Parking meters e-payment debate returns to AL
The decision to scrap the use of coins for street parking meters was debated again at the Legislative Assembly (AL) yesterday.
The topic, previously discussed on several occasions, has returned due to final voting on the legal regime for monetary issuance.
According to Article 8 of the bill, the local currency (Pataca) cannot be refused as a payment means in Macau. Some exceptions exist in specific circumstances related to online transactions and vending machines or automated kiosks.
Several lawmakers rejected the government’s inclusion of parking fees from street parking meters in this Number 4 Line 2 of Article 8, stating that there is some incongruence in the law.
Lawmakers José Pereira Coutinho and Ron Lam led criticism of the measure, which came into force on May 1, for not having been subjected to a public hearing.
The topic had already been discussed in April with the approval of the new regime for public parking.
After extended arguments between the lawmakers and the Secretary for Economy and Finance, Lei Wai Nong, the article was passed with all votes in favor.
Of greater concern was Article 12.
Article 12 states that the reproduction and imitation of bank bills and coins, even for educational or advertising purposes, is subject to a prior authorization by the Monetary Authority of Macao (AMCM).
Lawmakers Pereira Coutinho and Lam disagreed with the need for such a bureaucratic norm because there have been no cases where the reproduction of currency for educational or advertising purposes has caused any public harm .
Pereira Coutinho said this measure is contrary to the simplification of procedures and debureaucratization that the government has been rolling out and called on government representatives to explain it.
In response, the chairman of the Board of Directors of the AMCM, Chan Sau San, could not explain the introduction of the norm, later stating it was added to “protect the sovereignty of Macau.”
Lam also said the public needed a full explanation of this rule and the procedures, otherwise the public might incur severe penalties unnecessarily even where they were not attempting to commit fraud.
Pereira Coutinho and Che Sai Wang voted against Article 12 after first requesting it be voted on separately.
After the final vote approved of the legal regime, in a vote declaration, they said there were several issues with the norm, including the fact that the sectors involved (education and advertising) were never consulted on a matter that will affect them directly.
The norm also adds a bureaucratic procedure to a simple matter that can be dealt with easily and that is already included in Macau’s Penal Code about counterfeit money.
