Secretary for Administration and Justice Wong Sio Chak underlined yesterday that the government’s ongoing campaign to reorganise and streamline its structure will neither result in any staff layoffs, nor will it affect public servants’ salaries and various other benefits, stressing the government’s commitment to complying with this “fundamental” principle when pushing ahead with its ongoing structural revamp.
Wong made the remarks when replying to oral interpellations by lawmakers during a plenary session in the legislature’s hemicycle.
Wong said that the government has drawn up its plan for its restructuring of public entities to be carried out until 2028, adding that the Public Administration and Civil Service Bureau (SAFP) has started its discussions with the affected public entities on the matter one after another, while the government will also pass some of the public entities’ restructuring plans to the Commission of Audit (CA) for review, evaluation and feedback.
Meanwhile, Wong also acknowledged that some public servants with a relatively high salary in the government have a small workload and merely pass time in the office until the end of the workday, adding that the government is working on resolving the issue by using various possible means and channels.
Wong rules out visitors’ marriage registration in Macau
Meanwhile, during yesterday’s plenary session, Wong ruled out the possibility of launching a measure to allow visitors to complete their marriage registration in Macau.
Wong noted that according to the Civil Registration Code, for a marriage to be registered in Macau, at least one of the intending spouses must have his or her habitual residence here, i.e., be a local resident or a non-resident worker (NRW), while the other intending spouse is not subject to restrictions regarding his or her habitual residence. In other words, Wong said, if both intending spouses reside outside Macau, it is not possible for them to legally register to marry here.
Wong noted that according to Macau’s legal system, individuals who marry in Macau must choose their own marital property systems, i.e., a set of rules governing how the couple’s assets and debts are owned, managed, and divided during marriage and upon divorce. Wong said that if Macau would remove the current statutory requirement for at least one of the intending spouses to have his or her habitual residence here, it could raise legal issues regarding the distribution and ownership of property if the couple later disposes of assets outside Macau.
Govt to amend 5 codes
Meanwhile, Wong also underlined during yesterday’s plenary session that the government is working on, or studying the feasibility of, drafting amendments to five major codes, namely Administrative Procedures Code, Civil Litigation Code, Administrative Litigation Code, Penal Code, and Penal Litigation Code.
Wong said that among the five codes, amending the Administrative Procedures Code is the government’s top priority as this code concerns its ongoing campaign to streamline government operations and enhance public administration efficiency.
Wong said that the government plans to submit a bill amending the Administrative Procedures Code to the legislature within this year for debate and vote.
Wong said that the government has completed its basic studies on the feasibility of amending the Civil Litigation Code and the Administrative Litigation Code, while its studies on possible amendments to the Penal Code and the Penal Litigation Code are expected to be completed within this year.
Wong also noted that the Penal Code addresses traditional crimes in general, adding that it would not be suitable to integrate Macau’s specific criminal laws into the Penal Code. He said that incorporating the specific criminal offences listed by other laws into the Penal Code would result in a need for frequent amendments to the Penal Code, thereby harming its stability.
Secretary for Administration and Justice Wong Sio Chak addresses yesterday’s plenary session in the Legislative Assembly’s (AL) hemicycle. – Photo: GCS
