The 2026 Policy Address sets out a guiding principle of “doing our utmost within our capabilities, providing targeted assistance, and decentralising resources,” with the aim of continuously refining livelihood policies; effectively responding to residents’ concerns; and safeguarding their rights to employment, elderly-care services, healthcare, and education.
A series of people-centred measures will be implemented in 2026, including the continuation of the Wealth Partaking Scheme, and the rollout of multiple tax relief initiatives.
The Chief Executive, Mr Sam Hou Fai, today delivered at the Legislative Assembly, the 2026 Policy Address titled “Accelerate Reforms and Efficiency with Keen Determination, Overcome Challenges and Promote Diversification with Fortified Efforts”.
Key livelihood initiatives include safeguarding residents’ employment rights by prioritising local employment as a cornerstone of social stability. The policy direction is clear – wherever a local resident is able and willing to work, they will be given priority in hiring, said the Chief Executive.
The Government will conduct a comprehensive review and enhancement of the approval system for non-resident workers, enabling more dynamic regulation of their numbers. Law enforcement against illegal employment will be strengthened. Targeted measures will be introduced to address youth employment challenges.
Through the coordinating working group on employment promotion, cross-departmental resources will be mobilised to ensure that public departments and public procurement projects prioritise hiring local workers.
In addition, financial institutions, higher education institutions, and other key sectors will be urged to open up more job opportunities to Macao residents. Labour laws and regulations will be further improved. Employment and training efforts will be enhanced by expanding the “employment + training” special programme into the financial, construction, and public utilities sectors. A comprehensive vocational training platform will be advanced, with public higher education institutions and subsidised organisations to be included in the first phase, offering an estimated 500 training courses by 2026.
In matters related to social security and social services, the two-tier social protection system will continue to be refined. Social security benefits and various allowances will be disbursed on an ongoing basis, with increases to allowances for respectively: unemployment, marriage, illness, and funeral arrangements. The eligibility criteria for caregiver allowances will be relaxed, and the allowance amounts will be raised.
Families receiving financial assistance will get an additional full month’s-worth of aid. The disbursement amounts will be increased for the special subsidy for three categories of disadvantaged families, and for the Social Inclusion Scheme. Preliminary work will be advanced on legislation to promote barrier-free access to spaces used by the public.
The Government will actively address the challenge of low fertility rates. Allowances for those that have children will continue to be distributed, and the subsidised assisted reproductive technology programme would be optimised. Free non-invasive prenatal genetic testing of foetal chromosomes will be expanded from the current threshold of pregnant women aged 35 or above, to pregnant women of all ages. Greater care and support will be provided to expectant and new mothers. Childcare services will be enhanced, with approximately 150 additional childcare places expected for children under two years of age. A comprehensive support network spanning pregnancy to child-rearing will be established.
Elderly-care services will be continuously improved. The “Ten-Year Action Plan for Elderly Services (2026–2035)” would be implemented, including pilot work on cross-boundary elderly-care services. The Government will maintain communication with relevant authorities and partner organisations in Zhuhai and Zhongshan, to initiate pilot arrangements for referrals to elderly-care homes on the Chinese mainland.
Cross-boundary links related to welfare services will also be promoted. The scope of medical insurance subsidies applicable on the mainland will be further expanded to cover all of Guangdong Province and Fujian Province, with an annual subsidy cap of 1,000 patacas for eligible residents. Efforts would be made to advance integration of public social security services between Guangdong and Macao, including legislative amendments to eliminate barriers to social security entitlements.
The 2026 Policy Address underscores the need to enhance healthcare standards. Collaboration will be deepened between the Conde S. Januário Hospital and the Macao Medical Centre of Peking Union Medical College. An online remote-consultation mechanism with Peking Union Medical College Hospital in Beijing will be established, to improve the diagnosis and treatment of complex and critical cases in Macao. The feasibility of introducing nuclear medicine therapies would be studied. A chest pain and stroke centre will be established at the Conde S. Januário Hospital. Healthcare centres will strengthen their mental health assessment and treatment services, with subsidised counselling sessions at community organisations increased to 10,000 annually.
There will be continued optimisation of housing policies. Construction of social housing will be advanced, with design and construction work advanced in an orderly manner for social housing projects on parcels A5, A6, A10, and A11 in New Urban Area Zone A. These projects are likely to be completed between 2026 and 2027, providing a total of 4,088 units.
The feasibility of allocating two-bedroom units to two-person households will be studied. Home-Ownership Scheme housing will be refined. In response to public demand for adjustments to housing unit types, a proposal for a housing replacement system will be formulated and submitted to the Legislative Assembly for its deliberation. Development of Home-Ownership Scheme housing projects in New Urban Area Zone A will be continued.
Mass sports and competitive sports will be promoted. The positive legacy of the 15th National Games will be sustained through a variety of community sports activities. Sports resources will be decentralised, and three sites – B13 in the Eastern District Zone-2; C8 at Nam Van Lake; and BT7 in Taipa – will be utilised for new temporary sports facilities. The sports facilities located in the podium of the public housing complex at B4 in the Eastern District Zone will be completed and operational in 2026. Support will be provided for the development of competitive sports.
Integrated, high-quality development of education, science and technology, and talent pools will be promoted. The education system will be enhanced, with expanded general education in artificial intelligence (AI). The Macao Smart Education Platform will be launched, and schools will receive funding to equip AI classrooms.
Teaching software and hardware will be upgraded to support school development. Innovation in higher education would be supported. Research and development at higher education institutions, along with the commercialisation of research outcomes, will be strengthened. Leveraging the technological platform established at the Traditional Chinese Medicine Science and Technology Industrial Park of Co-operation between Guangdong and Macao, collaboration with renowned universities on the mainland will be advanced, in order to promote the application of research findings.
The application, approval, and renewal processes for talented people to come to Macao will be refined, with the third phase of the talent introduction programme to be implemented. A new phase of the Continuing Education Development Programme will be launched.
The Government attaches high importance to matters related to youth affairs, encouraging young people to engage in service to society and to foster patriotism and a sense of social responsibility. Youth employment-matching and pre-employment counselling activities will be enhanced.
The number of placements under the internship programme for Macao tertiary students in the mainland would be increased to 620, with participants receiving a one-off allowance of 5,000 patacas upon completion. More placements would be added to the Macao youth professional development programme, and local internship schemes, enabling young people to serve as interns at well-known local enterprises and Chinese-mainland ones.
The 2026 Policy Address sets out that the Government must direct its efforts to where the people place their hopes. The Government remains steadfast in its people-centred approach, striving to enhance public wellbeing through development. The ultimate goal of governance is to create a better life for residents. The Government would prioritise Macao’s overall and long-term interests, ensuring healthy, long-term, and sustainable socio-economic development through prudent, forward-looking, and well-mapped policies. The Government would not pursue short-term gains or seek momentary public applause, at the expense of long-term burdens or at the risk of serious adverse consequences.
