercussions on a wide variety of fronts: 12 fatalities and over 200 injuries were recorded, along with massive infrastructure damage, supply shortages and flash flooding, making Hato the deadliest typhoon to strike Macau in 53 years.
\n\n\n\nFive years on, we\u2019re discussing some of the underlying problems, and what has been and remains to be done about them, in this special report.
\n\n\n\nKey voices addressing these issues include Secretary Ros\u00e1rio.”It is almost impossible” to prevent flooding in the city, because “Macau is a very low-lying region, our soil cannot absorb water and we still have a problem with water overflow,\u201d he said in a statement from 2020.
\n\n\n\nEarlier, Secretary for Security Wong Sio Chak had assured us: \u201cRight now, we are able to face a typhoon with the same intensity as Hato.\u201d
\n\n\n\nCo-ordinated by Jo\u00e3o Paulo Meneses
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://www.macaubusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/WhatsApp-Image-2021-06-01-at-17.01.09.jpeg\")
No seawalls, no tidal gate. Not much has changed in the Inner Harbour since 2017
\n\n\n\nThe affected area by Super Typhoon Mangkhut was several times that of Hato
\n\n\n\nA Macau-based study proves that wave reduction is influenced by mangrove density
\n\n\n\nIMF links Macau\u2019s future to climate change for the first time
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://hogo.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/macaubusiness/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/renato-marques-LFjy2O12oZQ-unsplash-150x150.jpg\")
\nMacau Business | July 2022 | Special Report | Gaming in Macau: The new era
Fasten your seat belts
\n\n\n\nCould Macau be living its final days as a top casino destination?
\n\n\n\nAs assertions go, it\u2019s a rather dramatic one, but it points to real concern.
\n\n\n\nThe city\u2019s gaming industry is undergoing a transformation comparable perhaps only to previous watershed moments such as the granting of STDM\u2019s (monopoly) concession in 1962 or the liberalization of the sector in 2001/02.
\n\n\n\nOn both previous occasions, it was soon clear Macau would come out a winner.
\n\n\n\nAnd this time?
\n\n\n\nWhat space remains for those traditional hallmarks of Macau\u2019s gambling industry, the high-rollers, the junkets and the satellite casinos?
\n\n\n\nIn this special report we take stock of transformations-in-the-making resulting from the new gaming law, the push for economic diversification, the impact of polices adopted in the Mainland and the pandemic-induced economic crisis.
\n\n\n\nMeanwhile, the public tender for the granting of new gaming concessions waits just around the corner.
\n\n\n\nIt seems certain there will be no return to pre-pandemic business as usual.
\n\n\n\nWhat lies ahead?
\n\n\n\nLes jeux sont faits.
\n\n\n\nBrace yourselves.
\n\n\n\nCo-ordinated by Jo\u00e3o Paulo Meneses
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://www.macaubusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/1-Casino-3.jpg\")
Will VIP gaming survive the overhaul of the city\u2019s legal framework on gaming?
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://hogo.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/macaubusiness/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/startups-entrepreneur-office-incubator-work-150x150.png\")
\nMacau Business | June 2022 | Special Report | Start-ups in Macau
Much done, lots to do
\n\n\n\nYou get the feeling that, around here, people only started talking about start-ups during Chui Sai On’s second term.
\n\n\n\nAnd while it\u2019s true that the notion of backing entrepreneurship as an alternative to the diversification of Macau’s economy has gained new prominence \u2013 especially through Economy and Finance Secretary Lionel Leong \u2013 many will be surprised to learn that Macau\u2019s first incubator launched more than 20 years ago!
\n\n\n\nThe pioneering endeavour may have been too far ahead of its time: it was only in 2015 that a real strategy came together around the decision to create the Macao Young Entrepreneur Incubation Center (MYEIC), which opened five years ago.
\n\n\n\nThis more recent push serves as the starting point for our special report, a portrait of the local start-up ecosystem with special emphasis on the roles of the Government in funding and of the universities in incubation, along with some of the more \u201cboring\u201d legal issues (given that now more than ever we\u2019re talking about crossing the border).
\n\n\n\nN.B.: The following pages present a selection of local start-ups chosen by us because they are representative of the local ecosystem\u2019s diversity. We could have used other criteria, but no method employed would have been entirely objective \u2013 there simply isn\u2019t one.
\n\n\n\nCo-ordinated by:
\n\n\n\nJo\u00e3o Paulo Meneses jpmeneses@macaubusiness.com
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mbusiness.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/2019/07/Screen-Shot-2019-07-24-at-5.35.04-PM.png\")
Almost all universities in Macau have an incubator \u2013 or are planning to have one soon.
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://hogo.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/macaubusiness/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/1_imagem5-150x150.jpg\")
\nMacau Business | May 2022 | Special Report | China-Portugal\u00a0investment:\u00a0All\u00a0changed\u00a010\u00a0years\u00a0ago
2012: before and after
\n\n\n\nChinese investment in Portugal has overcome it all: suspicion, scepticism, surprise.
\n\n\n\nSeemingly from one moment to the next, Chinese companies began buying Portuguese firms.
\n\n\n\nAnd that new moment was 2012, the year that witnessed completion of the purchase of a stake in Portugal\u2019s largest energy producer (EDP) by China Three Gorges (CTG), making it the utility\u2019s largest shareholder.
\n\n\n\nBroadly speaking, Chinese investment has been stable, discreet and faithful to its commitments.
\n\n\n\nWhile the first half of the decade featured moves on high-impact businesses in sectors such as utilities, energy, banking, insurance or health, recent years have seen more Chinese capital flow into real estate, through developers of luxury housing or purchasers under the \u201cGolden Visa\u201d programme.
\n\n\n\n10 years ago, many saw Chinese investment in Portugal as a fad.
\n\n\n\nNow it’s here to stay.
\n\n\n\nThe next level? More \u201cgreenfield\u201d investments.
\n\n\n\nCo-ordinated by Jo\u00e3o Paulo Meneses
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://hogo.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/macaubusiness/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/1_imagem4.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https://hogo.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/macaubusiness/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/%E5%B1%8F%E5%B9%95%E6%88%AA%E5%9B%BE-2022-04-14-130807-150x150.png\")
\nMacau Business | April 2022 | Special Report | Macau\u2019s\u00a0branding\u00a0challenge
To be or not to be (a casino city)
\n\n\n\nMr Song and his wife had already discussed the possibility of coming to Macau and Hong Kong for a few days on vacation, but only now had the idea become viable.
\n\n\n\nThe couple had taken stock of recommendations from family members and friends who had already been to the two Special Administrative Regions, and now they wanted to begin planning in earnest, searching the Internet for attractions, hotels, prices, etc.
\n\n\n\nThat\u2019s when something strange happens: it\u2019s common knowledge Macau is the only city in China where gambling is legal, but the Songs can\u2019t seem to find any promotions for casinos on the Macau Tourism Office (MGTO) website \u2013 even for one of the several big concessionaires.
\n\n\n\nWhere had their search gone wrong?
\n\n\n\nThe astonishment on the part of this (fictional) pair of mainland Chinese tourists is certainly representative of that of millions who search Macau on the web for the first time: their touristic image of the Region (their perception of Macau) is out of sync with official marketing messages.
\n\n\n\nThey end up discovering that Macau is much more than casinos \u2013 and that casinos cannot advertise their core business. They\u2019ll still stop by one of the casinos on their visit to Macau, but it will be just to have fun and experience something different.
\n\n\n\nThis story illustrates what two Macau-based scholars call the \u201cbranding complex [that] plagues the city of Macau\u201d.
\n\n\n\nAs the push for economic diversification gains steam, the case for giving the Region an identity makeover grows ever stronger.
\n\n\n\nBut how do you market Macau without the \u201cLas Vegas of Asia\u201d brand?
\n\n\n\nHow do you fundamentally alter the city\u2019s current \u201ccasino city\u201d character?
\n\n\n\nOfficial messages tirelessly promote an \u201cEast meets West\u201d city of heritage and culture, a world-class tourism and leisure centre and Sino-Lusophone platform.
\n\n\n\nExperts like Glenn McCartney, however, stress that \u201c[the gambling element] doesn’t have to be excluded in the branding process\u201d.
\n\n\n\nAnswers to these questions and more await the reader in the next two dozen pages.
\n\n\n\nCo-ordinated by Jo\u00e3o Paulo Meneses
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mbusiness.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/2019/03/Macau_view_panoramic.01-MC_rgb.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https://hogo.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/macaubusiness/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/gba5-150x150.jpeg\")
\nMacau Business | March 2022 | Special Report | GBA 5 years young
Comfort zone
\n\n\n\nAs a rule, the first five years in any long-term project are an opportunity to take stock of developmental milestones and challenges.
\n\n\n\nIn March 2017, Premier Li Keqiang included the development of the Guangdong\u001eHong Kong\u001eMacau Greater Bay Area (GBA) was incorporated into his Government Work Report at the National People\u2019s Congress (NPC) opening session.
\n\n\n\nThe consensus around the Greater Bay Area (GBA) \u2013 the planned megalopolis consisting of nine cities in the province of Guangdong, plus Macau and Hong Kong \u2013 is that it’s only just beginning and a broader vision will only truly come into view in the coming two decades
\n\n\n\nStill, the fact that only five years have passed shouldn’t deter us from highlighting what has already been achieved and pointing out ways to overcome the most obvious obstacles.
\n\n\n\nThis special report does just that.
\n\n\n\nWhen looking at the challenges and achievements the COVID-19 pandemic factor would need to be factored in. Mobility is another key matter.
\n\n\n\nThis report also delves into the discussion of issues on which to reflect: 1) Why do 90 per cent of recent graduates from local universities choose to stay in Macau, with only 3.2 per cent going to Mainland China to work? 2) Macau’s water supply is nearly 100 per cent dependent on the North, and though the whole of the GBA faces complicated challenges in this respect, the subject could be addressed.
\n\n\n\nSigns are indeed hopeful, however: the GBA is China’s youngest, most educated and most talent-rich region.
\n\n\n\nAnd Macau\u2019s function in the GBA has plenty of potential to be taken to a higher level.
\n\n\n\nThe 2019 GBA Outline Development Plan spells out Macau\u2019s role under the One Centre (global tourism and leisure centre), One Platform (trade cooperation platform between China and Lusophone countries), One Base (for exchange and cooperation where Chinese culture is the mainstream and diverse cultures coexist) motto. It is an ambitious endeavour, one, which is to be articulated with the overall plan regarding the Guangdong-Macau In-depth Cooperation Zone, launched last year.
\n\n\n\nCo-ordinated by Jo\u00e3o Paulo Meneses jpmeneses@macaubusiness.com
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://hogo.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/macaubusiness/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/gba1.jpeg\")
The future of tourism in Macau is increasingly intertwined with the GBA, experts say
\n\n\n\nThat all depends on the start-up\u2019s target audience.
