The Framework and Practice of the Official Accountability System in Macao

Since Macao’s return to the motherland nearly 25 years ago, a series of administrative reforms have been launched to continuously enhance the government’s governance capacity. The establishment and improvement of the accountability system for Macao officials is a significant administrative reform, which is related to the legitimacy of government governance and the trust of the Macao public in the government. Since 2005, the SAR government has responded to societal demands by initiating research on the establishment and improvement of official accountability systems, forming a dual accountability structure consisting of leadership and supervisory accountability, as well as primary official accountability. In the practical operation of the accountability system for officials in Macao, the existence of the administrative authorization system has led to unclear authority and responsibility relationships in Macao’s public administration, which in turn leads to the inability of official accountability to truly operate. The key to improving the accountability system for officials in Macao is to standardize the authorization system, avoid the personification of administrative authorization actions, and ensure that administrative authorization actions are within strict institutional limitations.