Members of the government have just taken over the posts of director or president of four government departments. Meet this quartet of civil servants.
Chan Lou 陳露
Director of the Government Information Bureau (GCS) as of 1 July
ABOUT GCS The Government Information Bureau co-ordinates, researches and provides technical support to the Macao government in matters relating to the media. It works directly under Macao’s Chief Executive.
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Land Surveying and Planning, South China Normal University; Bachelor of Computer Science, Jinan University; Master’s degree in Public Administration with a major in International Relations, offered jointly by the University of Macau and Portugal’s National Institute of Public Administration
LANGUAGES
Cantonese, Mandarin, Portuguese and English
PREVIOUS ROLES
Chan joined the civil service in 1990 working for the Cartography and Cadastre Bureau. She joined the Macao Government Tourism Office in 1994, serving in such positions as Assistant Head of the Research and Planning Department, Head of the Administration and Finance Division and most recently Head of the Licensing and Inspection Department, a position she held from 2001 to earlier this year. She has also been a member of the Preparatory Committee for the Office of the Macao SAR in Beijing, the Working Group on Food Safety Cooperation between Guangdong and Macao, the Joint Working Committee on the Development of Macao into a World Tourism and Leisure Centre, and the Tourism Crisis Management Office, among other roles.
REPLACES
Chan Chi Ping, Victor
Chan said during a TDM interview: “We need to know what citizens are thinking and let them know the government’s ideas, as well as what the government wants to tell citizens. During this process, news organisations play an important link between the government and members of the public. Facilitating sound interaction between the government and the public is of primary importance. 「I will do my best to keep the dignity and professionalism of journalists. GCS is an organisation that supports everyone’s work, not one that controls everyone.”
DID YOU KNOW During Chan’s free time, she likes to read and spend quality time with her family.
Hon Wai, Wilson 韓衛
Director of the Social Welfare Bureau (SWB) as of 20 June
ABOUT SWB The Social Welfare Bureau cares for the city’s most disadvantaged communities. Founded as the Public Relief Society in 1938, it is one of the oldest government bureaus. Its services include social assistance to vulnerable citizens, drug rehabilitation programmes, the prevention and treatment of problem gambling, social reintegration and many more. It operates under the Office of the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture.
EDUCATION Bachelor of Psychology, Taiwan University;
Master of Psychology, Taiwan University
LANGUAGES
Cantonese, Mandarin and English
PREVIOUS ROLES
- December 2019 – early June 2020 Interim Director, Social Welfare Bureau
- 2016 – early June 2020 Deputy Director, Social Welfare Bureau
- 2011 – 2015 Department Head, Department of Prevention and Treatment of Drug Addiction at the Social Welfare Bureau
- 2010 – 2011 Deputy Department Head, Department of Prevention and Treatment of Drug Addiction at the Social Welfare Bureau
- 1999 – 2010 Division Head, Drug Abuse Treatment and Rehabilitation Division, Social Welfare Bureau
- 1997 – 1999 Supervisor of the Therapeutic Technology Centre, Office for Prevention and Treatment of Drug Dependence at the Social Welfare Bureau
- 1995 – 1997 Senior Officer, Office for the Prevention and Treatment of Drug Dependence
REPLACES
Vong Yim Mui, Celeste
Hon said in a recent interview:
“The Social Welfare Bureau is a support service for those most in need. Its work is not just the icing on the cake but a timely supply of services to those most in need. In good times, we should take care of the vulnerable and in bad times we should provide timely and appropriate support so as to accurately use our resources in the right places.”
DID YOU KNOW After work or at weekends, you can often find Hon playing piano, the drums or the guitar. Rock climbing is also another one of his favourite hobbies, whether he’s climbing around the world or in Ka-Ho, Coloane. Both of his hobbies, he says, are closely related to his work at SWB. He says: “It’s often hard to find common values when working with recovering drug addicts but music is where we connect. They love music and I love music. They like singing Hong Kong band Beyond’s tracks. I know how to play Beyond’s music too. Music is our common language.” Besides being able to bring the benefit of these hobbies to the workspace, Hon often ‘jams’ with his wife, his 22-year-old son and 16-year-old daughter, all who play different instruments. He calls these moments his ‘happiest times’.
Adriano Marques Ho 何浩瀚
Director of the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ) as of 10 June
ABOUT DICJ Operating under the Office of the Secretary for Economy and Finance of the Macao SAR, the DICJ is the city’s gaming regulator. It supervises and monitors the activities of the city’s concessionaires and is the bureau responsible for setting out the requirements and bidding process for the city’s upcoming 2022 gaming concessions contracts. It also provides guidance and assistance to the Chief Executive on the execution of economic policies for the operations of casino games of fortunes.
EDUCATION Bachelor’s in Law, The Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST)
LANGUAGES
Cantonese, Mandarin, Portuguese and English
PREVIOUS ROLES
- 2014 – June 2020 Advisor to the Office of the Secretary for Security Wong Sio Chak
- 2012 – 2014 Head of Gaming-related and Economic Crimes Investigation Department
- 2010 – 2012 Head of Criminal Investigation Department of the Judiciary Police
- 2004 – 2010 Head of the Macao Sub-Bureau of the China National Central Bureau of INTERPOL
- 1988 – 2003 Criminal investigator at the Judiciary Police
REPLACES
Paulo Martins Chan
During Ho’s swearing-in ceremony, he said that he promised to implement the SAR’s governance and that he was committed to leading the DICJ staff to do their best – with honesty and integrity – to monitor and inspect the gaming sector. He also said he would strengthen the use of information technology in DICJ’s daily operations with a view to increase the bureau’s efficiency.
Lau Wai Meng 劉偉明
President of the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) as of 27 May
ABOUT IPIM Operating under the Office of the Secretary for Economy and Finance of the Macao SAR, IPIM is responsible for researching and formulating economic policies in the areas of promoting external co-operation, investments, MICE and economic and trade co-operation between China and the Portuguese-speaking countries. It assists both local and overseas enterprises to gather all the necessary market data to grasp business opportunities while promoting external trade and attracting investment.
EDUCATION Bachelor of Business Administration, University
of Macau; Master of Public Administration, University of Sun
Yat-sen, Guangzhou
LANGUAGES
Cantonese, Mandarin and English
PREVIOUS ROLES
- 2016 – May 2020 Deputy Director of the Economic Bureau
- 2013 – 2016 Deputy Director of the Labour Affairs Bureau
- 2011 – 2013 Deputy Director of the Human Resources Office
- 2007 – 2011 Deputy Director of The Commission of Audit
- 2000 – 2007 Senior technician, auditor and senior auditor of The Commission of Audit
- 1990 – 2000 Senior technician at the Statistics and Census Service and Financial Services Bureau
REPLACES
Va Kuan Lau, Irene
During Lau’s swearing-in ceremony, he expressed that he would strive to scrupulously comply with the SAR’s governance philosophy and lead his team in a unified way. He also said that the work to be carried out in the future will follow the plans stipulated in the policy guidelines, namely with regard to revitalising the economy after the COVID-19 pandemic by boosting the development of industry and commerce and optimising the investment environment.
