"The tourism and gaming industry are the sector that we will focus on," he said in his policy address for 2003.

Ho told local officials and legislators at the Macao Legislative Assembly that the SAR government should take advantage of existing opportunities to upgrade the gaming industry and improve services.

"We should amplify necessary rules and regulations, strengthen supervision and train talented professionals in an effort to make the gaming industry more competitive," he said.

The chief executive called for more efficient tourism promotion and regional co-operation in the tourism sector.

He said the government will revise relevant ordinances and carry out the regulations in a more strict manner.

According to statistics, tourist arrivals in the SAR jumped year-on-year by 10.6 percent to 9.46 million from January to October, buoyed by a huge influx of visitors from the mainland.

The number of tourists to Macao hit a record 10 million last year and the figure for this year is expected to be even larger, according to estimates from local officials and market watchers.

The SAR leader also said his government will pour 1.8 billion patacas (US$225 million) into construction for basic facilities and public projects to create 8,000 job opportunities in the coming year.

The government is seeking to generate more jobs in environmental protection and city improvement sectors, he said.

Further development of the tertiary or service industry, a major component of Macao's economy, will help increase jobs, but the industry also needs more trained workers, he said, adding that the SAR government will do all it can to train employees and the unemployed.

Statistics show that Macao's unemployment rate has long perched at above 6 percent.

(China Daily November 21, 2002)