\n\n\n\nThe doubt seems to centre on whether a GBA single-currency zone will happen before or after 2049
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://hogo.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/macaubusiness/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Indonesian-womens-interview_GLP_07-150x150.jpg\")
\nUs and them
\n\n\n\nMacau Business | February 2022 | Special Report | Migrants in Macau \u2013 The other side
When the Municipal Affairs Bureau announced plans to bar blue cardholders from using the reopened barbecue park on Hac Sa beach, a number of people struggled to see any rationale behind the move (on which the authorities eventually backtracked), particularly considering non-resident workers are among the space\u2019s most avid users.
\n\n\n\nThis situation and others prompted a debate on how far \u2018positive discrimination\u2019 in terms of protecting residents should go. Couldn\u2019t it be interpreted as \u201cnationalism\u201d, as suggested by one of the experts who contributed to this special report?
\n\n\n\nOne would point out that while it\u2019s one thing to put limits on the entry of migrants \u2013 to safeguard locals\u2019 access to jobs, scarce resources and insufficient infrastructure and ensure social harmony and stability \u2013 it is another entirely to effectively discriminate against those who have earned the (temporary) right to reside here and who are, each of them in their own social and economic activity, important contributors to daily life in the Region.
\n\n\n\nMacau has always been a land subject to immigration, with various waves arriving and settling here over the centuries. The legalization process launched in February 1982, by the Portuguese administration at the time, was a watershed in this respect. Lasting several years, it resulted in 170,000 newly registered citizens, of which an estimated 75,000 had arrived illegally. This influx, overwhelmingly from Mainland China, caused Macau\u2019s population in 1978 to nearly double by 1994.
\n\n\n\nAfter the handover and more so since the liberalization of the gaming industry, the influx of migrant workers had a significant contribution and impact on the city\u2019s life.
\n\n\n\nThe number of non-resident workers doubled in the past decade alone buoyed by the booming economy.
\n\n\n\nToday, non-resident workers continue to make up a significant share of the city\u2019s inhabitants: as of November 2021 there were almost 171 thousand blue card holders among the SAR\u2019s 680 thousand people. Two thirds of these non-resident workers are mainland Chinese, and about one fourth come from Southeast Asian countries.
\n\n\n\nThey are a key component in this city\u2019s social and economic development.
\n\n\n\nCo-ordinated by Jo\u00e3o Paulo Meneses
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mbusiness.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/2017/01/migrant-1028x685.jpg\")
Should non-locals enjoy the same social benefits as locals? It\u2019s a question of boundaries
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mbusiness.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/2018/11/chinese-medicine-2178253_1920-150x150.jpg\")
\nA new beginning for TCM
\n\n\n\nMacau Business | January 2022 | Special Report | Traditional Chinese Medicine \u2013 Breathing a new life
The new Law on Pharmaceutical Activity in the Scope of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Registration of Traditional Chinese Medicines (No.11/2021) goes beyond mere regulatory legislation for the sector, which has been given increasing importance by the Ho Iat Seng government.
\n\n\n\nAccording to those involved in the field, the language is enough to definitively catapult Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) into the prominent role policy makers have envisioned for it.
\n\n\n\nThis special report covers that vision, what exactly has changed because of the new law, and the role of TCM in the diversification of Macau\u2019s economy, Hengqin, in the Greater Bay Area and in Portuguese-speaking countries.
\n\n\n\nAlso discussed is the (at times mistrustful) relationship between TCM and biomedicine, one thrust into the spotlight by the current pandemic.
\n\n\n\nDespite a long tradition, TCM\u2019s awakening in Macau waited till 1999.
\n\n\n\nGoing forward, TCM leads a new life.
\n\n\n\nCo-ordinated by Jo\u00e3o Paulo Meneses
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://hogo.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/macaubusiness/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Portland-Maine-Acupuncture-Traditional-Chinese-Medicine-min.jpeg\")
Greater Bay Area planners believe TCM could be among Macau\u2019s assets
\n\n\n\nPortugal, Mozambique and Cape Verde already have a relationship with TCM made in Macau
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mbusiness.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/2018/07/elderly-150x150.jpg\")
\nTwo sides of the same coin
\n\n\n\nMacau Business | December 2021 | Special Report | Macau\u2019s\u00a0ageing\u00a0society
There are two noteworthy demographic trends in Macau.\u00a0
\n\n\n\nAnd they are two opposite sides of the same coin: tails, an enviable life expectancy; heads, a very low birth rate. This polarity has evolved into a structural demographic problem deserving of renewed attention
\n\n\n\nOne side is polished, a shining example: though there is always room for improvement, it’s fair to say government strategy on problems associated with the elderly has been successful. After all, Macau has the world’s third-highest life expectancy.
\n\n\n\nAfter the Islands District Medical Complex is\u00a0inaugurated, once the\u00a0Areia\u00a0Preta\u00a0complex is up and running, and when the three planned\u00a0nursing\u00a0homes are ready, a good situation will get even better.\u00a0
\n\n\n\nResponse to the low birth rate has been very different.
\n\n\n\nOn this side Macau has not done enough, acquiescent perhaps to a trend that is larger than its own borders, but one that will have a long-lasting impact on many facets of society, the city’s welfarist policies included.
\n\n\n\nIn the two dozen pages that follow, readers (and the Government…) will find useful contributions from leading Macau-based scholars concerned about the demographic challenges affecting the region.
\n\n\n\nCo-ordinated by Jo\u00e3o Paulo Meneses (jpmeneses@macaubusiness.com)\u00a0
\n\n\n\nThe Areia Preta model project is seen as a key undertaking, with some 1800 studio units being built
\n\n\n\nLoneliness takes a heavy toll on senior citizens\u2019 health\u00a0
\n\n\n\nGovernment plans to build three new nursing homes, \u201cmeeting the demand\u201d
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mbusiness.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/2020/07/Screen-Shot-2020-07-10-at-4.42.06-PM-150x150.png\")
\nThe railway, the Secretary and beyond\u00a0\u00a0
\n\n\n\nMB November 2021 Special Report | LRT, the unloved
Today, just about anyone in Macau would be hard pressed to say a nice word about the Light Rail Transit (LRT) project – much more after learning that Taipa line suspended all operations for 180 days for high voltage cables replacement works.
\n\n\n\nFirst proposed back in 2002, the LRT project suffered constant delays over the years.
\n\n\n\nIn this special report covering its first two years of operation, we discuss the past, present and future of the LRT.
\n\n\n\nThere is also much discussion around Secretary for Transport and Public Works Raimundo do Ros\u00e1rio, the man who, despite burning ears continually positions himself to take bullets meant for the project.
\n\n\n\nTen years from now, when all the various LRT lines are up and running (those planned and others yet to be conceived), we\u2019ll inevitably look back on Secretary Ros\u00e1rio\u2019s role.
\n\n\n\nWill hindsight a decade on have ripened today\u2019s criticism into praise?
\n\n\n\nCo-ordinated by Jo\u00e3o Paulo Meneses
\n\n\n\njpmeneses@macaubusiness.com\u00a0
\n\n\n\nOnly two months running, and the pandemic changed everything. The Taipa Line became the punch line
\n\n\n\nBuilding the LRT line in the Macau peninsula will entail a number of challenges
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mbusiness.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/2019/10/Blog-Images-The-Chinese-Greater-Bay-Area_rgb-150x150.jpg\")
\nBy Shenglu Wang and Carlos Noronha
\n\n\n\nFaculty of Business Administration, University of Macau, China
\n\n\n\nIn March 2021, China announced its latest 14thFive-Year Plan which now emphasizes on \u201cinternal-cycle\u201d and self-reliance. Compared to the previous 12thand 13thFive-Year Plans, the coverage on sustainability has been relatively reduced (8% of the total 65 chapters in the whole report) and more emphases have been placed on innovation and industrial modernization as well as economic and market reform. Furthermore, the plan has mentioned less than before about China\u2019s pledge on cutting CO2 emissions by 2030. At the same time, China is the largest greenhouse gas emitter in the world, accounting for 27.3% of energy related CO2 emission, followed by the US and India.
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://www.macaubusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/sharon-wang.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https://www.macaubusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/carlosnoronha.jpg\")
The Greater Bay Area (GBA, including Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Jiangmen, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Huizhou and Zhaoqing plus the two Special Administrative Regions namely, Hong Kong and Macau (9+2)) is now destined to become China\u2019s technology and digital hub, incorporating investments in the areas of science and technological breakthrough as well as finances (such as fintech and various high-end financial market activities). Not only to echo the policy of \u201cinternal-cycle\u201d, the GBA also serves as a window for exporting to ASEAN and emerging countries.
\n\n\n\nDespite of the GBA\u2019s rapid and astonishing development, carbon emission problems in nearly all cities in the area are still serious. According to a research conducted by a group of researchers in China in 2018, the cities\u2019 carbon emission had increased rapidly from 2000 to 2011 with peak emissions in 2014 and 2016. In particular, two emitters contributed to 4% of total national emission while creating 13% of the country\u2019s GDP. Coupled with President Xi Jinping\u2019s speech in April 2021 that China will reach its emission peak in 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality in 2060, the long-term green policy of the country is already on a pressing agenda. Though President Xi\u2019s announcement has been described as a tectonic shift in the country\u2019s green policy, the situation is further intensified with diplomacy pressures from 60 other countries under the Paris Agreement made in 2015 which have vowed to reach carbon neutrality by 2030 (some by 2025) as well as China\u2019s original pledge to reduce emissions significantly in 2030. Nevertheless, President Xi\u2019s new pledge is now seen as an ambitious fight against global warming, by using more non-fossil fuel (to approximately 25% by 2030 according to Xinhua News (2020)). Although an obvious carbon reduction effect was brought by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, as the nation begins to pick up again on its industrial activities, its carbon footprints will reappear almost instantaneously. Therefore, reducing carbon emissions effectively and efficiently has become urgent in the social and economic development plan of China.
\n\n\n\nGuangdong Province is one of the seven pilot carbon market zones in China. The official carbon ETS (Emission Trading System) had begun at the end of 2017. Potential factors influencing carbon emission rates can be estimated by a statistical model known as the Stochastic Impacts by Regression on Population, Affluence, and Technology (STIRPAT) model. The model uses total population, urbanization level, degree of foreign trade, industrialization level, GDP per capita, foreign direct investment and energy intensity to evaluate the level of carbon emission. In particular, as Guangdong has large volumes of import and export, it is necessary to pay attention to the sustainable development of foreign trade, which reached 7.16 trillion yuan in 2018.
\n\n\n\nIn Guangdong Province, the most developed cities are certainly the nine cities in the GBA. These cities are: Guangzhou, Zhuhai, Shenzhen, Zhaoqing, Dongguan, Foshan, Jiangmen, Zhongshan and Huizhou. Together they form the third largest metropolitan economic circle in mainland China.
