Delegate calls to leverage Hengqin’s port functions
蕭志偉提議優化橫琴口岸功能以促琴澳融合發展
The port functions of Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, Zhuhai, could be optimized to play a bigger role in promoting Macao’s integration with the Chinese mainland and facilitating the development of the special administrative region’s cross-border e-commerce sector, said Sio Chi-wai, a Macao deputy to the National People’s Congress, the nation’s top legislature.
In his motions submitted to this year’s two sessions, Sio focused on how to leverage Hengqin’s unique role in diversifying Macao’s economy, strengthening local businesses and improving residents’s lives.
“Currently, Hengqin Port does not have the functionality to import special categories of goods such as fruits, fresh flowers, meat, seafood, or for transporting inbound and outbound mail and express items. The lack of supporting measures is not conducive to Macao-Hengqin integration and the creation of a quality business environment,” Sio said during an interview with China Daily.
To address this, Sio proposed a pilot program to expand the port functions at Hengqin, enabling the convenient entry of express packages and daily commodities from Macao to the cooperation zone.
“This will effectively save the extra logistics costs of customs clearance for goods via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge or Gongbei Port, improve the efficiency of customs clearance and enhance the usage of Hengqin’s import function,” he said.
Earlier this month, the Hengqin cooperation zone implemented a “closed-loop” operation. Certain goods are exempted from taxes when entering the cooperation zone from Macao, while other goods are bonded. The arrangement aimed to expedite the flow of logistics and people between the two places.
Sio, who is also president of the Macau Development Strategy Research Center, highlighted the importance of developing cross-border e-commerce to expand local businesses’ market reach.“The Macao SAR government has been actively promoting the development of cross-border e-commerce in recent years to support enterprises to expand their business through online platforms. However, the current situation of the sector is not that good,” he said.
The national legislator said that Hengqin’s logistics advantages have yet to be fully utilized because there because of the absence of related policies and customs inspection sites targeting cross-border e-commerce.
He suggested establishing a comprehensive customs inspection site in the cooperation zone, specifically for cross-border e-commerce, fresh and frozen products, and express items.
He also called for clarifying customs inspection measures for cross-border e-commerce goods, saying the move would drive aviation transport and cross-border e-commerce in Macao, while providing more convenience for Macao enterprises in the customs clearance process.
