The impending election of a new Chief Executive of Macau following the news that incumbent Ho Iat Seng will not run for a second term should not materially impact the SAR’s gaming industry, according to comments from Seaport Research Partners.
Ho made the announcement via the Information Bureau on Wednesday, stating he had “not yet fully recovered from illness” after taking 39 days of leave recently – twice extended from the originally planned 13 days.
In a Wednesday note, Seaport’s Vitaly Umansky said that while it is not yet clear who Ho’s predecessor will be, “there should be no material impact on the gaming industry.”
“The most likely individual to take the role will be fully vetted and approved by the Chinese government and most likely will come into office with strong Macau government experience and an understanding of the importance of the gaming and hospitality industry to the economic well-being and future development of Macau,” he continued.
One name IAG has been hearing with increasing voracity in recent days is Court of Final Appeal Chief Justice Sam Hou Fai, while other potential candidates to have been proposed include current Secretary of Justice and Administration Cheong Weng Chon and Secretary of Security Wong Sio Chak.
Umansky noted that a two-tier election process will play out to elect Macau’s sixth Chief Executive but “in the end the decision will ultimately be driven by whom Beijing wants to be in the post.
“We expect the eventual Chief Executive to come from inside the government administration. It is most certain that status quo will likely be the main driver of the new Chief Executive, with the primary policy goals being continued stability of the Macau SAR, further and deeper integration into the Greater Bay Area, a continued emphasis on economic diversification, and support for the gaming and hospitality industry (the largest component of Macau’s economy).”
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