Briefs | CCTV facial recognition will abide by the law

Macau’s security authority has affirmed that facial recognition functions in some of the city’s CCTV surveillance cameras will abide by personal data laws. According to the Office for Secretary for Security, Wong Sio Chak’s reply to lawmaker Leong Sun Iok’s interpellation indicated that the application of facial and car plate recognition features will only be implemented after the security authority receives approval from the Office for Personal Data Protection. Moreover, the application of these technologies will be in accordance with existing laws. The security authority will also carry out research on existing software and smart products to enhance the security authority’s comprehensive prevention and controlling ability. According to Wong’s introduction last year to the AL, as part of a first stage, 100 cameras would feature facial and car plate recognition.

Lawmaker wants current government to initiate urban renewal

Lawmaker Ng Kuok Cheong has urged the current government to initiate urban renewal. In his interpellation to the local government, Ng pointed out that the current government has been repeatedly claiming that it will initiate urban renewal works. However, he claimed the government has been delaying these renewal works. Ng wants the current government to make a decision in order for the urban renewal to start, as opposed to the project being further postponed. Ng proposed that before the government starts building houses on top of the former Pearl Horizon land plot, it should allocate properties to former buyers of former Pearl Horizon houses and use the rest of the houses for urban renewal purposes.

Public housing and plastic bag charge regimes published

Yesterday, dispatches were published in the Macau government SAR’s Official Gazette regarding the implementation of two new laws. The first, the new public housing bill, will come into effect on the August 20, 2020. Starting from this date, a permanent public housing application system will be established with residents able to apply for public housing at any time. The new laws will be applied to families who are on the waiting list for public housing. Family income and assets will be calculated in accordance with the new law. The second long-awaited law, the bill to implement a charge for single-use plastic bags, will come into effect on November 18, 2019. Two different violations will be subjected to a MOP1,000 and MOP10,000 penalty, respectively. The fee for a single-use shopping bag will be announced in a notice from the Chief Executive.