\n\n\n\nWith advanced manufacturing and modern service industry bases, the GBA has turned into one of China\u2019s most prominent regions. Data from the National Bureau of Statistics (2019) have shown that the total GDP of the nine cities was 8.69 trillion yuan and the output proportion of the heavy industry sector increased from 12.4% in 1949 to 68.2% in 2018.
\n\n\n\nFigures 1 and 2 show that Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Foshan in the area had a total GDP of over 1 trillion yuan in 2019. This reflects also the situation of uneven economic development in the cities as well.
\n\n\n\nFigure 1 GDP of Nine Cities in the GBA from 2010 to 2019
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://www.macaubusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Figure-1.png\")
Source: Wind Information Financial Terminal
\n\n\n\nFigure 2 Value-Added Industrial Outputand Five-Year Compounded Growth Rate in 2018
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://www.macaubusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Figure-2.png\")
Source: Poly Investment and Research Institution
\n\n\n\nFor the purpose of carbon intensity reduction, the sustainable development of foreign trade and the effects of carbon tariffs cannot be ignored. Although the 14thFive-Year plan has destined the GBA to develop high-end service industries and thus reducing carbon emissions, Guangdong, as a province with a large volume of foreign trade, has still a long way to go. Furthermore, the emergence of carbon labels has largely made the export of related products more difficult. Carbon labels do not only play a significant part in promoting global warming controls and cutting down on carbon emissions, they may inevitably become a new type of \u201cgreen trade barrier\u201d, namely carbon tariffs.
\n\n\n\nCarbon tariff refers to the special government tax on CO2 emissions levied by sovereign countries or regions on imports of high energy-consuming commodities, such as aluminum, steel, cement and other chemical products.
\n\n\n\nSome developed countries have adopted Green Trade Barriers (GTB) as a means of trade protection. It is estimated that at least 7 billion USD of export commodities in China have been adversely affected by “green protectionism” each year, and there is a trend of gradual expansion. As China has been taking the role of the \u201cworld factory\u201d during the past few decades, meeting the environmental criteria set by developed countries has become quite difficult for exports from China. Meanwhile, Guangdong is currently in high-speed economic development and a large amount of funds for infra-structure construction is required. For the sake of economic benefits and to avoid costly internalization and control of green trade, some foreign investors have transferred some pollution-intensive industries to China.
\n\n\n\nTheoretically and in relation to the Paris Agreement, the higher the degree of treaty-based climate change response to international law, the less trade friction would occur. It is more complicated when it comes to the carbon market emission reduction cooperation mechanism. Whether or not carbon border adjustment measures should be implemented to enhance the effect of regional emissions reduction remains a sensitive topic.
\n\n\n\nGuangdong Province was the first to participate in the development of globalized industries. It has attracted a large amount of foreign capital by virtue of its preferential policies and abundant labor force. The actual amount of FDI was 152.2 billion yuan in 2019, an increase of 4.9% compared to the previous year.
\n\n\n\nFigure 3 ActualAmount of FDI in Guangdong Province by Industry in 2018 (million yuan)
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://www.macaubusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Figure-3.png\")
Source: Guangdong Statistical Yearbook (2019)
\n\n\n\nAs Figure 3 shows, the manufacturing industry was the main target of FDIs. In 2018, the actual amount of FDI in the manufacturing industry reached 520.45 million yuan, which was far ahead of other areas. It reflects the strategy of developed countries in transferring manufacturing activities, a backward sunset industry which can emit a large amount of greenhouse gases, to China.
\n\n\n\nThe total export volume in Guangdong Province has reached 7.16 trillion yuan in 2018, accounting for 23.5% of the total domestic amount of export, and most of them are high-carbon products. As Figure 4 shows, the export amount of Electrical and Electronics have reached 15,800 billion yuan and Labor-Intensive Products have reached 8,134.6 billion yuan. According to data from the same source, the growth rate of export industrial products was 4.7%.
\n\n\n\nFigure 4 Export Categories and Amount in 2018 (billion yuan)
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://www.macaubusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Figure-4.png\")
S
\n\n\n\nOverall Trend
\n\n\n\nCarbon emission levels of the nine cities in the GBA from 2011 to 2019 were calculated based on the STIRPAT model mentioned earlier. A total of seven independent variables, whose data were all obtained from the statistical yearbooks of the nine cities and the statistical yearbook of Guangdong Province were used in the analysis.
\n\n\n\nTable 1 shows the calculation results of carbon emissions in the nine cities from 2011-2019.
\n\n\n\nTable 1 Calculation results of carbon emissions of nine cities 2011-2020 (103t)
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://www.macaubusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Table-1.png\")
Table 2 Emission factors in nine cities 2011-2019
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://www.macaubusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Table-2.png\")
As shown in Table 2, apart from Huizhou, Foshan and Dongguan, whose data sets are complete, the other cities have missing data concerning the respective energy elements.
\n\n\n\nThe cumulative calculation results of carbon emission in the nine cities are shown in Figure 5. They indicate that the general trend is upward climbing, and there was a turning point in 2016. The growth rate slowed down in 2018, and then returned to the original level in 2019. According to \u201cChina’s Low-Carbon Economic Development Report (2017)\u201d, energy-related carbon emissions fell further in 2016 which indicate the basic characteristics of decoupling carbon emission from economic development. However, the contribution of energy intensity to emission reductions declined in 2018, which may be due to the cyclical recovery of industrial production. As a result, the decline in energy intensity and carbon intensity cannot offset the growth of population and per capita income in 2017.
\n\n\n\nFigure 5 Calculation results of total carbon emissions trend of nine cities in Guangdong province from 2011 to 2019 (106t)
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://www.macaubusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Figure-5.png\")
Some highlights of the overall findings are provided as follow.
\n\n\n\n(1) The urbanization rate, the percentage of the secondary industry, and GDP per capita are the factors that have the greatest impact on carbon emission. Specifically, the emission will increase by 12.3616% for every 1% increase in the urbanization rate; for each increase in the percentage of the secondary industry by 1 %, carbon emission will increase by 5.2065%; for every 1% increase in per capita GDP, carbon emission will increase by 3.1229%.
\n\n\n\n(2) The proportion of imports and exports has a negative impact on carbon emission. That is, for every 1% increase in exports, carbon emission will reduce by 1.6031%.
\n\n\n\n(3) The interaction term between FDI and the proportion of the secondary industry shows a negative impact on carbon emission. It shows that the greater the FDI, the increase in the proportion of the secondary industry will decrease carbon emission (see individual cities\u2019 analyses later in the article).
\n\n\n\n(4) Studies have shown that population and energy intensity also have a positive impact on carbon emissions, but this impact is relatively small. As the overall change in population and energy structure is relatively stable, it will also accelerate the increase in carbon emissions, though its impact will be small.
\n\n\n\nFigure 6 Trend of urbanization rate in nine cities
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://www.macaubusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Figure-6.png\")
The official classification of nine cities is as follow. Tier 1 cities: Guangzhou and Shenzhen; new Tier 1 cities: Dongguan; Tier 2 cities: Foshan, Huizhou, Zhuhai, Zhongshan; Tier 3 cities: Jiangmen, Zhaoqing.
\n\n\n\nOn the whole, the urbanization rate reveals a gradual upward trend (see Figure 6). This is likely to be related to the country\u2019s poverty alleviation strategies and the focus on rural revitalization. Shenzhen and Guangzhou (first-tier cities) have a very high urbanization rate. The urbanization rate of second- and third-tier cities is relatively low but increasing rapidly, indicating that development prospects are good.
\n\n\n\nFigure 7 Comparison of GDP per capita of nine cities and Guangdong Province and China as a whole
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://www.macaubusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Figure-7.png\")
Figure 7 shows the comparison of GDP per capita in nine cites with GDP of Guangdong Province and China as a whole. Overall, the GDP per capita shows an increasing trend. The general economic development of each city is relatively fast. This will have a strong upward driving effect in Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, and Foshan, and on the national economy at large. However, it should also be noted that Huizhou as a whole is similar to the national level, and the development of Zhaoqing is lagging behind the national average.
\n\n\n\nThe overall influencing factors and their magnitudes of carbon emissions were obtained from the STIRPAT model. Now we select key cities for further analyses.
\n\n\n\nThe overall trends of GDP per capita, urbanization rate, and carbon emissions are roughly the same, but the proportion of the secondary industry is contrary to the trend of changes in carbon emissions, which shows that Guangzhou now mainly depends on the development of the tertiary industry, and the scale of the secondary industry is, relatively speaking, reducing. As the city is in the stage of rapid growth (tertiary industry), its development should theoretically not greatly promote carbon emission, but instead will reduce emission to a certain extent. However, the strong upward trend of carbon emission in Figure 8 shows the opposite.
\n\n\n\nFigure 8 The relationship between carbon emissions and related influencing factors in Guangzhou
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://www.macaubusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Figure-8.png\")
Urbanization is trending downwards because it was initially 100%, with a small fluctuation in the subsequent decline. In 2019, Shenzhen’s total industrial output value (above certain designated sizes) reached 3.69 trillion yuan, and heavy industry accounted for 37.7% of GDP. On the other hand, Shenzhen has fostered the development from scattered to complete categories, from traditional industries to advanced manufacturing. According to the data from the Statistical Bureau of Shenzhen, the proportion of tertiary industry to GDP has increased from 53.8% to 61.0%, which is dominated by the service industry which consumes less natural resources and creates mostly intangible products. The industrial structure of Shenzhen has been continuously optimized and adjusted. With this trend, the development of the tertiary industry can reduce resource consumption and contribute to economic growth at a high rate. Again, a strong upward trend of carbon emission can be observed with a slight slow-down since 2018.
\n\n\n\nFigure 9 The relationship between carbon emissions and related influencing factors in Shenzhen
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://www.macaubusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Figure-9.png\")
Figure 10 The relationship between carbon emissions and related influencing factors in Dongguan
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://www.macaubusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Figure-10.png\")
Dongguan is a new first-tier city with rapid development occurring during 2011-2019. As a result, various indicators are showing remarkable growth trends, which actually contribute to carbon emissions in differing degrees. It must be noted here that the percentage of secondary industries to GDP has suddenly risen around 2017 and stabilized in 2018 onwards. This explains a very unique feature of the city from the others in the GBA. Dongguan has thus been taking its role as a major secondary industry city in the GBA. Nevertheless, by comparing the carbon emission trend with the growth of secondary emission in relation to GDP, Dongguan appears to be achieving good carbon emission (simply speaking, while the yellow line had a sharp rise around 2017, the black line started to level). From the perspective of actual development, more attention should be paid to sustainability, and the government should try to avoid the old path of \u201cPollution first, Governance after\u201d so as to maintain the current development trend.
\n\n\n\nFigure 11 The relationship between carbon emissions and related influencing factors in Zhuhai
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://www.macaubusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Figure-11.png\")
In 2019, the regional GDP of Zhuhai has reached 343.589 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 6.8%, and the growth rate was 0.7 and 0.6 percentage points higher than that of China as a whole and Guangdong province, respectively. In terms of the secondary industry, high-tech industrial enterprises are developing well. The city’s total foreign trade imports and exports fell by 10.4% year-on-year, and the decline narrowed by 3.3 percentage points compared with the previous three quarters. Again, it can be seen that the carbon emission trend has been rising while the percentage of secondary industry to GDP has been dropping, and especially significantly since 2018.
