Immigration policy | IPIM promises ‘a more transparent system’

The head of the Macau Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM), Cheong Chou Weng, responded to lawmaker Lei Cheng I’s written inquiry by stating that the institute was willing to receive feedback from the public in order to optimize the related system for immigration through investment. However he failed to mention if the authority would conduct an overall review over the existing policies, which the lawmaker accused of being “outdated.”
Implemented in 1995, requirements for applicants stipulated in the policy have not been subjected to any revision. Following the neighboring SAR government’s decision to scrap its immigration scheme, Lei questioned in her inquiry if the government would modify its current examination mechanism to make it more open and standardized.  This was in contrast to the current mode where approvals could only be made by authorized officials.
However, the department head stressed that the authorities have been making their way to a more transparent system in conformity with the law.
Previously, numerous other government authorities have revealed in response to other inquiries that IPIM has been taking references from other countries concerning reform.  However,  aside from immigration via purchasing properties that was repealed in 2007 under public pressure, no changes have been made so far. Staff reporter