According to the dispatches from the chief executive, published in the Official Gazette of Macau, the programs, which will come into effect on Tuesday, aim to "boost the development of key industries". In the dispatches, Ho Iat Seng argued that the pharmaceutical sector is "necessary for the proper diversification of the economy" of the Chinese special administrative region, which is highly dependent on tourism and casinos. The programs point to areas such as research on innovative medicines, the development of intelligent medical technologies and research in pharmaceutical medicine and biology. The dispatch also gives priority to members of the Lisbon Academy of Sciences, the Portuguese Academy of Engineering, the Brazilian Academy of Sciences or the Brazilian National Academy of Engineering. In the case of the cultural and sports sectors, the Macau Government points out as priorities areas such as "sports training for participation in competitions" and the development of "cultural and sports products". Candidates for the programs must have at least a bachelor's degree, be 21 years of age or older and obtain at least 200 points on a list of criteria that includes professional experience and language skills. A candidate can obtain up to 10 points if he or she "has good communication skills in two languages among Chinese, Portuguese or English", according to the criteria of the two programs. These two programs are part of a law that came into effect on July 1 and that seeks to attract qualified professionals to Macau, including Nobel Prize winners, namely with tax benefits. Qualified professionals will be able to enjoy exemption from stamp duty on the transfer of goods or on the acquisition of real estate for the exercise of their own activity, as well as exemption from urban property tax. They will also be exempt from paying complementary income tax, as well as benefits for professional tax purposes, if they are hired by local companies. The first programs to be implemented under this law aimed to attract experts in cutting-edge technology and the financial sector. The Macau Government has defined as a bet for the coming years the investment in industries that can absorb qualified professionals, such as the financial sector and the areas of scientific and technological research and development. Macau's economic diversification plan until 2028 foresees a focus on commercial and financial services between China and Portuguese-speaking countries. Read Also: Macau Association proposes Portuguese-language photography contest (Portuguese version)