\n\n\n\nFoshan has been attempting to become a first-tier city in China’s manufacturing industry by developing modern and advantageous industrial clusters vigorously. The industrial system of Foshan is relatively sound, covering almost all manufacturing industries. Traditional industries such as furniture, ceramics, mechanical equipment, and metal processing are still going strong. At the same time, new industries such as optoelectronics, biopharmaceuticals, robotics, and new energy vehicles are booming amid their present development and therefore an obvious downward sloping trend of the percentage of secondary industry to GDP can be observed. However, the carbon emission trend is obviously strongly going upwards.
\n\n\n\nFigure 12 The relationship between carbon emissions and related influencing factors in Foshan
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://www.macaubusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Figure-12.png\")
Jiangmen is a famous manufacturing city in Guangdong Province, located in the West of the Pearl River Delta, adjacent to the South China Sea, Hong Kong and Macau. Although it is regarded as a third-tier city, its industrial development in the recent years has been astonishing. It promotes the industry towards agglomeration, scale, mid-to-high end, and creates new growth in the GBA with the support of “three strategies and three drives”. In simple, the strategy adopted for Jiangmen is to concentrate on major industrial clusters such as commercial vehicles, new energy and equipment, new materials, new education equipment and general health. The industrial technological transformation investment has increased by over 63% in 2016 over 2015. Again, although the reliance on secondary industry has dropped significantly since 2018, carbon emission has still been increasing, but with a slightly stabilizing or even reducing trend since the same year.
\n\n\n\nFigure 13 The relationship between carbon emissions and related influencing factors in Jiangmen
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://www.macaubusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Figure-13.png\")
The main conclusions of the analysis are as follow.
\n\n\n\nAs can be seen from our analyses, all the observed cities have shown a downward trend in terms of secondary industry to GDP (especially with emerging Jiangmen drastically transforming its industrial structure since 2018. However, Dongguan is still taking its role as a major secondary industry city) but the trend of carbon emission is still increasing during the period under study. This reflects the country\u2019s strategy to revamp the cities in the GBA to become the high-end secondary industry (such as high technology manufacturing, artificial intelligence, and so on) and the tertiary industry (services, finance, e-commerce, etc.) headquarters. However, the control or internalization of carbon emission through tariffs or carbon exchange markets is still under major development. Echoing what was mentioned previously, the GBA can be an exemplar in carbon emission control through going high-end and attracting selective FDI suitable for the overall strategy. It can be foreseen that this radiating effect to finally reach carbon neutralization for the country can be achieved hopefully much earlier than 2060.
\n\n\n\nThe development of China\u2019s carbon emission trading market has started relatively late compared to European countries, and China is currently facing many challenges in reducing its emission level. The pilot projects for carbon emission trading were officially launched in November 2011, and the actual statistics regarding carbon emissions at the city level in Guangdong Province were not available until 2017 Therefore, some types of fossil energy data are still missing from statistical bureaus.
\n\n\n\nFurther attention should be paid to the transition from traditional energy to clean energy, which is renewable. Their common characteristics include low energy density, dispersion, intermittentness, and randomness. As a result, the development and utilization of new energy will suffer from certain restrictions and technical difficulties. However, clean energy has the distinct advantage of not polluting the environment. The production and consumption of fossil fuels is causing rapid changes in the global climate, and the resultant environmental issues will have a significant impact on the supply of energy. Finally, vigorously developing and utilizing new and renewable energy will be a positive choice for the future energy policies in the GBA.
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://www.macaubusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/0_ricardo-lima-mo2049-grand-lisboa-ricardo-lima-03-150x150.jpg\")
\nThe need to walk the talk
\n\n\n\nMB September 2021 Special Report | Green Macau
The special report that follows on the next 20 pages is not just about renewable energy, but in that particular respect Macau needs to stop wasting time: in terms of energy supply, we are basically no different today as we were 20 or 30 years ago, importing nearly 100%.
\n\n\n\nThe terms climate change, reduction of emissions and waste, sustainability and energy transition goals, have all become part of our daily language.
\n\n\n\nBut when it comes to walking the talk, Macau seems to be headed in the opposite direction from many places around the world, including Mainland China, which has taken decisive steps in the right direction.
\n\n\n\nIf it\u2019s certainly not for lack of financial resources, could it be the absence of the right conditions?
\n\n\n\nAs the reader will discover, plenty of specialists believe Macau has excellent conditions for solar energy, as well as for offshore wind farms in the Region\u2019s own 85 km2 of territorial waters.
\n\n\n\nAlong with talk of green energy comes pollution (particularly the unwieldy problem of solid waste), recycling, the impact of tourism and our relationship with the region around us (the Greater Bay Area). We end with another warning that can\u2019t be repeated too often: be worried about a rise in sea level; Macau is very exposed.
\n\n\n\nP.S.: The impact of sea-level-rise on Macau is in fact one of the issues driving Portuguese concept artist and illustrator Ricardo Lima, who exhibited his sci-fi work MO2049 last year at the Taipa Village Cultural Association. This special report is illustrated with images by Ricardo Lima, to whom we are grateful for the collaboration.
\n\n\n\nCoordinated by Jo\u00e3o Paulo Meneses (jpmeneses@macaubusiness.com)
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mbusiness.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/2017/08/t10k.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https://www.macaubusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/1-Gaming-report-696x464-150x150.jpg\")
\n\u201cThe most dramatically changing place on the planet\u201d
\n\n\n\nMB August 2021 Special Report | Casino tourism: the pros and cons
Nothing in the last 20 years has had such overwhelming effects on Macau as the liberalization of gambling.
\n\n\n\nWhile the city and its inhabitants changed with the Handover, they arguably changed even more with the decision taken in 2001 to end STDM\u2019s monopoly.
\n\n\n\n\u201cThe casino boom has had a far-reaching impact on the territory\u2019s landscape, social fabric, economic life and everyday culture, transforming it from a colonial outpost into what Las Vegas casino entrepreneur Steve Wynn breathlessly called \u2018the most dramatically changing place on the planet\u2019.\u201d
\n\n\n\nMacau has changed for the better in many ways, but the city has also felt side effects \u2013 and that\u2019s what this special report is all about.
\n\n\n\nIn order to assess the costs and benefits of the transformation begun in 2001, we\u2019ve chosen to let the people of Macau speak for themselves \u2013 not to us directly, but through the numerous opinion studies that have been carried out in the context of scientific research.
\n\n\n\nSince the middle of the last decade, researchers from Macau and abroad have been producing a great deal of material on this subject, a body of work representing knowledge capital that must not be wasted. The above quote \u2013 which served as a guiding theme for this special report \u2013 comes from one of those researchers: Shih-Diing Liu, a professor at the University of Macau.
\n\n\n\nWith some exceptions, the reader will note that we have favoured academic research undertaken within the last 10 years, which it seems to us reflects a reality closer to the one we lived in until the COVID-19 pandemic arrived.
\n\n\n\nCo-ordinated by Jo\u00e3o Paulo Meneses
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mbusiness.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/2017/12/1-Studio-City-1024x683.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https://mbusiness.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/2016/09/2-Medical-150x150.jpg\")
\nWhy a patient hospital?
\n\n\n\nMB July 2021 Special Report | A patient hospital
\u201cIn 2009 the Government started planning construction of the Islands District Medical Complex, they decided on the location in 2010, and they commenced works in 2011, with completion scheduled for 2014 \u2013 a date postponed to 2019 for the first phase and to 2020 for the second. The Government later stated construction would not be completed in 2019 and that it was not possible to establish a completion date, or the costs.\u201d \u2013 Zheng Anting, legislator, 2019
\n\n\n\nPatient: enduring, uncomplaining, acquiescent.
\n\n\n\nThese words come to mind when considering the planned Islands District Medical Complex \u2013 intent announced in 2009, formalized 25 February 2010 and expected to be ready ten years later.
\n\n\n\nIn the end, Chui Sai On would not get the chance to preside over the hospital\u2019s pre-inauguration at the end of his term.
\n\n\n\nHis successor, Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng, may not want to commit himself, but a part of it (namely the main building) is likely to be operational by 2024, towards the end of his first term.
\n\n\n\nIn this special report we take stock of the situation and gather explanations for the great many delays.
\n\n\n\nLooking ahead, this report addresses other issues \u2013 such as Mainland China-based health care provision for Macau SAR residents \u2013 to understand what smart health care is and to discuss the healthcare industry\u2019s potential, as put forth by the Government, as a driver for economic diversification.
\n\n\n\nCo-ordinated by Jo\u00e3o Paulo Meneses
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mbusiness.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/2019/03/TA011-COTAI-NEW-HOSPITAL-GOV-LAND_rgb.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https://www.macaubusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/VIP-revenue-down-2-150x150.jpg\")
\nBeyond the pandemic
\n\n\n\nPossibly because the Government does not want to let the ins and outs of the public tender for casino concessions intermingle with the September elections, the consultation on the proposal to review the gaming law is set to be launched in October, with a new Legislative Assembly already elected and at work.
\n\n\n\nMB June 2021 Special Report | Gaming: The road to June 26, 2022
Is there time to have everything ready by June 26, 2022, the expiry date for the current concessions?
\n\n\n\nIt\u2019s possible \u2013 in theory \u2013 but the overwhelming majority of our sources wouldn\u2019t bet on it.
\n\n\n\nIncidentally, the Macau Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau explained to us that revision of law 16/2001 \u201cis expected to be concluded in the fourth quarter of 2021 (depending on the situation of the public consultation).\u201d
\n\n\n\nDoubts also exist over the true impact of the pandemic \u2013 more than enough reason for the Government to postpone the promised tender.
\n\n\n\nIn other words, it seems highly likely the Government will proceed with an exceptional move: extending the current concessions (and subconcessions) by a number (1 to 5) of years in accordance with the law, and meanwhile calmly preparing the public tender.
\n\n\n\nIn this context, one needs to factor in a number of developments: the new legislation, additional strings attached to the future concession contracts (such as a stronger focus on corporate social responsibility), the potential adoption of the digital yuan and the political and geopolitical dimension of the city\u2019s gaming industry.
\n\n\n\nCo-ordinated by Jo\u00e3o Paulo Meneses
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://www.macaubusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/8403237-1028x642.jpg\")
Ongoing investments show that the concessionaires are not afraid of the public tender.\u00a0\u00a0
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mbusiness.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/2018/08/internationalyouthdancefestivalatruinsofstpauls2-150x150.jpg\")
\nForward looking
\n\n\n\nWhat better way to celebrate Macau Business\u2019s 17th anniversary than to showcase 17 locals aged 35 and younger with the kind of talent that boosts our confidence in the future?
