The Legislative Assembly’s (AL) Follow-up Committee for Land and Public Concession is pushing the government to launch the public consultation on amendments to gaming legislation as early as possible.
The committee delivered their suggestions to the government in a summary report, which was later published on AL’s official website.
Adriano Marques Ho, director of the Gaming Inspection, and Coordination Bureau (DICJ) had earlier announced in a written inquiry that the consultation — which will deliberate the legislation concerning the renewal bidding process of gaming concessions and the operation of concessionaires — is timed to commence in the second half (H2) of 2021.
However, as the city enters the second month of H2, there is still no indication of when the public consultation will take place.
In the report, committee members raised doubts as to whether the heavy workload involved in amending the gaming bill can be handled in a short period.
The committee asserts the undertaking needs to be completed “within a limited time frame” and is “not an easy task,” as it will involve many procedures: firstly, the organization of a public consultation process and the collection of opinions from the community, then the analysis of the data and compilation of a summary report, and then extra work in drafting final amendments to the bill.
“Hence, [we] hope the government can make overall arrangements, and launch public consultation as early as possible. [The government should] make the appropriate announcements and directions to the public in due course, and ensure the legislative proceedings can be done within the scheduled time to give enough time for the industry to prepare and formulate [their business plans],” the members declared.
To enable the public to better understand the current situation in the gaming industry, the committee suggests the government conduct a detailed review of important matters, such as concessions, experience, and operational problems.
The committee also urged the government to take stock of all the changes faced by the industry, especially those resulting from the uncertainties of the Covid-19 pandemic era.
The six gaming concessions and sub-concessions are due on June 26, 2022. Given the imminent deadline, and the fact that the industry is a key driving force of the city’s economy, the committee emphasized that the government’s handling of gaming bill and the industry’s prospects are of great public interest.
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