Macau SAR

Macau Special Administrative Region (SAR), located in Southeast Asia, is bordered by Mainland China to the north and west and by the South China Sea to the south and east. The official languages of Macau SAR are Chinese and Portuguese, and the currency is the Macanese pataca (MOP).

Macau became an SAR of the People's Republic of China on 20 December 1999. According to the Basic Law (Macau SAR's constitutional document), Macau SAR is guaranteed a high degree of autonomy in all matters except foreign and defence affairs for the next 50 years after the sovereignty transfer under the 'one country, two systems' policy. The Basic Law ensures that Macau SAR has a legal system that is separate from Mainland China, vesting Macau SAR with executive, legislative, and independent judicial power, including that of final adjudication.

Macau SAR pursues an open economic policy despite having a relatively small economy. Macau SAR is a free port and has no foreign exchange controls, and the procedures for approval of investments by foreigners are the same as for local residents. The Macanese pataca is closely linked to the Hong Kong dollar (HKD), which is also widely accepted in Macau SAR. Macau SAR became a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) on 1 January 1995. The Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement and its supplements entered into with Mainland China, amongst others, offer Macau-made products tariff-free access into Mainland China and provides a window of opportunity for Macau SAR businesses to gain greater access to the Mainland China market. Macau SAR has the lowest corporate and individual income tax rates among the Asia Pacific region, making it attractive as an investment location.

Over the past two decades, Macau SAR has witnessed surging economic development, mainly due to the liberalisation of its gaming industry in 2002. Macau SAR also made tremendous effort to position itself as a world-class tourist venue. In July 2005, the World Heritage Committee accredited the Historic Centre of Macau SAR as a United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site. Gaming and tourism have led to a massive increase in visitors, especially from Mainland China. In recent years, Macau SAR actively participates in quality development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area.

Apart from consolidating and improving traditional industries, Macau SAR actively develops policies to foster major industries. In particular, the ’1+4’ appropriate diversification development strategy aims to enrich Macau SAR’s function as ’One Centre‘ for integrated tourism and leisure, while facilitating the development of four nascent industries, namely the ’Big Health‘ industry, modern financial services, high and new technology, and convention and exhibition, sports, and the commercial and trade industries.

PwC China, PwC Hong Kong, and PwC Macau work together on a collaborative basis, subject to local applicable laws. Collectively, we have around 800 partners and strength of over 20,000 people.

We provide organisations with the professional service they need, wherever they may be located. Our highly qualified, experienced professionals listen to different points of view to help organisations solve their business issues and identify and maximise the opportunities they seek. Our industry specialisation allows us to help co-create solutions with our clients for their sector of interest.

We are located in these cities: Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Shenyang, Tianjin, Dalian, Jinan, Qingdao, Zhengzhou, Xi’an, Nanjing, Hefei, Suzhou, Wuxi, Wuhan, Chengdu, Hangzhou, Ningbo, Chongqing, Changsha, Kunming, Xiamen, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Macau SAR, Haikou, Zhuhai, Guiyang, and Xiongan.