Lawmaker calls for more flexible property rental evaluation

Better modes of rental evaluation for commercial spaces at government housing estates will help improve the quality of living in these areas, lawmaker Ron Lam said at yesterday’s pre-agenda speech at parliament.

Referring to the government’s fast-paced development at the New Urban Zone A, Lam noted that there would only be three land plots designated for commercial use in the Zone.

In addition, he said that based on government plans released to date, commercial activities would likely occur in or rely on the underground shopping mall at the Light Rapid Transit stations and ground-level shops at housing estates.

However, he explained that the law governing rental evaluation for commercial spaces at government housing projects – Decree-Law No 28/92/M – had been in effect for over three decades. Pursuant to this law, such rentals are evaluated accounting for factors such as inflation.

Lam highlighted that this had led to rental hikes despite the lack of customers due to the low occupancy rate in certain government housing estates, increasing the financial burdens on these operators.

He cited the Ilha Verde Square Social Housing Estate as an example of the mechanism’s inflexibility. Nearly 9,000 people reside in the estate, he said, but only two supermarkets – one large and one small – as well as a cafeteria, a convenience store and a pharmacy operate there. Many residents were required to travel to the Fai Chi Kei district to purchase their daily necessities.

He added that many shops were left vacant at the Seac Pai Van Government Housing District, warning the government that the same evaluation mechanism, if used on Zone A, was likely to result in the same situation.

Moreover, he said that although the government has announced the construction of facilities such as wet markets and food stalls within Zone A, no consultation has been conducted to date. This has led to residents in Macau worrying that it will be another Seac Pai Van, where there is only one major supermarket and a limited number of alternatives.

Therefore, he suggested the government abide by the Public Market Management System and facilitate beneficial competition between wet markets and supermarkets.

Lawmaker Che Sai Wang expressed his concerns for elderly people living alone. Last month, the city saw two elderly siblings living together pass away, due to an apparent lack of carers and support.

Although the Social Welfare Bureau (IAS) explained that the two siblings did not apply for any special social welfare, the lawmaker thinks that similar older adults may have other welfare or service needs. He added that incidents such as the passing of the two siblings proves that the public welfare system has unaddressed flaws.

As such, the lawmaker suggests that the government proactively improve the reach of the public welfare system and introduce measures to identify the “invisible elderly” – those with few friends and limited interactions with the public. For example, he said that the public medical system – which has been operating near or even over capacity – should enquire with elderly service seekers about their residential status and subsequently provide them with information.

Mechanisms for easy communication should also be established to focus on older adults identified as being at risk. Che also called on the government to prepare short, medium, and long-
term care plans for such people.