President Hu urges Macao SAR gov't to further upgrade governance

President Hu Jintao on Monday called on the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) government to "put the people first" and "constantly improve the level of governance."

Hu made the call when attending a celebration gathering to mark the 5th anniversary of Macao's return to the motherland and the inauguration of the second-term government of the Macao SAR.

"Confucius once said people are the foundation of a nation and when the foundation is firm, the nation can enjoy tranquillity," Hu told the gathering. "It is imperative for the SAR government to firmly establish the concept of serving and benefiting the people and to provide better services to the general public."

Hu asked the Macao SAR government to get closer to the communities, learn about what the people want and lose no time in meeting their needs.

"A democratic and scientific decision-making mechanism should be established and gradually perfected. Administrative and legal reforms should be carried out steadily to make administration more law-based, standardized and effective," he said.

The president also called for a "diligent, clean and efficient" government in the Macao SAR to provide quality services to the public.

Hu also urged the SAR government to give close attention to the betterment of law and order, to the fight against crimes in accordance with law and to the maintenance of a stable social environment.