Macau Business magazine l May 2024 l 20th anniversary edition
In twenty years, it wasn’t just Macau that changed. We changed. The world changed. Two decades ago, when I decided to launch the first English-language media outlet—until then, there were only newspapers and magazines in Chinese and Portuguese—the city was experiencing the excitement of the early days of gambling liberalisation, which would propel it to become the world’s top gambling hub, both in terms of betting volume and revenue for operators and local authorities.
The contours of these years are known—the ups and downs, the achievements and setbacks, alongside changes in socio-economic fabric and political mindsets. Unfortunately, the latter are the most disappointing. The atavistic conservatism, the atavism of public servants who are only concerned with saving their own skin and pleasing immediate superiors instead of remembering that their primary responsibility is with the citizens, has become entrenched. This has had a knock-on effect on civil society itself, major gaming operators, and big businesses.
The city is now greyer, more apathetic. The years of COVID-induced confinement haven’t helped either. There are few projects that demonstrate the audacity to ‘think outside the box.’ People play it safe. It takes much longer to make decisions. And there are even those who no longer hesitate to not respond, in a shrug worthy of someone who is already resigned to everything.
However, amidst this somewhat crazy world where many leaders exist solely due to ignorance and fear—and where that same apathy also consumes Macau—one can see renewed hopes. Perhaps these individuals won’t manage to ruin everything, now that the recovery has already begun.
If the world doesn’t plunge into another economic crisis fuelled by worsening regional disputes, spreading to a broader confrontation between blocs of powers, this city maintains the potential to see its development shine brightly on a global scale. Thanks to the city’s size, ease of administrative management, and importance of per capita revenue. And, with some luck, with the departure of clearly secondary players who hold prominent positions due to the scarcity of brighter minds and persistence of medieval power traditions.
It is for these new times that we must prepare ourselves and encourage them to surface. Eternal times of change but with the courage to debunk myths and the daring to break superstitions.
Macau has everything it requires to succeed. Again. And like the city, so does this small media group.
As we remain unwaveringly committed to quality journalism in our news magazines and round-the-clock online news hub, the desire to innovate and surprise persists, despite enduring financial constraints. As we often say here, what doesn’t kill us only makes us stronger.
So, let the new times rise, another twenty years, so that this media group can continue to contribute to discernment founded on better information. Education generated by knowledge. A social wealth grounded on transparency and the integrity of each and every one of us.
It’s good to know that you’re still with us. And we would greatly appreciate it if you let us continue to be with you, to remain part of your everyday life, whether in print or online, on the computer or your mobile phone. Because a well-informed decision is halfway to victory.
