(CE) of Macau.
Sam was also questioned on the short period between his candidacy announcement and the election, scheduled for Oct. 13. He expressed his confidence that this would not be a significant problem, noting that his team is prepared to start working immediately.
“How we will integrate into the regional and national development is a very important matter. We depend on China’s support and we are part of it. We cannot develop independently. We need to closely follow our national development and the opportunities arising from there. We also need to be proactive to take the opportunities to keep up with the pace of development of the country. My vision cannot be limited to five years; it must also consider long-term and large-scale development,” Sam said. He added that this has been happening over the past 25 years and that Macau must continue to integrate into the broader development framework of the country.
“As long as we know our position and our roles of ‘One center, One platform, and One base,’ we will be able to succeed.”
He added, “We also have people from these communities spread all over the world and this is very important in our role in promoting Macau as a destination for tourism and leisure. I believe the Macanese in Macau and abroad will be even more relevant in the future.”
“We need to make reforms and we need to innovate to face problems. This is unavoidable. We must continue to improve,” he said. Furthermore, “Reform also means to modernize public administration and to make the right decisions to benefit the citizens. We have around 60 to 70 public services and we must find a way to integrate them and create a harmonious environment.”
“We are in recovery post-pandemic, but we know that favorable developments are not reaching every part of the city. The Northern District is facing problems. We have many tourists – most of them from the country – but after the pandemic, habits have changed. Consumption habits have also changed and we can assess this through a process of comparison. For example, we know what tourists did before, where they historically liked to visit, and compare that to what happens now. There have also been many developments in traffic, accessibility, and improvements across the border which led people, including those from Macau, to be attracted to spend on the other side of the border. We need to be innovative and adapt to changing consumer habits and market conditions following the Covid-19 pandemic, rather than waiting for historical conditions to return.”
Ip Sio Kai to lead CE campaign
Sam Hou Fai has appointed lawmaker and Bank of China executive Ip Sio Kai to head his campaign office.
Ip, who serves as the deputy general manager of the Bank of China Macau Branch and is the Chairman of the Macau Association of Banks, will take on the role of director of Sam’s campaign office.
He is an indirectly elected legislator representing the industrial, commercial, and financial sectors. His background in finance is complemented by leadership positions in various organizations, including the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and the Macau Innovation Investment Union Association.
The announcement of Sam’s candidacy follows the incumbent Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng’s decision not to seek a second term due to health concerns.
In his campaign, Sam emphasized the importance of aligning Macau with broader national goals. His campaign office will be located on the 15th floor of the Nam Tung Commercial Building on Avenida da Praia Grande.NS
