Lawmakers force postponement of voting on public housing sale regime

The Legislative Assembly (AL) has forced the government to postpone voting on the first reading of the “Regime for the transfer of autonomous units of buildings used for economic acquisition housing and intermediate housing.”

After a long discussion, lawmakers concluded the government could not guarantee the new regime would not clash with existing provisions of the Land Law.

The Secretary for Transport and Public Works, Raimundo do Rosário, and several members of his team, were unable to allay the fears of several influential lawmakers such as lawyer and president of the Macau Lawyers Association, Vong Hin Fai.

Other lawmakers said they would vote down the bill on the first reading if the government failed to provide clear guarantees that the transfer of ownership of the units from the Housing Bureau to the owners does not clash with the rule of non-alienation of state land.

Other lawmakers also questioned the need to request authorization from the central government for such procedures as it specifically involved state-owned land that the local government is authorized to use but not to alienate.

After a long discussion but little progress, lawmaker Ho Ion Sang called on the AL president, Kou Hoi In, to vote on a proposal to postpone the debate and voting on the bill, saying the government needed more time to answer lawmakers’ questions.

The plenary passed the proposal unanimously, meaning discussion of the bill will resume at a later time.