The Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, today said in Beijing that the Central Government would launch eight major measures in order to advance the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (Greater Bay Area).

Macao would spare no effort to accommodate and promote these major measures launched by the Central Government that support the advancement of the Greater Bay Area, Mr Chui told reporters after today’s plenary meeting of the Central Government’s leading group for the development of the Greater Bay Area.

The measures discussed during that meeting were as follows:

1. the launching of an operational guideline regarding a judgment concerning a 183-day stay in relation to individual income tax;

2. the launching of subsidy measures for those working in the nine cities in Guangdong that are part of the Greater Bay Area, regarding variances between their regimes for individual income tax relative to the Hong Kong SAR, the Macao SAR, the Taiwan region, and overseas jurisdictions;

3. support for Guangdong public institutions to hire residents of Hong Kong and of Macao;

4. to encourage young people from Hong Kong and from Macao to establish innovation-linked projects and businesses in the nine Guangdong cities that form part of the Greater Bay Area;

5. to issue an opinion regarding implementation of a mechanism whereby higher education institutions and science research institutes from Hong Kong and from Macao can take part in Guangdong science research schemes;

6. to activate new pilot schemes to facilitate cross-boundary services within the places making up the Greater Bay Area;

7. to facilitate cross-boundary movement of road vehicles between Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao; and

8. to extend implementation of a speedy customs clearance programme at boundary checkpoints within the Greater Bay Area.

During today’s meeting, the leading group also discussed how to realise goals set in the outline development plan for the Greater Bay Area; reviewed works implemented in 2018; and examined the details of major works planned for 2019.

When speaking to reporters, Mr Chui said Macao – as part of the Greater Bay Area initiative – would in late March launch promotional seminars on the initiative. Meanwhile, the Government would hold internal training sessions and publish articles providing interpretations of Greater Bay Area policies, Mr Chui added.

The Government would step up effort to promote the city-cluster initiative overseas, said Mr Chui.