Secretary for Economy and Finance Tai Kin Ip was unable to provide a GDP forecast for next year during Tuesday’s Legislative Assembly session.
Despite being pressed by lawmakers for a prediction, the secretary only said that he expected ‘positive growth.’
The session convened for the first reading of the 2026 budget by the government, alongside other items, with lawmakers greenlighting the bill projecting a gross gaming revenue of MOP236 billion (US$29.38 billion) next year.
In his explanation for this sanguine prediction, the secretary noted that the first‑half performance provided some reference – based on the official record showing that MOP19.66 billion in GGR was made each month.
This amount, multiplied by 12, is close to the annual GGR forecast made by the government.
‘In the first 10 months this year, gross gaming revenue fell short of expectations in five months,’ the secretary told legislators.
‘In addition, forecasts about external and surrounding economies have posed challenges to Macau as a small and highly sensitive economy, which is vulnerable to fluctuations.’
According to the 2026 budget, the government is expected to receive revenue of nearly MOP118.8 billion next year, versus an expenditure of nearly MOP113.5 billion.
If predicted correctly, there would be a surplus of over MOP5.3 billion.
