Ron Lam questions delays in review of ‘Advertising Law’

Lawmaker Ron Lam has raised concerns to the government regarding delays in reviewing and updating the Advertising Law.

In a written inquiry submitted through the Legislative Assembly (AL), the lawmaker questioned the Secretary for Administration and Justice, André Cheong, asking why Law 7/89/M was absent from the government’s legislative agenda.

The lawmaker noted that this is probably one of the most outdated laws in Macau, not just because it has been in force for 34 years but also because it provides rules and regulations for an area that has undergone drastic changes over recent decades, with the rise of the internet, social media and related avenues.

Regarding the current law, Lam said, “Most of its content is outdated and cannot keep up with the pace of social and economic development.”

He recalled that back in 2015, several government officials acknowledged the need to review the law and announced that it was on the government’s agenda for amendment.

“However, eight years later, there is still no explanation from the government on what happened to the bill to adjust and update this law.”

He also noted that earlier this year and in response to a spoken inquiry at the AL, Cheong also said that “to protect the rights and interests of consumers, while allowing the industry to clarify rules and promote the healthy development of industry, it was necessary to comprehensively review of the current Advertising Law.” An inter-departmental group was established to work on that revision.

Still, Lam notes, the Policy Address for 2024 makes no reference to this project. He fears that it will again be overlooked.

For instance, the lawmaker noted that many current forms of advertising and store signage are not considered under the prevailing law as they did not exist at the time it was enacted. Consequently, shop owners face untold hassles and the risk of fines due to the lack of clarity and absence of updates to the law.

He also noted that no form of public consultation had been announced on the matter. For this reason, he believedthe government was not prioritizing amendment and review of this law and that it would potentially not be addressed over the next year.

He also opposed the idea of the authorities prohibiting and penalizing modern advertising methods simply because they were not recognized under the existing law. He advocated instead for authorities to focus their attention on “getting it right” instead of fining already struggling small business owners.