Basic Law of the Macao Special Administrative Region/Chapter IV/Section 2

Section 2

The Executive Authorities

Article 61

The Government of the Macao Special Administrative Region shall be the executive authorities of the Region.

Article 62

The head of the Government of the Macao Special Administrative Region shall be the Chief Executive of the Region. General secretariats, directorates of services, departments and divisions shall be established in the Government of the Macao Special Administrative Region.

Article 63

The principal officials of the Macao Special Administrative Region shall be Chinese citizens who are permanent residents of the Region and have ordinarily resided in Macao for a continuous period of not less than 15 years.

The principal officials of the Macao Special Administrative Region, at the time of assuming office, shall declare their property to the President of the Court of Final Appeal of the Macao Special Administrative Region for the record.

Article 64

The Government of the Macao Special Administrative Region shall exercise the following powers and functions:

(1) To formulate and implement policies;

(2) To conduct administrative affairs;

(3) To conduct external affairs as authorized by the Central People's Government under this Law;

(4) To draw up and introduce budgets and final accounts;

(5) To introduce bills and motions and to draft administrative regulations;

(6) To designate officials to sit in on the meetings of the Legislative Council to hear opinions or speak on behalf of the government.

Article 65

The Government of the Macao Special Administrative Region must abide by the law and be accountable to the Legislative Council of the Region: it shall implement laws passed by the Council and already in force; it shall present regular policy addresses to the Council; and it shall answer questions raised by members of the Council.

Article 66

The Executive authorities of the Macao Special Administrative Region may, when necessary, establish advisory bodies.