Chief Executive Chui Sai On said in Beijing on Friday that the central government would launch eight major measures to advance the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area (GBA), according to a statement by the Macau Government Information Bureau (GCS).
Macau would spare no effort to accommodate and promote these major measures that support the advancement of the GBA project, Chui told reporters after Friday’s meeting of the central government’s leading group for the GBA development.
According to the GCS statement, the measures discussed during the meeting were as follows:
1) Launching a guideline regarding the mainland’s 183-day stay rule in relation to individual income tax (Macau people who stay on the mainland for more than 183 days a year stand to receive tax benefits on their personal income across the border);
2) Launching tax subsidy measures for those working in any of the nine GBA cities in Guangdong;
3) Supporting Guangdong public institutions to hire Hong Kong and Macau residents;
4) Encouraging young people from Hong Kong and Macau to launch innovation-linked projects and businesses in the nine GBA cities in Guangdong;
5) Consulting the interested public on the implementation of a mechanism whereby higher education institutions and science research institutes from Hong Kong and Macau can take part in Guangdong science research schemes;
6) Activating new pilot schemes to facilitate cross-border services within the GBA;
7) Facilitating cross-boundary movement of road vehicles between Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau;
8) Extending the implementation of a speedy customs clearance programme at border checkpoints within the GBA.
During Friday’s meeting, the leading group also discussed ways of how to realise goals set in the GBA outline development plan, reviewed measures implemented last year, and examined the details of major measures planned for this year.
Speaking to reporters, Chui said Macau would in late March launch a string of promotional seminars on the GBA initiative. Meanwhile, the government would hold internal training sessions and publish a series of articles on the various GBA policies, Chui said.
The government would step up efforts to promote the GBA initiative overseas, Chui added.(Macaunews)
