Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai has been gathering opinions and suggestions concerning the drafting of his 2026 Policy Address from various segments of civil society since last week, where representatives from the business sector suggested that the government plan for and promote the city’s silver economy*, according to separate statements by the Macau Government Information Bureau (GCS).
Sam held a meeting on Thursday morning last week to listen to opinions and suggestions concerning his 2026 Policy Address from Macau’s 12 deputies to the National People’s Congress (NPC), the first day after returning to Macau on Wednesday last week from his five-day fact-finding visit to Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang Province, Shanghai Municipality, and Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu Province.
According to GCS, the 12 local NPC deputies raised various opinions and suggestions during their meeting with Sam, such as further improving the city’s civil protection system aiming to raise the city’s ability to tackle an increased frequency of extreme weather situations, and the organisation of more activities aimed at boosting local consumption.
According to GCS, Sam also held a meeting on Thursday afternoon last week to listen to opinions and suggestions concerning his 2026 Policy Address from some of the Macau members of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), as well as some of the Macau members of provincial-level CPPCC committees.
Attendees in the meeting, according to GCS, suggested that the government promote the development of more budget hotels in the city, and strengthen its measures to attract businesses and investments from outside Macau.
On Friday, according to GCS, Sam met senior members from 16 community associations representing the city’s business sector, including the influential Macau Chamber of Commerce (ACM), colloquially known in Cantonese as “Chung Chung”, to gather their opinions and suggestions concerning his 2026 Policy Address.
According to GCS, the members from the city’s business sector raised various opinions and suggestions covering topics such as promoting the city’s silver economy, accelerating urban renewal, developing marine tourism, advancing higher education industries, upgrading the city’s convention and exhibition industry, promoting high-end medical industries, optimising the city’s business environment for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), safeguarding local residents’ employment, attracting high-quality financial talent, fostering the development of modern finance, strengthening research and development in traditional Chinese medicine, revitalising the city’s real estate market, deepening industry-academia-research collaboration, leveraging the city’s role as a service platform between China and Portuguese-speaking countries, promoting the healthy development of the city’s tourism industry, and Macau’s participation in the development of the Guangdong-Macau In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area (GBA).
During Friday’s meeting, according to GCS, Sam acknowledged the local business sector’s significant contributions to promoting Macau’s sustainable economic development, stabilising its employment market, and ensuring its long-term prosperity and stability.
Sam also pledged that with a complex and ever-changing internal and external environment, the local government will seize development opportunities, overcome challenges, and achieve its goals of appropriately diversifying the city’s economy. Sam also encouraged enterprises to innovate and strengthen themselves with the aim of injecting new vitality into the overall development of the city’s business sector, according to GCS.
Meanwhile, according to GCS, Sam also held a meeting on Friday afternoon to listen to opinions and suggestions concerning his 2026 Policy Address from members from six associations representing public servants.
The members raised opinions and suggestions covering topics such as increasing the flexibility of the system for promoting public servants, and strengthening the connection between vocational training for public servants and the respective duties they perform.
Meanwhile, Sam paid a fact-finding visit to stalls in the “ZAPE Taste Jam” market as well as shops in the area on Saturday, according to a GCS statement that night.
The market, organised by the Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO), was launched on August 15 and ended yesterday.
The statement quoted Sam as saying that the “ZAPE Taste Jam” market, as a pilot initiative to revitalise the community business environment, integrated culinary, cultural, creative, and entertainment elements. The chief executive said that the market showcased Macau’s rich gastronomic culture and charm as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy while also encouraging synergies with neighbouring businesses in a bid to attract visitors to Zape.
* The silver economy refers to the economic opportunities arising from a growing population of older adults. It encompasses goods and services specifically designed to meet the needs of seniors, including healthcare, technology, housing, and leisure. This sector is driven by longer life expectancies and increasing disposable income among the elderly. It also promotes active ageing and aims to improve the quality of life for this demographic. Ultimately, the silver economy represents a significant and expanding market for innovation and business development. It is also known as “silver-haired economy”. – DeepSeek
Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai talks with a stall operator in the “ZAPE Taste Jam” market on Saturday. – Photo: GCS
Representatives from the city’s business sector attend Friday’s meeting with Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai at Government Headquarters where they raised suggestions for his 2026 Policy Address. – Photo: GCS
