Sulu Sou proposes amendments to social, economic housing bill

Sulu Sou (center)

Lawmaker Sulu Sou is calling on Chief Executive (CE) Chui Sai On to allow the Legislative Assembly (AL) to debate on the housing bill amendments, stressing their rights to make proposals on bills and any modifications. 

Yesterday, the New Macau Association submitted a proposal pertaining to the social housing act and economic housing act amendment – containing four proposals – to the government.

Sou proposed that the age limit for both social and economic  housing to remain at 18; that the prohibition of “full-time students” to apply for social housing be lifted; and that at least half of any family group applying for economic housing be permanent residents of the SAR.

“The AL should participate in the policy-making. Therefore, I intend to propose a series of amendments to the bill to let the assembly decide what the policy should be,” said Sou. “Regarding other amendment proposals, due to the complexity of drafting an amendment proposal, we will continue researching, and in the future, we will try to propose other amendments,” he added.

As to the reasons behind the proposal, Sou recalled that the association has been advocating that the Assembly be “more proactive in executing the AL’s rights,” and that it should not “eat whatever the government is feeding.”

“We should have the right to speak. I hope that the AL can participate in the decision- making procedure of the government’s bills, and I hope that the AL can have an influence on the final decision,” Sou added.

In a meeting at the AL last year, Sou recalled that Chui had pledged that when bills are being considered during the committee stage, the government would be open to opinions in a bid to enhance the bill and to respect the legislators – a pledge also made by the Secretary for Transport and Public Works Raimundo do Rosário.

Sou lamented that this is still not in effect, adding that such procedure is considered “normal” in other developed countries and regions.

“I hope that in the future, [lawmakers making proposals] can become normal, but not news. The CE said in last year’s policy address that he agrees that Macau’s private sector housing price is very high, and he recognizes that young people hope to have their own houses,” he explained.

“More importantly, he proposed that he is open to hearing lawmakers’ opinions regarding the social housing law and the affordable housing law, in particular regarding the age requirement,” Sou added.

The association then hoped that Chui could approve its four proposals as soon as possible for it to be delivered to AL.

“The normal procedure should vote for lawmakers’ proposal first, and after the lawmakers’ proposals are passed, the government bill will not need to be voted. I have not talked with the CE’s office or the CE regarding the proposal,” Sou noted.

This year, the government will supply 4,000 affordable housing units, as previously announced by the Housing Bureau director Arnaldo Ernesto dos Santos.

Approximately 25 percent of these 4,000 housing units will consist of one-room apartments, 33 percent of two-room apartments, and the remaining 42 percent of three-room apartments.