Alexis Tam will urge cabinet to reply promptly to AL enquiries

Alexis Tam

The Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Alexis Tam said he will urge his cabinet to reply to lawmakers’ questions promptly. He pledged to set a two-day deadline for the cabinet to present legislators with answers to their written enquiries.
The five government secretaries officially took their posts on Friday, after a swearing-in ceremony on December 20.
Alexis Tam said that he greatly values the opinions of the Legislative Assembly lawmakers as well as citizens. Therefore, he seeks to improve the efficiency of responses by requiring his cabinet staff to reply to lawmakers’ enquiries within two days, the Government Information Bureau said in a statement.
Furthermore, Alexis Tam recalled that matters in his cabinet’s portfolio are directly connected to the population’s daily life. He believes there is a need to solve citizens’ problems more efficiently. The Secretary added that he will be working toward simplifying administrative procedures in his cabinet, and urging departments to regulate personnel recruitment.
He recalled, however, that the Health Bureau needs to recruit more staff to better respond to the population’s needs.
Mr Tam also revealed he already reduced manpower in his office from 26 staff members to 22, in order to maximize efficiency, TDM English News reported.
The Secretary for Economy and Finance Lionel Leong also unveiled some of his plans for the years ahead. He revealed that his cabinet will establish a “measureable scientific system” to fully understand the non-gaming components of each gaming concessionaire in Macau. He added that his cabinet will also set up a system to monitor the gaming industry and to better allocate financial reserves.
The Secretary for Administration and Justice Sonia Chan assured that it’s possible to restructure work functions in every department under her cabinet. Ms Chan said her team will prioritize the handling of overlapping duties of different services, namely the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau, the Cultural Affairs Bureau and the Sports Development Board.  CP