BRIEFS: Air quality deteriorates

Macau’s air quality has deteriorated over the past few days and failed to meet minimum quality standards on Wednesday, Radio Macau reported. Poor air quality is affecting the Northern District the most. “It has worsened. Today [Thursday] the air quality index in the northern district reached 215. This is considered very bad,” said Fong Soi Kun, the head of the Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau (SMG).“This pollution comes from China. Even in roadside areas, our monitoring station [located in Rua do Campo] recorded 191,” he recalled. SMG provides a daily air quality index bulletin based on 24-hour data from an automatic monitoring network. It observes daily pollutants, including breathable suspended particulate, fine suspended particulate (PM 2.5), sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide and ozone, among others. Mr Kun hinted that the air quality will improve in the coming days, but advised people to avoid engaging in outdoor activities and stay indoors whenever possible. He added that Macau’s air quality will start improving today, as air quality standards will reach normal levels tomorrow.

Committee wants to limit AL inquiries time

Members of the Legislation Assembly (AL) Committee on House Rules have proposed four changes to the AL Rules and Regulations, including the introduction of a time limit for lawmakers’ inquiries made at the AL before the day’s agenda (which can last for hours under the current rules), as well as an amendment to public hearing regulations. Separately, some lawmakers think that the current AL Rules and Regulation article on public hearings is not consistent with the Basic Law. They proposed an amendment to the article to stress that the goal of public hearings must work toward the public interest. Furthermore, the committee proposed that the government should be allowed to propose a bill, even if a similar one was proposed and was vetoed in the same legislative session. This applies to both lawmaker- and government-proposed bills.The committee concluded its 2014 work in yesterday’s meeting.