Yearender: Macao to fully tap advantages, boost economy for better 2022

MACAO, Dec. 31 (Xinhua) -- The year of 2021 in China's Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) has been characterized by tireless government effort to improve the economy in face of the relentless COVID-19 pandemic.

CONTROLLING OUTBREAKS

A wave hit the city in August followed by another in September and October. The SAR government carried out three rounds of testing, closed schools and entertainment venues, and enforced restrictions in areas with reported cases.

Macao put a stop to new outbreaks quickly and efficiently with the help from the central government and neighboring Guangdong Province. They provided invaluable help with medical personnel and border procedures. Over 70 percent of Macao's people have been vaccinated, but the epidemic has been far from kind to an economy heavily dependent on tourism. Many tourist businesses suffered severe losses, mostly smaller enterprises.

From late September to mid-October, those entering Guangdong from Macao were required to be quarantined for 14 days, which significantly reduced tourist flow. During the National Day holiday from Oct. 1 to 7, only around 35,000 people crossed the border. Last year, over 150,000 travelers visited Macao during the holiday.

BOOSTING BUSINESS

The SAR has done its best to tide struggling businesses over, with a range of tailored measures including subsidies, interest-free loans and rents exemptions for government-owned properties. Most notably, businesses have shown great determination to save themselves, with some taking advantage of the slack period for digital upgrades and transformations, turning crises into opportunities.

The government continued to subsidize local residents and encourage consumption.

From April, earlier than in previous years, each permanent resident of Macao was entitled to receive 10,000 patacas (about 1,250 U.S. dollars) in this year's wealth distribution scheme. Non-permanent residents were entitled to 6,000 patacas. In addition, to encourage greater use of electronic payment methods, resident ID holders were each entitled to a start-up fund of 5,000 patacas and a discount grant of 3,000 patacas.

Chan Ka Leung, director general of the General Union of Neighbors' Associations of Macao, said the four rounds of government relief measures had been helpful for almost all residents of Macao.

In November, a variety of sports, cultural and food events were held, including the 68th Macao Grand Prix, a 17-day food festival, and a series of events celebrating China's friendship with Portuguese-speaking countries.

Macao also staged automobile, yacht and aircraft exhibitions, the first BEYOND international technology innovation expo, an international trade and investment fair, a franchising expo and an expo for businesses in Portuguese-speaking countries.

A HAPPIER NEW YEAR

Ho Iat Seng, chief executive of the SAR, said the epidemic will continue to hinder Macao from achieving economic and social recovery in the coming year. He asked for a prudent and proactive response from the society despite the generally more optimistic outlook.

Ho said Macao will use all of its advantages in the country's internal market and improve the dual circulation of domestic and international markets.

The SAR will maintain public investment in 2022 to create jobs in the construction sector while improving infrastructure.

Lei Wai Nong, secretary for economy and finance, said the economy was heading toward recovery, with visitor arrivals in the first 11 months of this year rising 31.8 percent from last year's lows and local real gross domestic product growing 27.5 percent.

Ip Kuai Peng, pro-rector of the City University of Macao, said the epidemic revealed vulnerabilities and risks in Macao's economy, increasing the urgency for economic diversification. The government will take every opportunity to promote tourism while seeking benefits from all kinds of visitors in various sectors.

The master plan for the Guangdong-Macao in-depth cooperation zone in Hengqin in the mainland, just across the frontier, has proceeded as well. The zone will become a much-needed new growth point for the Macao economy and an opportunity for better integration into overall national development, Ip said.

Guo Daoqian is a house painter who lives in Zhuhai and commutes to Macao on a daily basis. His simple wish is that the epidemic will be over or stabilize soon so that he can continue to make a living.

"I was out of work during the latest round of epidemic," said Guo, who was stranded in Macao for over three weeks due to the quarantine policy. "For us, one day without work means one day without earning money."