The Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, today said Government promotional work should be strengthened within the community in order to help the public understand the significance of the concerted Government-community effort for management of public emergencies.

Mr Chui gave the directive during a meeting at the Civil Protection Operations Centre, where he reviewed preparedness for this year’s ongoing typhoon season.

While at the Centre, Mr Chui was briefed on the progress regarding development of an integrated command system for the management of public emergencies, and was given updates on the subject of expansion to the Centre’s facilities.

Macao’s civil protection system involves Government departments, non-governmental organisations and private-sector companies. Members of the civil protection management team attending the Tuesday meeting gave updates in turn on the work – within their respective area of competency – that was being done in relation to disaster prevention and if necessary mitigation.

The Chief Executive noted a forecast that four to six typhoons might affect Macao this year. He said those running the civil protection system should be vigilant to changes in the weather conditions and make proper arrangements well in advance on behalf of the community.

Mr Chui pointed out further effort should be made to accelerate works relating to the city’s flood control infrastructure, particularly those projects that involved cross-boundary effort.

Following the experience gained in recent years regarding management of a public emergency, Mr Chui noted the city had improved its general capabilities. Such improvement included optimisation of response facilities and additional training being offered to those involved in the civil protection system.

Mr Chui added he believed that the city’s overall capabilities for responding to a public emergency would be further enhanced, once legislative procedures related to the Civil Protection Framework Law bill were completed; and thanks to advances made in terms of the Government’s overall planning for public emergencies.

In today’s meeting, Mr Chui mentioned the civil protection management team should think in big-picture terms when formulating the remainder of this year’s planning for disaster prevention and mitigation, because of the significance of a number of events due to mark the “two anniversaries” later this year.

The two anniversaries are the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, and the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Macao Special Administrative Region.