Tobacco law amendments to pass next year

The Legislative Assembly has received more than 30 written opinions over the past two months regarding the amendments to the Tobacco Prevention and Control Law, according to the 2nd Standing Committee head, Chan Chak Mo.
Yesterday the commission resumed deliberation over the extent of amendments to the existing law in the very first meeting after a recess of around one and a half months.
As the sub-committee is currently clearing a backlog of law reviews and revisions, Chan told media that the revised ordinance will likely only arrive next August at the earliest, when the legislature’s next summer break begins.
“It depends on our workload. Despite the government’s consideration and discussion later, I’m optimistic that the bill is good enough to be passed in August next year,” said the lawmaker.
The committee is due to meet the groups that wish to submit their views during next month’s amendment talks. On November 12 and 13, they will meet with several gaming associations, including the Forefront of Macau Gaming.
The lawmaker added that the 2nd Standing Committee has mixed views on the matter: “So far there isn’t a specific orientation. We’ll collate the opinions in our meetings before presenting them to the government,” he said. “Of course, it’s up to the government’s decision on the matter.”