Gov’t completes 90% of annual legislative agenda, one bill rolled over

The government has delivered most of the legislation promised in this year’s Policy Address, submitting seven of eight planned bills to the Legislative Assembly as the year comes to a close.

The only proposal not tabled – the draft regulatory regime for specific businesses – has been deferred to next year, with officials citing the need for public consultation and broader consensus building.

The eight legislative proposals listed for this year covered a broad range of areas, including amendments to the law establishing the Municipal Affairs Bureau, a new regime governing specific businesses, legislation on catering and related establishments, advertising, the trading of gold and platinum products, private non-tertiary education staff and school frameworks, cultural heritage protection, and the operation of private medical institutions.

The bill that has yet to be tabled, the regulatory regime for specific businesses, was flagged in the administration and justice policy guidelines as a comprehensive review of Decree Law No. 47/98/M.

The proposed overhaul aims to refine regulatory models, adjust supervisory authorities, streamline administrative procedures and improve application processing efficiency, in line with the government’s goal of facilitating both public services and business operations.

Earlier this month, Executive Council spokesperson Wong Sio Chak said the Chief Executive had decided, after consulting the council, to launch a public consultation on the proposed regime in the first half of next year.

The move is intended to gather views from the wider public, build social consensus and better align the legislation with its intended objectives.

As a result, the bill has been shifted from this year’s legislative plan to that of 2026.

Meanwhile, although amendments to the Cultural Heritage Protection Law were included among this year’s proposals, they were not submitted as a standalone bill.

The government said the limited revisions – covering only two provisions – were instead incorporated into the Catering and Beverage Activity and Related Establishments Bill to make more efficient use of legislative resources.