\n\n\n\nMB May 2021 Special Report | 17 talented young people
Letting this eye on the future inform our view of the next 17 years (at least), and knowing Macau is home to young people with these qualities \u2013 so determined and capable \u2013 the future we foresee can only be positive.
\n\n\n\nWe limited our selection to 17, but you should know there could have been a lot more. Macau boasts a small army of talented young people, and choosing was no easy task.
\n\n\n\nOn the other hand, we curated our sample to be as representative as possible, to include young people from all walks of life involved in the widest array of community sectors.
\n\n\n\nWe salute them and our city\u2019s future.
\n\n\n\nCo-ordinated by Jo\u00e3o Paulo Meneses jpmeneses@macaubusiness.com
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mbusiness.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/2020/10/5W9A1346a.jpg\")
He has been playing a proactive role in the new wave of studies on Macau politics.
![\"\"](\"https://www.macaubusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/shutterstock_1281917653-150x150.jpg\")
\nChina wants; Macau waits
\n\n\n\nBack in 2016, Premier Li Keqiang declared: \u201cChina will support Macau to become a financial services platform\u201d.
\n\n\n\nMB April 2021 Special Report | Financial Hub in the making
It has been over four years, and in practice nothing too substantial has come to fruition.
\n\n\n\nBut Beijing has not forgotten the need to develop Macau\u2019s financial services.
\n\n\n\nThe Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong\u2013Hong Kong\u2013Macau Greater Bay Area, published in 2019 by the State Council, stated the need to study the feasibility of establishing in Macau a yuan-denominated securities market and to explore the development of a Macau\u2013Zhuhai cross-border financial cooperation demonstration zone.
\n\n\n\nAnd last year, according to official Mainland media, the National Development and Reform Commission said that Beijing is considering setting up a Macau securities exchange market in Hengqin to help develop a financial system in the SAR with \u201cspecial features\u201d.
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mbusiness.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/2017/05/finance-1024x768.jpeg\")
Details are yet to be unveiled, but it seems certain that something substantial will happen in the local financial sector, the most promising industry with respect to accomplishing a real degree of economic diversification.
\n\n\n\nThis is what this special report anticipates, remembering that it was exactly two years ago that the then Secretary for Economy and Finance announced: \u201cthe Government is currently preparing the choice of an international consulting firm to carry out a preliminary study on the feasibility of establishing a stock exchange in Macau\u201d. Nothing has transpired to date.
\n\n\n\nAll we are able to find out is that the preliminary results point to a bet on bond trading, something that is definitely on the Government\u2019s agenda.
\n\n\n\nIn this special report we offer a collection of information and perspectives to help readers understand what is taking shape and what lies ahead.
\n\n\n\nCoordinated by Jo\u00e3o Paulo Meneses
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nWhat will the role of the gaming industry be in building the new financial system?
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://www.macaubusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/UM-landmark-building-\u2013-University-Library-150x150.jpg\")
\nRising to the Challenge\u00a0
\n\n\n\nForty years ago, on March 28, 1981, the era of modern tertiary education was inaugurated in Macau with the opening of the then privately owned University of East Asia, the predecessor of the city\u2019s publicly owned University of Macau.\u00a0 \u00a0
\n\n\n\nMB March 2021 Special Report | 40 years of (modern) tertiary education
Over the course of these four decades, higher education witnessed a staggering growth and transformation in line with the city\u2019s development.
\n\n\n\nSince 2000, and even earlier during the Portuguese administration, public and private higher education institutions have been receiving generous support from the Government.
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mbusiness.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/2019/04/higher-education-keith.jpg\")
At this juncture, one can argue that higher education in Macau is at a turning point. The changes that are set to take place are not only the result of the recently released Long-Term Plan for Tertiary Education (2021-2030), but also of the Chief Executive\u2019s approach to higher education financing and development.
\n\n\n\nA new paradigm may emerge now with a stronger focus on ties between universities and the business sector, forging a model not only less reliant on public funding but also capable of further involving higher education institutions in the wider push for economic diversification, trough spinoffs resulting from transfer of technology.
\n\n\n\nAgainst the backdrop of higher stakes, we review the development of the city\u2019s higher education sector and delve into the future direction of tertiary education, taking into account the Greater Bay Area regional integration process.
\n\n\n\nP.S.: Some local government departments have a tendency not to be particularly responsive when it comes to questions sent by journalists. In this context, one should acknowledge and highlight the valuable and effective feedback and collaboration provided by the Higher Education Bureau (which has meanwhile been integrated into the Education and Youth Development Bureau).
\n\n\n\nCo-ordinated by Jo\u00e3o Paulo Meneses
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mbusiness.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/2020/07/DSC09187-150x150.jpg\")
\nOu Mun, Macao, Ao Men and Macau *
\n\n\n\n\u201cEdificio Pik Tou Garden\u201d is a (very pleasant, says who knows) apartment building in Macau.
\n\n\n\nMB February 2021 Special Report | One city, four \u2018languages\u2019
But beyond that, the name of the building is a remarkable metaphor for the local language environment: Edificio is the Portuguese word for building, Pik Tou means jade wave in Cantonese, Garden,\u2026 you know.
\n\n\n\n\u201cThree different \u2018languages\u2019 in four words is quite striking and one of the things which makes Macau unique,\u201d states a leading expert on local language ecology, John Wheeler.
\n\n\n\nLocal Cantonese-speaking people describe that as the saam man sei jyu (\u4e09\u6587\u56db\u8a9e), referring to written Chinese, Portuguese and English and spoken Cantonese, Putonghua, Portuguese and English.
\n\n\n\nThe government itself has adopted a policy of promoting \u201cthree written languages, four spoken languages\u201d (tr\u00eas l\u00ednguas, quarto idiomas, in Portuguese).
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://www.macaubusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/5_macau-1028x771.jpg\")
Over the next 20 pages, we will explore the role of each of one of the four, and take note of the views of locals who master all four languages (quadrilinguals), an ability that will be increasingly common in the next 20 years in Macau, and one that brings a key competitive advantage, as Macau\u2019s is to be further integrated in the Greater Bay Area, by playing the role of a hub for linkages between China and the Lusophone world.
\n\n\n\nAs put by John Wheeler, \u201cIt seems likely that the four main languages present in Macau will continue to blend for the immediate future, assisting in giving Macau (SAR) its unique linguistic flavour.\u201d
\n\n\n\n* The order of the four words has to do with the interest that each of the four languages arouses in the population of Macau, according to some studies. But for us and for many others, Macau is the (romanization for the) name of this land.
\n\n\n\nCo-ordinated by Jo\u00e3o Paulo Meneses
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThe influx of mainland tourists brought P\u01d4t\u014dnghu\u00e0 and simplified characters. Cantonese is still widely spoken, but observers anticipate that it\u2019s set to lose ground as 2049 edges closer.
\n\n\n\nUnofficial language of Macau? Lingua franca? English is everywhere, except in justice.
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mbusiness.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/2020/02/DOC.20200219.28265870.08228736-150x150.jpg\")
\n\u201cIt\u2019s the economy\u2026\u201d
\n\n\n\nThe COVID-19 pandemic changed the world. We just don’t know how much yet.
\n\n\n\nMB January 2021 Special Report | The COVID-19 year
The Macau SAR coped with this unprecedented public health crisis with remarkable success.
\n\n\n\nHowever, the city\u2019s economy is expected to have shrunk by at least half.
\n\n\n\nIn Macau, too, there will be nothing like before, even if tourists start filling the streets and casinos from the second quarter of 2021 onwards.
\n\n\n\nThe next generations will not forgive us if we have not learned the lesson and if we do not take advantage of the collective scare to change the economic model, which – based on the only existing industry – paralyzed the Region during 2020 and generated the greatest economic crisis in memory – we had to go back to the end of the 19th century to find similarities.
\n\n\n\nEven so, there is a substantial difference: Macau is today a very rich city, with large budget surpluses, which have made it possible to compensate for many of the economic and social problems.
\n\n\n\nIn 1992 one of Bill Clinton’s leading campaign strategists invented the phrase “It\u2019s the economy, stupid”.
\n\n\n\nStupid is what we all will be if we don’t learn from mistakes and adjust the current economic model.
\n\n\n\nOver the next few pages, readers will find the most complete coverage of what happened this year, looking at the past, present and future.
\n\n\n\nCo-ordinated by Jo\u00e3o Paulo Meneses
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mbusiness.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/2020/03/Screen-Shot-2020-03-24-at-10.03.08-AM-150x150.png\")
\nHow will it be afterwards?
\n\n\n\nIn the New Year’s message, less than a year ago, the Chief Executive said that in 2020, Macau would experience “great development opportunities and face all kinds of challenges”.
\n\n\n\nMB December 2020 Special Report | Ho Iat Seng \u2013 Year 1
But on the same day, China’s office at the World Health Organization announced the discovery of cases of pneumonia of unknown origin in the city of Wuhan and 24 hours later the Government of Macau began to check the temperature of those arriving at the region’s airport from that Chinese city.
\n\n\n\nIt was the beginning of an unprecedented crisis. One that assumed such proportions that the Ho Iat Seng Government has had little chance of demonstrating its capacity to govern beyond being a de facto permanent crisis cabinet.
\n\n\n\nAnd, almost everyone says, successfully, at least that’s what can be seen from the opinion polls and widespread praise coming even from voices know for being critical of the establishment.
\n\n\n\nBut what will happen once the health crisis is effectively behind us and the city still needs to cope with the economic crisis that resulted from the pandemic?
\n\n\n\nIn this special report we review Ho Iat Seng\u2019s first year in office, exploring diverse angles and taking note of three different points of view:
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://www.mbusiness.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com//2021/01/meng-u-ieong-umac-prof.jpg\")
Meng U Ieong is a Macau-born Assistant Professor at the University of Macau\u2019s Department of Government and Public Administration, is know for is independent-minded approach.
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://www.mbusiness.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com//2020/07/Sonny-Lo-photo.png\")
Sonny Lo Shiu Hing is probably the most accredited Hong Kong-based political scientist when it comes to Macau affairs. His views are carefully read by critics and supporters of the establishment.
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://www.mbusiness.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com//2021/01/Jos\u00e9-\u00c1lvares.jpg\")
Jos\u00e9 \u00c1lvares is a Portuguese lawyer based in Macau from the younger generation who has recently stood out as a current affairs commentator.
\n\n\n\nOur most sincere thanks for their contributions.
\n\n\n\nCo-ordinated by Jo\u00e3o Paulo Meneses jpmeneses@macaubusiness.com
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mbusiness.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/2019/08/airport-DSC_4785_rgb-150x150.jpg\")
\nNew and better accesses needed
\n\n\n\nThe Macau International Airport is saturated and only now are solutions being found, which essentially depend on the new land reclamations, which are yet to get the final green light by Mainland authorities.\u00a0
\n\n\n\nMB November 2020 Special Report | Getting in and out
\n\n\n\nThe high-speed train does not enter Macau because there seems to be no space to build a station.
