TDM commentary program
Prof. Alfred Wong
Recently, Prof. Alfred Wong, APAEM scholar and Associate Professor at the University of Macau, was invited to comment on the recent lockdown measures combating the COVID-19 epidemic in Macau and the 5G licensing issues on a TDM commentary program.
Prof. Wong commented that the recent flexible lockdown measures should be improved. Macau’s flexible lockdown policy is relatively feasible, effective, and well implemented, but the government has not considered specific details of the policy implementation to citizens’ daily lives, and the ministries are not yet sufficient, which could be further improved.
Prof. Wong also pointed out that the impact of the epidemic outbreak on economy is manifested in the city’s operation. The government should consider improving the e-government services to mitigate the negative impact of health risks on the economy in the future. The government should also maintain close communication with Mainland government with regard to the economic stimulation measures after the coronavirus outbreak. Moreover, the Macao government could consider providing subsidies on rental to help local SMEs to survive the difficult times.
Regarding the issue of 5G licensing, he said that 5G is a vital element in Macau’s smart city development and the government should solve the license issue as soon as possible. Alternatively, the Macao government could consider cooperating with Hengqin on the high technology infrastructure, leveraging the city synergies.