ATFPM calls for ‘development of democratic political system’

The Macau Civil Servants Association (ATFPM) has called on the government to ensure the development of a democratic political system here, pushing for an increase in the number of seats granted to directly elected lawmakers at the Legislative Assembly, while vowing for the implementation of universal suffrage for the Chief Executive’s election.
ATFPM representatives met with Chief Executive Chui Sai On yesterday to present a set of suggestions in the lead up to the CE’s preparation of his 2015 Policy Address, which he will be delivering on March 23.
ATFPM’s president José Pereira Coutinho told reporters yesterday that they have requested that the Chief Executive ponder changes to Macau’s political system – namely by progressively increasing the number of directly elected lawmakers taking part at the Legislative Assembly and later abolishing appointed lawmakers.
Currently, the Chief Executive appoints seven lawmakers, while twelve are indirectly elected and only fourteen elected by Macau residents.
“When the Chief Executive launched his political platform he pledged for transparency, but then he’s allowed to appoint seven lawmakers who can actually influence [the rest of the plenary],” he said.
ATFPM has also suggested the Chief Executive increase the cash handout granted to Macau’s residents from MOP9,000 to MOP12,000. He stressed that due to the rising cost of living residents should be entitled to a more generous annual cash handout.
Social housing has always been regarded as top priority by different sectors of society, and ATFPM is no exception. The association suggested the government build a total of 80,000 public housing units. It also urged Macau’s administration to complete construction work on five new reclaimed land zones as soon as possible.
Recalling that Macau’s residents have found themselves strangled by skyrocketing rental and housing prices, ATFPM representatives have also asked the government to increase the value of permanent residents’ medical vouchers from MOP600 to MOP1,000. The association called for a raise on the subsidy granted to elderly citizens from MOP7,000 to MOP10,000, as well.
Furthermore, ATFPM stressed that the government needs to review current contracts with gaming concessionaires and that Macau’s population should have a say. They asked the CE to reinforce supervision over gaming operators, particularly regarding human resources, pushing operators to improve employees’ benefits.
The association recalled that, although Macau is known as a gambling hub, the diversification of its economy is crucial. They recalled that there’s a need to further regional cooperation, and that the city’s administration should request authorization “to rent” the entire Hengqin Island so that the “development area of Macau” can grow.
On transportation, ATFPM called the Chief Executive to suspend the LRT construction works and review the project, assessing whether it is truly needed. “The construction of the LRT is a wrong decision. So [the government] should stop the [LRT] construction works and improve the remaining public transportation services, namely buses and taxis so that these means of transport meet the punctuality, and security needs,” they suggested.
ATFPM provided a series of suggestions to improve Macau’s public administration system too, and called for a new regime of accountability among  top officials.

Raising awareness on consumer rights

Pereira Coutinho is urging the government to raise awareness over consumer rights. In a written enquiry, the legislators recalled that Macau residents have faced hurdles when trying to acquire a house, since deadlines set to handover the house are not always met. “The buyer is – sometimes – wanting a number of years before they can actually have the house,” the lawmaker said.
Mr Coutinho stressed that the situation is even worse due to the lack of information residents have on consumer rights. Therefore, he called on the government to update legislation on consumer rights to “truly protect consumer’s interests, namely by protecting their health and ensuring produce and services’ quality.”
The lawmaker also urged the government to effectively promote consumer rights’ information, by raising awareness in schools and universities. Finally, José Pereira Coutinho called for improvements and uniformity on official institutions dealing with consumer rights, as these are currently being handled by different public services.

ce meets with chinese civil servants’ association

The CE also met with representatives of the Macao Chinese Civil Servants’ Association yesterday, listening to their opinions regarding the improvement of the civil servants’ legal regime, and frontline public workers’ welfare. The association’s president Cheong Koc Iun suggested the government should raise public servants’ starting salaries and establish a complaint mechanism for them.