\n\n\n\nIf there is an area in which Macau depends on third parties (read, mainland China), it is in accessibility.
\n\n\n\nLook at what happens with the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge.
\n\n\n\nTherefore, the creation of the Guangdong Hong Kong Macau Great Bay Area (GBA) in 9 + 2 cities in Guangdong province seems to be the solution to many of Macau’s mobility problems – to top it off. This is the case as mobility plays a pivotal role in the GBA development plan.
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://www.mbusiness.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com//2017/01/mia-1024x683.jpg\")
There are forecasts (made long before the Covid-19 pandemic) that point to 40 million tourists in 2025, roughly the same as last year\u2019s 39 million mark.
\n\n\n\nThough we are in unchartered waters due to the coronavirus crisis, if Macau is to bounce back to the pre-pandemic figures, it is also essential to reflect on how they are going to get in and out – this is what we do in this special report, much more because China\u2019s master plan is to transform Macau into a World Centre of Tourism and Leisure.
\n\n\n\nNew and better accesses are needed.
\n\n\n\nPS – Air Macau marks 25 years this month. We have not forgotten that. It was a challenging quarter of a century amid criticism, but the city\u2019s flagship carrier has weathered the storms. A different question is whether these 25 years of monopoly as the sole operator of services to and from Macau have served Macau\u2019s development and strategic objectives well. An increasing number of voices make the case for the need to break the monopoly.
\n\n\n\nCo-ordinated by Jo\u00e3o Paulo Meneses jpmeneses@macaubusiness.com
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mbusiness.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/2020/10/Baccarat-gaming-Recovered-150x150.jpg\")
\nNothing in the Mainland, nothing outside of China, everything in Macau
\n\n\n\nThere is no scientific evidence to support the popular idea that Chinese people are inherently predisposed to gambling. And yet, this widespread stereotype is often seen in films, books, and even newspaper articles.
\n\n\n\nMB October 2020 Special Report | The Chinese Gambler
Still, it is impossible to deny what appears to be a greater interest in gambling among the Chinese.
\n\n\n\nOver the next few pages, the reader will find countless perspectives on the \u2018Chinese gambler\u2019 \u2014 from the myth to the player’s profile, through Mainland China’s efforts to crack down on illegal gambling and by understanding the relationship that the full-time inhabitants of Macau have with their ubiquitous casino neighbours.
\n\n\n\nThis issue is more pressing than ever; in late August, China announced the creation of a blacklist system for cross-border gambling tourist destinations, aiming to combat the rising number of Chinese outbound gamblers.
\n\n\n\nAt this point, it is still unknown how this blacklist will work, but it seems clear that it will have a direct impact on many Chinese gamblers (especially the high-rollers) and an indirect effect on Macau \u2014 it was likely designed for that purpose as well.
\n\n\n\nAll in all, this special report delves into a fascinating and somewhat intriguing topic by providing a diversified (and hopefully interesting) approach.
\n\n\n\nCo-ordinated by Jo\u00e3o Paulo Meneses
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n3000 years before Macau was the gambling capital of the world, Keno was born in China.
![\"\"](\"https://mbusiness.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/2020/06/central-hong-kong-finance-cbd-business-xinhua-150x150.jpg\")
\nThe \u2018two bombs\u2019 and beyond
\n\n\n\nMB September 2020 Special Report | Understanding Hong Kong – A to Z
The first list of these special reports is planned at the end of the previous year. In other words, when this one about Hong Kong was conceived, we were at the end of 2019 weeks after the overwhelming majority secured by the opposition in the November district council elections. The political highlight of 2020 was expected to be the Legislative Council Elections, scheduled for September. We would also simultaneously assess the impact of last year\u2019s anti-extradition bill protests.
\n\n\n\nHowever, early in the year, the Covid-19 pandemic caused a huge disruption and the projections for 2020 started to change. It was the first \u2018bomb\u2019.
\n\n\n\nSix months later, the elections were delayed for a year because of a spike in Covid-19 cases, but the passage of a national security bill by Beijing virtually changed everything many people thought they knew about Hong Kong. It was the second \u2018bomb.
\n\n\n\nWill we be facing \u201cthe end of Hong Kong\u201d as we know it, as Timothy McLaughlin wrote in The Atlantic or, paraphrasing Mark Twain, the news of the \u201cdeath of Hong Kong\u201d is clearly exaggerated? Will this offer a \u201cnew beginning\u201d for a \u201cstable and prosperous\u201d city as Hong Kong businessman Alan Zeman predicts? What lies ahead for One Country Two Systems?
\n\n\n\nSo we prepared this work against the backdrop of significant uncertainty, but we are convinced that it becomes more urgent to get a grip on what is taking place and understand this overly complex situation.
\n\n\n\nWe hope to help the reader in this goal.
\n\n\n\nCo-ordinated by Jo\u00e3o Paulo Meneses
\n\n\n\nAlliance – It is curious how, in a strongly polarized society like Hong Kong, the word that gathers the most consensus is… alliance (\u806f\u76df). Alliance is the key word in Hong Kong politics, with alliances of all types and shapes.
\n\n\n\nIt all started in 1989, with the creation of the Alliance in Support of Patriotic and Democratic Movement in China (ASPDM) in response to the People\u2019s Liberation Army\u2019s (PLA) suppression of the pro-democracy demonstrators in Beijing\u2019s Tiananmen Square on June 4th. It has been labeled subversive by the mainland Chinese authorities; some key ASPDM members, such as the late Szeto Wah, former legislator, and ASPDM chair, were never able to re-enter China.
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://www.mbusiness.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com//2020/09/A_Szeto-Wah-1.jpg\")
A few years later, the alliance also served to describe a pro-Beijing conservative political organization, mostly composed of businessmen and professionals. The New Hong Kong Alliance, launched by the late former lawmaker and executive counselor, Lo Tak-Shing, was considered to be one of the most conservative pro-Beijing organizations, standing out the secretary
\n\n\n\nfrom The Hong Kong Progressive Alliance, another pro-Beijing pro-business political party, the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB) was born in 2005. Chaired by Starry Lee, DAB became one of three major parties in the city right after the 1997 handover, alongside the then leading opposition group, Democratic Party, and the pro-business (and pro-establishment) Liberal Party.
\n\n\n\nBetween 2010 and 2013, 12 pan-democratic groups formed the Alliance for True Democracy, comprising 27 opposition legislators, in a bid to achieve full universal suffrage in Hong Kong.
\n\n\n\nThe range of options is not complete without a reference to the Alliance, “a group of moderate, often pro-government, independent Legislative Council (LegCo) members who act as a third LegCo force between the pro-democratic and pro-Beijing camps. Without political party affiliation, they are all elected through the LegCo functional constituencies.”
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://www.mbusiness.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com//2020/09/B_benny-tai-rally-etan-lam-1028x474.jpg\")
Benny Tai – This former Associate Professor of Law at the University of Hong Kong has become in recent years one of the most, if not the most, influential opposition political activists and intellectuals.
\n\n\n\nOver the past few years, he has been the ideologue of the movement to challenge the SAR’s government and Beijing’s interests in Hong Kong.
\n\n\n\nHe is one of the names behind the \u201cOccupy Central with Love and Peace, a self-declared \u201cnon-violent civil disobedience campaign to pressure the Hong Kong government to implement full democracy in 2014.\u201d After the protests, he launched the “Operation ThunderGo” in the 2016 Legislative Council election, aiming at getting the most pro-democracy candidates elected.
\n\n\n\nBenny Tai is also the brain behind the successful “Project Storm” for the opposition to win the majority in the 2019 District Council election.
\n\n\n\nIn March 2018, he received all-around attacks from the Beijing and Hong Kong governments, the pro-Beijing media and politicians for his remarks on Hong Kong independence.
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://www.mbusiness.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com//2020/09/B-March_30_2019_Chan_Kin-man_Benny_Tai_Chu_Yiu-ming_Occupy_Central_founders_lead_demonstration.jpg\")
His statements suggesting the city could consider independence or enter into a confederation with other regions of China became famous and gave rise to serious rebuttal by mainland Chinese authorities and pro-Beijing legislators. Once in particular, DAB lawmaker Holden Chow Ho-Ding, accused the activist of turning Hong Kong\u2019s streets into \u201crivers of blood.\u201d Tai argued he was exercising academic freedom by considering such a possibility.
\n\n\n\nEven before Beijing’s intention to create a national security law for Hong Kong was known, Benny Tai revealed his plan for the elections initially scheduled for this month: a \u201cmassive constitutional weapon\u201d or the (impossible?) dream of a pro-democratic majority in the 70-seat council: the \u201c35 plus strategy.\u201d He claimed: \u201cThe Legislative Council majority is the most lethal constitutional weapon.\u201d
\n\n\n\nAfter learning the details of the new law, Tai appears to have abandoned his plans: “This is the end of one country two systems and the process to ‘authoritarian-ize’ Hong Kong is completed” the legal scholar told ABC News. “Hong Kong people have made history again,” he also said after almost 600,000 participated in the primary election for the city’s opposition. Last July, Tai was sacked by the publicly funded University of Hong Kong, over his criminal convictions last year over public nuisance offences related to the civil disobedience movement he co-founded in 2014.
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://www.mbusiness.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com//2020/09/C_covid_airport.jpg\")
Covid-19 – The truth is that when the opposition candidates overwhelmingly won last November\u2019s District Council elections, the street protests that dragged on from June, were already losing steam. After the vote, this was accentuated.
\n\n\n\nEven so, small groups of protesters were still involved in rows with the police, especially on weekends.
\n\n\n\nAt that time, too, it was already clear that the Government would not yield to any of the demands other than dropping the extradition bill. So many people asked how to resolve the impasse? How to return to normality?
\n\n\n\nBefore an answer could be provided, Hong Kong was dealing with the greatest pandemic that humankind has experienced in one hundred years.
\n\n\n\nA tourist hub and an economy very dependent on mainland Chinese consumers, Hong Kong had to close its borders and closed itself at home. Street protests stopped.
\n\n\n\nIn fact, the authorities continued to invoke the need to avoid gatherings and to respect social distancing in order to ban June 4th vigil (Tiananmen) \u2013 which, nevertheless, went ahead – and June 12th (first anniversary of the first major anti-extradition clashes). A few thousand people took to the streets, but an evident minority.
\n\n\n\nIt was in this context of great concern over the risk of Covid-19 contagion that the Central Government imposed the new national security bill on June 30th.
\n\n\n\nIn July, Hong Kong saw a spike in Covid-19 cases, bringing to daily number of cases to over one hundred. In late July, Carrie Lam invoked the emergency ordinance to postpone the LegCo election by one year, citing the resurgence of coronavirus cases, signalling a political impact of the pandemic in the city. The opposition has accused the government of using the pandemic as a pretext to stop people from voting, but Chief Executive Carrie Lam explained: “This postponement is entirely made based on public safety reasons, there were no political considerations”. Seventy-one countries have so far delayed elections due to Covid-19.
