With the passage of these two bills, the Macao government aims to considerably strengthen the SAR’s national security apparatus.
Legislative Assembly
The government has responded to a number of recent high-profile graft cases with a proposal to widen the CCAC’s remit.
The bill also proposes raising public servants’ salaries and continuing the annual cash handout to residents.
The legislation is geared to helping Macao become a financial hub as part of the SAR’s plan to reduce its overwhelming economic dependency on gaming.
The government-sponsored bill has been designed to plug national security loopholes in the existing legislation.
Macao’s leader says gross gaming revenue needs to hit 230 billion patacas in a year before sufficient taxes will be generated to end the deficit.
The government says it’s still too early to talk price-points for the new initiative, which will offer decently-sized flats to people ‘sandwiched’ between currently available subsidised housing and the private sector.
The new version of the law, passed by the legislature nearly two weeks ago, includes tougher penalties and broader categories of offence.
In a written submission to the government, lawmaker Ron Lam speaks of ‘situations of plaster coming off, windows falling, injuries, [and] damage to vehicles’ caused by older buildings.
