Ng Kuok Cheong urges limiting apartment purchase to locals

In his latest written interpellation, lawmaker Ng Kuok Cheong has urged the government to set rules to restrict the purchase of apartments built on Reclamation Area A to Macau residents. His interpellation is a response to an earlier comment by Mi Jian, director of the Policy Research and Regional Development Bureau, in which the bureau director said the proposal would violate the Basic Law’s stipulation that land is national property. Ng pointed out that the arrangement concerns property ownership, not land ownership. He also reminded the government that it is the Central Government’s initiative to reclaim “Area A” to meet local residents’ housing needs, and that the arrangement will help separate property speculation from purchases for residential use.

Pereira Coutinho asks for more nursing home beds

Citing media reports that a senior citizen had to wait 18 months for a bed space in one of Macau’s 21 nursing homes, lawmaker Pereira Coutinho inquired about the government’s plans to increase the number of nursing home beds in the city to shorten the waiting time of citizens in need. The lawmaker pointed out that the city’s citizen-to-bed proportion is 2.8%, in contrast to world median of 4.4%. Meanwhile, the government’s Statistics and Census Service estimated that in 2036, the number of senior citizens in Macau will rise to 157,000. The annual rate of increase is 4.7%. In addition, the lawmaker inquired about policies to ensure that a sufficient workforce will be available for nursing homes. The lawmaker also suggested the government raise the amount of the senior subsidy, which is now MOP3,740 per month, compared to the city’s minimum subsistence index of MOP4,230 per month.

Mak Soi Kun asks gov’t to define ‘non-gaming elements’

In his latest interpellation, lawmaker Mak Soi Kun asked the government to expressly define what constitutes “non-gaming elements.” The focus of his interpellation is the requirement for “more non-gaming elements” when gaming concessions are updated in the future. The lawmaker stood with the government regarding the need for more of such elements. In his opinion, MICE events, world-class soccer games, concerts and boxing matches can be considered non-gaming elements. These elements can help attract more tourists to visit Macau. However, he disagreed with including food and beverage in the non-gaming category, because doing so will place pressure on traditional outlets.