\n\n\n\nAs for the economic impact of the pandemic on the local economy, it is too early for numbers.
\n\n\n\n“The magnitude of Hong Kong’s economic recession in the first quarter may be worse than in the 2008 global economic tsunami, or the impact of the Asian financial crisis [1997-1998],” said Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po.
\n\n\n\nThere will also have to be added the impact resulting from almost a year of protests. The numbers point to HKD 18 billion decrease in retail sales between Q1 and Q3 of 2019, caused by the lack in tourism. In addition, this caused a 3.7 percent GDP drop during the same period.
\n\n\n\nDisqualification \u2013 One of the features in recent years of Hong Kong’s political-electoral system is called disqualification.
\n\n\n\nSince the last Legislative Council election in 2016, a total of six elected legislators from the pan-democracy, localist, and \u201cself-determination\u201d camps ended up being disqualified as a result of their behavior during the oath-taking ceremony. Two pro-independence members displayed a \u201cHong Kong is not China\u201d banner and mispronounced China\u2019s name in an insulting way. Other elected legislators were disqualified over inserting their own words, including anti-government and anti-Beijing slogans while reading the oath.
\n\n\n\nThere were also young radical opposition politicians \u2013 seen as \u201cpro-independence\u201d – who got disqualified from running in local district council elections due to their opposition to the Basic Law.
\n\n\n\nSo, since 2016, all candidates, before they’re able to qualify as such, should first affirm their support to the Basic Law by signing a new form pledging to uphold the \u201cmini-constitution\u201d. A decision on whether they truly uphold the commitment is then taken by a returning officer. Signing the form may not be sufficient to guarantee a place on the ballot papers. Back in 2016, separatist activist Edward Leung signed the declaration, but was eventually disqualified, as the returning officer did not believe him quoting his publicly known advocacy for Hong Kong independence.
\n\n\n\nMore recently, Tam Yiu-chung, Hong Kong\u2019s only representative in the NPC Standing Committee, wrote that candidates who oppose the new National Security bill \u201cshould be disqualified.\u201d
\n\n\n\nBut, as Carrie Lam seems to have acknowledged, the situation can be somewhat ambiguous: “I cannot simply say what acts or speeches will disqualify a person. The most important thing is to act according to the law”, she said.
\n\n\n\nOn the other hand, Tian Feilong, a legal expert on Hong Kong affairs at Beijing\u2019s Beihang University, said \u201cUnder the nationals ecurity law for Hong Kong, the legal boundaries have become much clearer\u201d. Tian told Global Times that \u201copposition groups should know how to adjust to a changing environment\u201d.
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://www.mbusiness.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com//2020/09/D.jpg\")
After the new law was implemented, Hong Kong authorities warned that popular protest slogan \u201cLiberate Hong Kong, the revolution of our times\u201d has the \u201cconnotation of separating the HKSAR from the People\u2019s Republic of China (PRC)\u201d, signaling a new red line.
\n\n\n\nPro-Beijing heavyweight Maria Tam said she believed returning officers failed to properly vet candidates, because no one had been disqualified due to the slogan in local district councils elections.
\n\n\n\nAgainst this backdrop, Civic Party (pro-democracy) leader Alvin Yeung, stated: “No one in the opposition can guarantee that they would be able to get into the race.\u201d Last July, officers at the Electoral Affairs Commission informed that 12 election nominations had been ruled invalid, once the candidates\u2019 \u201cintention\u201d to uphold the Basic Law and swear allegiance to the HKSAR was not deemed \u201cgenuine and truthful.\u201d Some days later, the elections were delayed for a year. Among them are four legislators currently serving in the Legislative Council: Civic Party\u2019s Alvin Yeung and Dennis Kwok and Kwok Ka-ki and indirectly elected lawmaker and accountant Kenneth Leung.
\n\n\n\nExtradition bill \u2013 No one could have imagined that a crime committed in Taiwan in early 2018 would change the course of Hong Kong’s history.
\n\n\n\nIn fact, if 2019 was the most turbulent year in Hong Kong’s recent history, it’s due to the crime that 19-year-old Hong Kong resident Chan Tong-kai confessed to committing (he murdered his pregnant girlfriend Poon Hiu-wing in Taiwan). Chan admitted to Hong Kong police that he killed Poon, but the police were unable to charge him for murder or extradite him to Taiwan because no agreement was in place between Hong Kong and Taiwan.
\n\n\n\nThe case led pro-establishment forces to ask for an extradition bill, which was confirmed when, in February last year, Carrie Lam\u2019s cabinet proposed the Fugitive Offenders and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Legislation (Amendment) Bill, which would come to be known as the extradition bill.
\n\n\n\nThe document was immediately contested, and some in the pro-Beijing camp even demonstrated their reservations. But it was on the streets that the situation quickly escalated, culminating in the mega-demonstration that took place on 9 June, which organizers say was joined by one million people (the police only counted 270,000 participants). In addition to asking that the proposal be rejected, protesters also asked for the resignation of the Chief Executive.
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://www.mbusiness.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com//2020/09/E_maif.jpg\")
A few days later, Lam announced she would ‘suspend’ the proposed bill, and on 23 October, Secretary for Security John Lee announced the government’s formal withdrawal.
\n\n\n\nBut that was not enough to silence the street protests, which soon turned into veritable street battles (read violence) and requests for greater democracy (universal suffrage).
\n\n\n\nThe Covid-19 pandemic ended the protests. Four months later, Beijing introduced the national security law.\u00a0
\n\n\n\nFuture\u00a0(the) \u2013 When one talks about Hong Kong\u2019s future they are not referring to 2021 or 2025, but 2047. So there is a lot of time before then. And if six months ago very few people could anticipate that a couple of months later Beijing would pass a sweeping national security bill that would change the Region, speaking in the long term may seem unwise.
\n\n\n\nKingdom, United\u00a0\u2013 The announcement that about three million Hong Kong residents may have a pathway for British citizenship has caught nearly everyone off guard. \u201cThis would amount to one of the biggest changes to our visa system in history,\u201d Boris Johnson wrote.
\n\n\n\n\u2018Peg\u2019\u00a0\u2013 Felix Chung, leader of the pro-Beijing Liberal Party, warned: If the United States\u00a0includes the Hong Kong\u2019 dollar\u2019s 36-year-old currency \u2018peg\u2019 with the US dollar in sanctions related to the national security bill, thereby denying Hong Kong access to the U.S. dollar, \u201cthis will be the end of Hong Kong.\u201d As is known, the Macau pataca is indexed to the neighbouring region\u2019s currency.
\n\n\n\nUniversal suffrage\u00a0\u2013 \u00a0It is common to hear that Macau and Hong Kong, despite the same cultural, linguistic, social, and political matrix, are going separate ways.
The objective of choosing policymakers through universal suffrage is one of the main marks of these divergent paths.
![\"\"](\"https://mbusiness.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/2020/04/property-DSC06202-696x456-150x150.jpg\")
\n\u201cThe Future is Feminist\u201d *
\n\n\n\nIn December last year we published the list of the 20 most influential people in Macau.
\n\n\n\nAnd we realized that they were almost all men.
\n\n\n\nMB August 2020 Special Report | 20 (+20) influential women
\n\n\n\nTwo immediate conclusions: Macau is still a male-dominated society, although more women are taking up positions (just look at the recent appointments made by the current Chief Executive) and we needed to make a women-only list.
\n\n\n\nThis is what we present in this issue of Macau Business.
\n\n\n\nNow, as before, we say this is a seemingly impossible task, since there are virtually no entirely objective criteria for choosing the names and as any list, under these conditions, our endeavour is bound to be challenged.
\n\n\n\nNow, as in the past, we realize and accept this shortcoming.
\n\n\n\nBut it is more important to go ahead with it.
\n\n\n\nAnd the truth is that, with this list, we highlight not only the three that were on last year’s list, but another 17 women who equally stand out in Macau’s life.
\n\n\n\nAnd, as in the 2019 list, we add 20 more, who, despite not being arguably as influential as the top 20, are also movers and shakers.
\n\n\n\n* \u201cThe Future is Feminist\u201d is the name of a book edited by Mallory Farrugia (2019)
\n\n\n\nCo-ordinated by Jo\u00e3o Paulo Meneses
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://www.macaubusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/5W9A8462a-150x150.jpg\")
\nWe really need alternatives to VIPs
\n\n\n\nPut 1000 people in a room in Macau and ask them: does Macau need to diversify its tourism?
\n\n\n\nMB July 2020 Special Report | Crossroads of Macau tourism
990 will answer “yes”; the theme generates a rare and profound unanimity locally.
\n\n\n\nThen ask the 990 how to diversify that same tourism and we will surely get dozens of different answers.
\n\n\n\nIt will be almost each to his own taste.
\n\n\n\nThe Government, for example, after recognizing the failure of the MICE bet, is now betting on major sporting events. But in order to be able to attract new tourists, they have to be high impact sporting events. It’s not enough for Inter Milan to play with PSG …
\n\n\n\nWe will talk about it in this special report.
\n\n\n\nWe add to this, cultural tourism (heritage), gastronomy, luxury products and even niche proposals such as ecotourism or religious tourism.
\n\n\n\nHowever, it seems clear that, given the limitations in Macau, it will be easier to diversify through Hengqin, as Ho Iat Seng has been advocating.
\n\n\n\nPS – And the remaining 10, the reader asks? Yes, there is a minority of people in Macau who understand that VIP customers of gambling rooms will be not only the salvation post-Covid-19 (and they are true), but also the solution to any problem that tourism may have. For this minority, there is no need to do anything, except to not spoil what already exists.
\n\n\n\nTo be clear: VIP customers are important, but Macau has to find alternatives.
\n\n\n\nCo-ordinated by Jo\u00e3o Paulo Meneses
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mbusiness.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/2016/11/mice-150x150.jpg\")
\nNo more studies and experiments
\n\n\n\nDuring a Legislative Assembly session that took place in March, several legislators spoke of the need to diversify the economy.
\n\n\n\nMB June 2020 Special Report | Diversification now or never
There were those who asked for more investment in traditional industries, some pointed to the need to organize more sports and cultural events, while others suggested that casino concessionaires should bear the responsibility of revitalizing a given district or area or even creating an industry for the production of gaming cards and slot machines.
\n\n\n\nFor almost 15 years, Beijing has been urging Macau to diversify its economy, but this has yet to come into fruition. One after another each member comes to parliament and leaves a suggestion so different and opposed to the previous one that its sounds like a completely out-of-synch orchestra.
\n\n\n\nThere is a time to discuss and a period to move forward.
\n\n\n\nAlmost15 years is more than enough to deliver results.
\n\n\n\nHence, Ho Iat Seng’s words in his maiden Policy Address could not have been more radical and clear as MICE and creative and cultural industries together account for less than one per cent of the SAR\u2019s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
\n\n\n\n“The excessive and prolonged dependence on the gambling and tourism sector, and if the monolithic nature of the industrial structure remains unchanged, will hinder the sustainable development of the Macau economy,” a Chief Executive statement that will be remembered many years from now.
