ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses public administration in Macao, its strengths and weaknesses and analyzes major reforms necessary to ensure that the Special Administrative Region government improves its governance capacity. In the Macao government, the public administration has been heavily influenced by its Portuguese administrative culture, which has its own merits of easiness and relaxation, but lacks discipline and formalization as modern management science requires. The chapter shows that several key issues in the Macao public administration must be given priority and their implementation could boost the morale of the local civil service and pave the way for further reforms in other areas. Several key reform measures are needed in the processes of improving governance and efficiency. At the time of handover, the Macao public administration was characterized by the Portuguese administrative heritage of low efficiency and corruption. The widespread corruption cases distorted Macao society and sent a very negative image of Macao worldwide.
