Newly appointed Secretary for Economy and Finance Ng Wai Han said yesterday that advancing appropriate economic diversification is a “must-answer question” for Macau and the local government’s priority task in her portfolio.
She also said that appropriate economic diversification is a “very important” policy initiative to enhance Macau’s economic resilience.
Ng made the remarks while speaking to reporters on the sidelines of yesterday’s Q&A session in the legislature where Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai answered questions from lawmakers.
Upon the nomination by Sam, the State Council appointed Ng as Macau’s secretary for economy and finance. She assumed office on Monday.
Ng succeeded Anton Tai Kin Ip who resigned two months ago.
Ng joined the civil service in 1999 when she started to work for the Labour Affairs Bureau (DSAL), where she became a deputy director in June 2017.
Ng was appointed as a deputy director of the Public Administration and Civil Service Bureau (SAFP) in June 2020 before being promoted to its director in September 2023. She was appointed as the director of the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ) in May last year.
Speaking to reporters yesterday, Ng noted that she is not a newcomer to the government’s Secretariat for Economy and Finance portfolio as she previously worked for a public entity under the portfolio (Labour Affairs Bureau) for a long time. Afterwards, Ng said, during her tenure in the Public Administration and Civil Service Bureau under the government’s Secretariat for Administration and Justice portfolio, she oversaw the government’s development of its Macao One Account, and Business & Associations Platform e-government apps, requiring close communication and collaboration with various public entities under the Secretariat for Economy and Finance portfolio.
Ng said that during her tenure in the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau under the Secretariat for Economy and Finance portfolio, she engaged in close collaboration with various other public entities under the same portfolio, concerning non-gaming projects run by the city’s six gaming operators.
Consequently, Ng said, she is familiar with the government’s work in the Secretariat for Economy and Finance portfolio.
Ng noted that the government is aware of the difficulties and challenges Macau is facing amid its ongoing economic transition, while acknowledging the different business environment across various neighbourhoods in the city.
Ng underlined that the government will remain committed to launching new policy initiatives to create a better business environment for various neighbourhoods. For instance, Ng pointed out, the government has recently launched a new programme, in collaboration with the city’s six gaming operators, to operate free shuttle bus services aiming to divert more visitors to different old quarters to spend there.
Ng acknowledged that Macau’s economy has been affected by a relatively monolithic industrial structure, adding that the current-term government is committed to changing this situation. She said that the government will continue to leverage its various policy initiatives to advance Macau’s appropriate economic diversification, including the upcoming setting-up of a public “guidance fund” aiming to channel different types of private capital towards investments in Macau’s key emerging industries, and the launch of non-gaming projects required by the six gaming operators’ respective gaming concession agreements.
Newly appointed Secretary for Economy and Finance Ng Wai Han speaks to reporters at the Legislative Assembly (AL) building yesterday. – Photo: GCS
