Chui Sai On pictured yesterday at the AL
The Chief Executive yesterday called on the local youth to be “more committed” to investing in their education in order to find good jobs. Given the conditions offered to them in Macau, “where university education, up to a certain degree, can be free,” Chui Sai On revealed that he finds it strange that “some local youth don’t like people that come from outside to work here.” He pointed out “all developed cities hire foreign executives.”
Chui was at the Legislative Assembly plenary meeting yesterday to answer lawmakers’ questions on government policy. During a three-hour Q&A session, he mentioned several times that the government is acting “according to the law.” Often he looked to his notes, a likely indication that he was reading pre-drafted responses. Most of the questions put to the CE were uncontroversial and Chui avoided answering tough queries (such as one about the University of Jinan donation made by Ng Kuok Cheong, stating only that “all was done according to the procedures”) and spent a lot of time discussing issues that may seem secondary to many observers, like ways to promote competitive sport in Macau.
There were some critics among the participants, like Chan Meng Kam, the winner of the 2013 AL election, and Song Pek Kei, who was surprisingly elected at that election as the third candidate on Chan’s card. Song said that “the central issues of governance, like health, housing and food supply, remain to be solved” and that the residents have “stopped trusting the government’s actions.”
More mildly, Chan Meng Kam, who is the leader of the Fujian community in Macau, pointed out that the public administration is more bureaucratic than before and that the licensing process takes longer to be approved.
Chui Sai On had a different opinion, stating that the government has been improving the efficiency of its administrative procedures. However, he admitted that more interdepartmental coordination is needed.
“There are problems and we are trying to fix them. However, the government must safeguard safety and legality,” he said.
Regarding economic diversification, another recurrent topic, lawmaker Cheung Lup Kwan inquired if the expenses related to the organization of major events, like the upcoming film festival and the wushu international meeting, are appropriate given the current financial situation of the MSAR.
Chui assured the audience that the organization of those events would not impact the government’s social welfare policies. He said that assessments of the benefits brought by those events would be made in due time.
The CE admitted that the local economy is “under profound adjustment,” but showed optimism, saying that the public revenue is within the expected range and financial growth is expected to continue. “The gaming sector continues to be important. Macau gaming revenue is still the biggest in the world. […] We hope to create more interaction between gaming and non-gaming elements and to create job opportunities for residents, particularly for managerial jobs.”
Kwan Tsui Hang returned the discussion to what seems to be her favorite topic, accusing the influx of non-resident workers of causing “a lack of space for residents to find jobs.” Chui Sai On reiterated that “priority work to residents has been one of the key government policies,” adding that the executive is now focused on “avoiding the import of non-resident workers to managerial posts.”
The CE was also questioned about the Land Law by several lawmakers. Zheng Anting said that the implementation of the law is threatening investments and wanted to know “what circumstances are non-imputable to the [land] concessionaires.” Chui responded that whenever the land is not being used within the timeframe established in the contract, the government can claim the land back and the concessionaire can request the extension of the contract.
Chui seemed to relate the new Land Law and the works on the new reclamation Zone A (where 28,000 public housing units will be provided) to the availability of land.
“The works in Zone A are advanced in spite of the problem with sand supply. […] In the past there was a huge land shortage. Without land, where can we build anything? But now we have a reserve of land plots and the public housing policy will be implemented,” he said.
However, this land supply doesn’t come without a price. During yesterday’s debate, the CE revealed that the public administration ‘owes’ private interests an area of around 89,000 square meters because of land swap deals.
ce pressured on ‘land law interpretation’
The Chief Executive’s Office has received a letter – signed by some members of the legal sector – commenting on the current Land Law and a proposal by lawmaker Gabriel Tong for an interpretation of the law. The letter has collected a total of 88 signatures, some of them from lawyers. According to a Government Information Bureau statement issued yesterday, “at this stage, the government has no plans to propose further amendments to the Land Law. The government has always closely adhered – since their respective enactment – to the Land Law, the Cultural Heritage Law and the Urban Planning Law, in relation to planning and development matters.”
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