CE promises explanation on gov’t alleged land debt

The Chief Executive (CE) Chui Sai On responded yesterday to a recent news report about the government’s alleged land- plot-related debt resulting from a land exchange deal for the Iec Long Firecracker Factory heritage site. He said that the government “will definitely explain [the issue] to the public” after thoroughly investigating the matter.
Although he was serving as the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture at the time when the land exchange between the government and the firecracker factory’s original landholder took place in 2001, Chui said that he neither had knowledge of nor had participated in the deal.
According to the report published by local Chinese monthly All About Macau, the government still owes six land-plot debts, covering a total of 30 hectares. The land exchange deal for the Iec Long Firecracker Factory alone involved an area comprising 15.2 hectares that has been left unresolved to date, with 133,710 square meters still being owed to the landholders.
Chui informed the media that the government has received inquiries and taken notice of the new reports. He said that the Secretary for Transport and Public Works, Raimundo Rosario, and the related department are just now learning about and investigating the matter; as for right now, he does not have any information.
The Secretary, Rosario, also responded to the media’s inquiry last Thursday, stating that he is willing to brief the Legislative Assembly (AL) on the government’s land debt situation and to discuss any issues. Rosario said that he learned the details of the case from media reports, but would shortly speak on the topic.  BY