Secretary for Administration and Justice André Cheong Weng Chon, who is also the spokesman for the government’s top advisory Executive Council, has announced that from November 15 only takeaways which register with the Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) can run their business.
According to Cheong, offenders will face a fine of between 5,000 patacas and 35,000 patacas.
Cheong also said that Macau’s about 1,900 takeaways would be covered by the newly required registration system.
Cheong first told lawmakers last year that the government would set up a mandatory registration system for the city’s takeaways in 2021.
The city’s eateries and restaurants are licensed by the Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) or the Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO). However, takeaways are currently not covered by the government’s licensing system for the restaurant sector as they do not provide on-site dining services.
The government rolled out a voluntary registration system for the city’s takeaways and online food outlets in 2016 but lawmakers and civic leaders have criticised the scheme for being ineffective.
Addressing a press conference at Government Headquarters on Friday, Cheong said that the government has finished drafting an administrative regulation (by-law) on a registration system for the city’s takeaways.
The drafted administrative regulation will take effect on November 15.
Government-drafted by-laws, officially known as administrative regulations, do not require the legislature’s approval.
Cheong said that the new registration system will cover takeaways which are not covered by the government’s licensing system for the restaurant sector, adding that the new registration system aims to ensure food safety by strengthening the government’s supervision of the production and processing of food in the city.
Transition period for existing takeaways
Those who intend to run a takeaway after November 15 – when the administrative regulation takes effect – will have to register with the Municipal Affairs Bureau first before being allowed to run the business, according to Cheong.
However, according to Cheong, existing takeaways – i.e. those that have registered with the Financial Services Bureau (DSF) to run a business before the new registration system takes effect on November 15 – can register with the Municipal Affairs Bureau within six months after the new administrative regulation takes effect.
Cheong also said that according to the new administrative regulation, takeaways will have to be run in a shop and will not be allowed to operate in a residential unit after the new registration system takes effect.
After the new registration takes effect, according to Cheong, takeaways which have still not registered with the Municipal Affairs Bureau will not be allowed to be listed on any takeaway platform mobile apps.
In addition, Cheong also said that the government would only consider setting a licensing system for takeaways after the new registration system has been running for a certain period of time.
Secretary for Administration and Justice André Cheong Weng Chon (left) and Cheong Kuai Tai, who heads the Municipal Affairs Bureau’s (IAM) Food Safety Department, address Friday’s Executive Council press conference at Government Headquarters about the government’s new mandatory registration system for the city’s takeaways. Photo courtesy of TDM