\n\n\n\nThis, and much more, is what we promise in this special report, making use of the best pundits that Macau has at its disposal.
\n\n\n\nOnce and for all: is Hengqin the way forward? Let us then follow this path swiftly and in force!
\n\n\n\nCo-ordinated by Jo\u00e3o Paulo Meneses
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mbusiness.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/2018/11/04819583_rgb-e1543265585243-150x150.jpg\")
\nCasinos, housing and schools
\n\n\n\nSchools just a few dozen meters from casinos? It takes place in Macau. It is therefore no wonder that different surveys have found that young people in Macau are more at risk of gambling addiction.
\n\n\n\nMB April 2020 Special Report | Youngsters living on a keyboard
But this is not the only distinguishing feature of what will become of the age group with the highest demographic weight in Macau: the fact that young people, even at school age, say that housing is one of the main concerns is another distinguishing mark.
\n\n\n\nFinally, we are talking about generations of netizens, all of them online.
\n\n\n\nJust to see social media or shop on Taobao? There are those who guarantee that this is also a generation of \u201ckeyboard fighters.\u201d
\n\n\n\nThis special report talks about all that and more, aiming to portray young people in Macau, now that the Youth Policy, which started in 2012, is over.
\n\n\n\nA portrait that also includes educational issues, allowing me to draw readers’ attention to the problem denounced by educationist Keith Morrison, one of the specialists who, with his contribution, helped to enrich this work: \u201cIn some higher education institutions in Macau there are two communities: the local do-as-little-as-necessary students and the non-local-work-hard students; it\u2019s deep in the local culture.\u201d
\n\n\n\nCo-ordinated by Jo\u00e3o Paulo Meneses
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mbusiness.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/2019/09/Screen-Shot-2019-09-21-at-9.45.49-AM-150x150.png\")
\nAdds response from DICJ
\n\n\n\nThe Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ) is preparing to impose an instruction (Instru\u00e7\u00e3o n\u00ba3/2019) this coming Monday limiting gaming concessionaires and sub-concessionaires in Macau as well as other gaming operators known as junkets, any \u201ctransfer of information about gaming activities or operations, including customer personal data\u201d for third parties, in the SAR or elsewhere.
The instruction, accessed by Macau News Agency (MNA), signed by DICJ Director Paulo Martins Chan and expected to come into force on 23 September, defines information on gambling activities or operations as \u201call data related to the individual and object of the gambling activities, or related to the operation of casinos and gambling activities, including but not limited to the personal data, place of origin or nationality, profession or the gambling clients’ activity and other information such as their representatives or accompanying persons, the time of entry into and out of the casino or the gaming table, the amount of bets, the credit, the amount of the bet placed, the payment of prizes and the purchase and redemption of chips (tickets), slot machines tickets (tokens), etc.\u201d
The prohibition on the transfer of information goes further, “including and not limited to the company, the representative, the branch or the delegate of its associated entities or the same economic group.”
An exception to this rule is possible, says the DICJ instruction, but only when \u201cthe consent or power of attorney of the interested parties were obtained or are in compliance with the provisions of the Personal Data Protection Act.\u201d However, \u201cauthorization from DICJ for each concrete transfer act\u201d will be mandatory.
To obtain permission
\n\n\n\nThe document, to which MNA had access, also defines the necessary explanations that gaming concessionaires and other operators must provide to DICJ in order to obtain the permission to disseminate the information. Namely the type of information, the entity that will receive it, if it to be sent outside the SAR, and for what purpose.
DICJ further reserves the right to request \u201cany further clarifications or documents\u201d as well as the power not to make \u201cany occasional or generic authorization.\u201d
All information is now considered \u201cconfidential\u201d and game operators and junkets are required to \u201cmaintain confidentiality\u201d as well as \u201ctake appropriate measures to prevent\u201d its disclosure.
A duty of confidentiality that will remain “even if there has been a waiver or loss\u201d of the respective gaming license.
Experts caught by surprise
\n\n\n\nExperts heard by MNA consider this statement “at the very least strange… It will have a strong impact, preventing information from being reported, for example, to regulators in other jurisdictions or to hotels owned by concessionaire and sub-concessionaire groups,\u201d an analyst told Macau News Agency, predicting a \u201cnegative impact on stocks\u201d of gaming operators in Macau.
On the other hand, he said, the Data Protection Act in force only requires authorization of the person concerned. With this instruction from the DICJ, the bureau “has powers to dispose against express law,” explains the same expert.
A Macau law expert, who also prefers to remain anonymous, told MNA this decision seems “unusual and clearly inappropriate and disproportionate.” And asks: \u201cWhy these restrictions? To what end? What happened before to justify these draconian measures?\u201d
For this expert, \u201cit seems clearly meaningless and senseless and violates legal norms that override instructions, namely commercial law norms, in particular, the unimaginable clause that prevents information for parent companies and others!\u201d
Among the concerns is also the “form of instruction, that seems illegal for various reasons,” he says.
And lastly, “if the new competition for gambling concessions is coming, what is the framework: Unfair competition or to keep away certain foreign interests, namely Americans?”
DICJ denies violation of rules
\n\n\n\nIn a written response to Macau News Agency, DICJ confirms the intention to impose its prior authorization but denies that any rules are being broken with the new norm.
\n\n\n\n\u201cIt is intended to ensure that the transfer of information about gambling activities by gambling concessionaires / sub-concessionaires and game promoters is in accordance with the SAR law, in particular with the legal regime governing the development of games of chance, the law on the prevention and suppression of money laundering crime and other legal acts, thus ensuring the healthy development of the same sector”‘ says the SAR’s regulator.
\n\n\n\n“The purpose of the instruction is not to completely prohibit the transfer of information by game concessionaires / sub-concessionaires and game promoters, but to subject it to the prior authorization of DICJ. These requests will be subject to consideration within the scope of their legal provisions and therefore there is no violation of the rules on the exercise of the respective rights\u201d, explained DICJ to MNA.
\n", "content_text": "Adds response from DICJ\n\n\n\nThe Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ) is preparing to impose an instruction (Instru\u00e7\u00e3o n\u00ba3/2019) this coming Monday limiting gaming concessionaires and sub-concessionaires in Macau as well as other gaming operators known as junkets, any \u201ctransfer of information about gaming activities or operations, including customer personal data\u201d for third parties, in the SAR or elsewhere.The instruction, accessed by Macau News Agency (MNA), signed by DICJ Director Paulo Martins Chan and expected to come into force on 23 September, defines information on gambling activities or operations as \u201call data related to the individual and object of the gambling activities, or related to the operation of casinos and gambling activities, including but not limited to the personal data, place of origin or nationality, profession or the gambling clients’ activity and other information such as their representatives or accompanying persons, the time of entry into and out of the casino or the gaming table, the amount of bets, the credit, the amount of the bet placed, the payment of prizes and the purchase and redemption of chips (tickets), slot machines tickets (tokens), etc.\u201dThe prohibition on the transfer of information goes further, “including and not limited to the company, the representative, the branch or the delegate of its associated entities or the same economic group.”An exception to this rule is possible, says the DICJ instruction, but only when \u201cthe consent or power of attorney of the interested parties were obtained or are in compliance with the provisions of the Personal Data Protection Act.\u201d However, \u201cauthorization from DICJ for each concrete transfer act\u201d will be mandatory.\n\n\n\nTo obtain permission\n\n\n\nThe document, to which MNA had access, also defines the necessary explanations that gaming concessionaires and other operators must provide to DICJ in order to obtain the permission to disseminate the information. Namely the type of information, the entity that will receive it, if it to be sent outside the SAR, and for what purpose.DICJ further reserves the right to request \u201cany further clarifications or documents\u201d as well as the power not to make \u201cany occasional or generic authorization.\u201dAll information is now considered \u201cconfidential\u201d and game operators and junkets are required to \u201cmaintain confidentiality\u201d as well as \u201ctake appropriate measures to prevent\u201d its disclosure.A duty of confidentiality that will remain “even if there has been a waiver or loss\u201d of the respective gaming license.\n\n\n\nExperts caught by surprise\n\n\n\nExperts heard by MNA consider this statement “at the very least strange… It will have a strong impact, preventing information from being reported, for example, to regulators in other jurisdictions or to hotels owned by concessionaire and sub-concessionaire groups,\u201d an analyst told Macau News Agency, predicting a \u201cnegative impact on stocks\u201d of gaming operators in Macau.On the other hand, he said, the Data Protection Act in force only requires authorization of the person concerned. With this instruction from the DICJ, the bureau “has powers to dispose against express law,” explains the same expert.A Macau law expert, who also prefers to remain anonymous, told MNA this decision seems “unusual and clearly inappropriate and disproportionate.” And asks: \u201cWhy these restrictions? To what end? What happened before to justify these draconian measures?\u201dFor this expert, \u201cit seems clearly meaningless and senseless and violates legal norms that override instructions, namely commercial law norms, in particular, the unimaginable clause that prevents information for parent companies and others!\u201dAmong the concerns is also the “form of instruction, that seems illegal for various reasons,” he says.And lastly, “if the new competition for gambling concessions is coming, what is the framework: Unfair competition or to keep away certain foreign interests, namely Americans?”\n\n\n\nDICJ denies violation of rules\n\n\n\nIn a written response to Macau News Agency, DICJ confirms the intention to impose its prior authorization but denies that any rules are being broken with the new norm. \n\n\n\n\u201cIt is intended to ensure that the transfer of information about gambling activities by gambling concessionaires / sub-concessionaires and game promoters is in accordance with the SAR law, in particular with the legal regime governing the development of games of chance, the law on the prevention and suppression of money laundering crime and other legal acts, thus ensuring the healthy development of the same sector”‘ says the SAR’s regulator.\n\n\n\n“The purpose of the instruction is not to completely prohibit the transfer of information by game concessionaires / sub-concessionaires and game promoters, but to subject it to the prior authorization of DICJ. These requests will be subject to consideration within the scope of their legal provisions and therefore there is no violation of the rules on the exercise of the respective rights\u201d, explained DICJ to MNA.", "date_published": "September 21, 2019", "date_modified": "September 21, 2019 - 11:35", "author": { "name": "Alex Lee", "url": "https://www.macaubusiness.com/author/alex-lee/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/354a0de881028d59078c359a1c4269d2?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://mbusiness.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/2019/09/Screen-Shot-2019-09-21-at-9.45.49-AM.png", "tags": [ "Gaming", "Macau", "MNA", "MNA Featured", "Special Reports" ], "summary": "The Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ) is preparing to impose an instruction this coming Monday limiting gaming concessionaires and sub-dealers in Macau as well as other gaming operators known as junkets, any \u201ctransfer of information about gaming activities or operations, including customer personal data\u201d for third parties, in the SAR or elsewhere." } ] }