Lawmakers pass bill on first reading to simplify licensing for F&B establishments

The Legislative Assembly (AL) passed a bill to simplify licensing procedures for food and beverage (F&B) establishments.

The bill, which received unanimous support from lawmakers, applies to establishments operating under licenses from the Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) and dancing establishments operating under licenses from the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO).

The changes aim mostly to reduce the time required for procedures and the number of government departments involved in the process, removing, for instance, the need for an inspection by the Health Bureau.

In presenting the bill, the Secretary for Administration and Justice, Wong Sio Chak, noted that it follows the concept of facilitating administrative procedures and delegating powers between departments, targeting service improvement while ensuring that the building and venue meet conditions to host the establishment and comply with all regulations regarding fire safety and food hygiene.

Wong said that this set of measures also aims to facilitate the creation of new businesses and ease the burden on owners, particularly at the early stage.

Responding to lawmakers’ inquiries, Wong said that when the law takes effect, license issuance will be significantly reduced from 40 to just two working days. He also remarked that these rules apply to all establishments located in a commercial space not exceeding 120 square meters.

According to Wong, citing records from the land and property registry, this means that around 91% of commercial spaces—approximately 31,000 shops—are included.

He also noted that among the more than 2,200 F&B establishments licensed by the IAM, about 60% are within this size limit.

Another topic raised by lawmakers was the transfer of shops between business owners who already hold a valid license.

The government noted that in such cases, if the space does not require significant renovations involving construction works, the license can be transferred through a simplified procedure.

The new bill also requires the business owner to submit the building and space plans to ensure they are consistent with the plans submitted when the license was originally granted.

AL private budget approved, 3% increase

In yesterday’s plenary session of the Legislative Assembly (AL), lawmakers unanimously approved the AL private budget for 2026.

The budget shows an expense increase of 2.81% to a total of MOP 224 million, although the presentation noted that staff expenses dropped by almost MOP 2 million compared to 2025.

It was explained that this is related to staff reductions due to retirement or separation from service.

The increase of over MOP 6 million year-on-year was justified by the need to replace and repair air conditioning, improve interpretation booths and system conditions, and update computer hardware and software for the AL’s regular operation.