Policy Address | High ranking officials’ accountability law under study, solution expected within 2020

The SAR government is studying a specific law to provide a solution for holding high ranking officials accountable, according to Secretary for Administration and Justice André Cheong Weng Chon, who made the announcement during Friday’s Legislative Assembly plenary meeting.
On Friday, the lawmakers questioned Cheong regarding the policy address in his field. Lawmakers mostly raised questions about the government’s administrative efficiency, transparency and integrity. Legislator Sulu Sou pointed out that both Macau’s low-ranking civil servants and high-ranking officials have been found involved in corruption, and that the society wants both the “mosquitos” [low ranking civil servants] and “the big tigers” [high-ranking officials] to be held accountable for corruption. Sou also hopes that Macau will have laws to protect all kinds of whistle blowers.
“It’s been 20 years since the handover. How many high-ranking officials have apologized [for mistakes], let alone been held accountable for responsibilities?” asked Sou, who also hopes there can be democracy for the 45 government advisory committees so that members of the public can run for an election to join the committees.
“There should be a corresponding law to follow up on high ranking officials’ power and responsibilities. We are currently working on it. We hope that within this year we can present a solution for the public to discuss,” said Cheong.
In 2019, the SAR government conducted a survey concerning the relationship between high ranking officials’ retirement and accountability amid the aftermath of typhoon Hato.
In Cheong’s opinion, policies to held high ranking officials should not be excessively strict because high-ranking officials will “be afraid of executing” amid the mentality of “no action, therefore no mistake”.
The Secretary thinks that polices should encourage high-ranking officials to shoulder responsibilities but not to scare them into not taking actions. Cheong’s explanation was later opposed by Sou, who commented that high-ranking officials still have the mentality of “no action, therefore no mistake”, hinting at high-ranking officials’ laziness and lack of integrity.
In regard to the 45 advisory committees, Cheong only claimed that these advisory committee can represent members of the public and can “make proposals timely” to the government”. However, he acknowledged that reforming advisory bodies is an important part of the city’s public administration reform.
Besides the aforementioned law, which may or may not restrict high-ranking official’s behaviors, within this year, Cheong will lead his sector to prioritize the legislation concerning fire service safety, urban construction, urban renewal, and Chinese medicine registration and management.
On September 27, the city’s e-governance law will come into effect. Cheong’s departments are currently drafting an auxiliary regulation for the e-governance law, which is hoped to gain AL’s approval in June of this year.
Within this year, the SAR government will carry put a public consultation on the administration reform. In the first stage of the reform, the Office of Government will merge with the Government Information Bureau; the Tourism Crisis Management Office will merge into the Macao Government Tourism Office. The Government Head Office Auxiliary Bureau will be integrated with the Protocol, Public Relations and External Affairs Office as Government Head Affairs Bureau. The Science and Technology Development Fund, the Economic Bureau and the Transferência Electrónica de Dados – Macau Edi Van, S.A. will be assimilated together into a department named Economy, Science and Technology Development Bureau. The Office for the Development of the Energy Sector will join the Environmental Protection Bureau. The Education and Youth Affairs Bureau and the Higher Education Bureau will become one department.

Secretary wants to include constitution law in civil servants’ exam

Secretary for Administration and Justice André Cheong Weng Chon hopes to include the constitution law into civil servant recruitment exams.
Lawmaker Lam Lon Wai proposed to Cheong that civil servants should not only be tested about their knowledge of the Basic Law but also about the constitution law. Lam, who is vice rector of the Workers’ Children High School, also said that students should learn more about the constitution law. Responding to Lam, Cheong said that the SAR government indeed shares the same view as Lam.
Previously, the Commission of Audit condemned failures and malpractices in the recruitment system of the Public Administration and Civil Service Bureau (SAFP).
On Friday’s meeting, Cheong acknowledged the problems of the civil servants’ recruitment system despite the fact that its efficiency has improved over the past years. However, the concerned administrative procedure is still “complex” and “time consuming.”
According to Cheong, the SAR government plans to simplify the recruitment procedure. Current considered plans include cutting down the number of interviewees. As of today, many unlikely candidates are interviewed, wasting unnecessary time during the recruitment procedure.
When specific positions are more common and are required by multiple departments, SAFP will work with the other concerened department to hold the exams. SAFP will then rank the applicant’s test results and will be the bureau responsible for assigning successful workers the concerned department.
According to Cheong, within this year, the local government will review the civil servants’ protocol and other relevant regulations and laws. The government is currently studying the amendment and will listen to the city’s civil servants’ opinions.