A self-service center for the Macao government began operating on Monday in the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone on Hengqin Island in Zhuhai, Guangdong province, providing high-quality services for local business representatives and residents.

With more than 12,000 square meters of floor space, the two-story center is expected to be in line with the diverse integration and development of Macao and Hengqin. It standardizes government service operations and adds convenience for cross-border affairs in the zone.

A statement from the zone's Commercial Services Bureau said the center is equipped with six major functional areas devoted to administration and public service, consulting services, regular self-service, 24-hour self-service, privacy negotiation and leisure and waiting.

With 156 service counters, the center can handle 998 government service matters from more than 20 government departments, business registrations, trademark affairs, urban planning and construction, tax services, public security, entry and exit, notarization, education and culture, health and hygiene, civil affairs, legal services, meteorological lightning protection and affairs related to livelihood.

The center offers comprehensive administrative services and minimizes the frequency of local companies and residents visiting government departments, the statement said.

Meanwhile, the center provides support facilities, including self-service computers, free printing, a mother and baby room and barrier-free channels for residents to meet their diverse personal needs. It upgrades the public service experience for local companies and residents, it said.

With the integration of Macao elements and the extension of government services, the center is a first-class business environment that promotes high-quality development in the Macao Special Administrative Region and Hengqin, the statement said.