New commission established for marine development

The government has established a commission to coordinate the management and development of the maritime area that is now under the administration of the MSAR.
“The Commission for the Coordination in the Management and Development of the Maritime Area,” supervised by Chief Executive Chui Sai On, aims to spearhead the marine development of the 85 square kilometers of water demarcated by the PRC’s State Council, according to the Government Information Bureau (GCS).
“The government is pay[ing] great attention to the management of the maritime area [… and] is also drafting a framework law on maritime management, in order to strengthen administration of those waters,” read a statement from GCS.
Last year, the government issued three regulations in support of the administration of the maritime boundary: a regulation specifying immigration clearance procedures for crew members on vessels, a regulation on marine waste-dumping and lastly, amendments to the articles of the Marine and Water Bureau.
An agreement was also signed with mainland counterpart authorities, as part of an on-going effort to improve coordination between the different entities.
China’s State Council has also approved a new administrative division map for the MSAR, adds the statement. According to this map, the aforementioned 85 square kilometers of water, as well as an area of land where the Border Gate connects the MSAR with Zhuhai, will be placed under Macau’s jurisdiction.
The expansion of Macau’s waters will allow for the future development of the city’s waterfront area and may also boost Macau’s maritime economy and tourism opportunities. It may also simplify procedures for land reclamation projects, as the local government will now be able to manage and administer the area.
The increase in area under local jurisdiction represents almost a tripling of the previous area of just 30 square kilometers.