"The overall social circumstances at present and in the near future require that we continue to adopt a practical and step-by-step strategy," the chief executive said in his policy address for 2001 at the Macao Legislative Council.

He noted that after the difficulty in the past years, Macao's economy is turning for the better and shows the sign of recovery. However, the booming in some aspects does not reflect the coming of an overall revitalization.

"Our important task is to consolidate the current favorable turn and prevent it from going backwards again," Edmund Ho said, warning that the attitude of undue haste should be avoided.

Thanks to the SAR's practices in its first year, the government has favorable conditions to realize administration policies with brisker paces, he said.

In the meantime, the SAR government will take more active and effective steps to further improve itself and the territory's social and economic environment in the new year, he added.

(Xinhua 11/9/2000)