The Legislative Assembly (AL) passed a government-drafted bill on the management of Macau’s coastal waters, slated to come into effect after its promulgation in the Official Gazette (BO), during a plenary session yesterday.
The new law – the Maritime Areas Management Framework Law – states that no gaming projects are allowed on land newly reclaimed from the sea.
The bill’s outline was passed during a plenary session of the legislature in January this year. The legislature’s 2nd Standing Committee held five meetings to review the bill.
In December 2015, the central government granted Macau jurisdiction over 85 square kilometres of its coastal waters to help with its economic diversification. Previously, unlike Hong Kong, Macau had no jurisdiction over its coastal waters. The city’s current land area amounts to about 30.5 square kilometres.
The new law states that the local government should manage the city’s coastal waters in line with six objectives, namely ensuring that the development of Macau’s coastal waters complies with the national interest and with the city’s long-term development interests; promoting economic diversification and the city’s sustainable development; protecting the marine environment; strengthening the city’s capacity to prevent and reduce marine disasters; increase the quality and efficiency of the development of the city’s coastal waters; and promoting the development of the city’s marine economy.
The new law states that the local government needs to apply for permission from the central government to reclaim land in Macau’s coastal waters. According to the new law, the local government has to ensure that any ongoing and future land reclaimed from Macau’s coastal waters will not be used for gaming projects.
The local government has designated six new land reclamation zones officially known as A, B, C, D, E1 and E2. The Zone B and Zone E2 projects have been completed for years but have still not been developed. The Zone A and Zone E1 projects were completed late last year. The Zone C and Zone D projects have not yet got off the ground.
The new law states that the Marine and Water Bureau (DSAMA) is tasked with the overall management of Macau’s coastal waters and that the Environmental Protection Bureau (DSPA) is tasked with the protection of the marine environment.
Tax benefit for employing the disabled
Meanwhile, the legislature also passed a government-initiated bill on tax benefits for those employing disabled people, slated to come into effect after its promulgation in the Official Gazette (BO), during yesterday’s plenary session.
The bill’s outline was passed during a plenary session of the legislature in November last year. The legislature’s 3rd Standing Committee held four meetings to review the bill, which aims to encourage the employment of people with disabilities.
The new law states that employers can enjoy a tax reduction of 5,000 patacas a year for each disabled resident they employ.
According to the new law, employers are eligible for a reduced tax bill for each disabled resident they employ as long as the employees hold a Disability Assessment Registration Card issued by the Social Welfare Bureau (IAS).
The new law states that the employer must give the disabled resident at least 128 hours of work a month in order to benefit from the tax deduction.
According to the website of the Social Welfare Bureau, a disabled resident needs to be assessed before he or she can get the Disability Assessment Registration Card. Under the system, there are six kinds of impairment, namely visual, audio, verbal, physical, intellectual and mental. There are four levels for the six kinds of impairment, namely slight, moderate, severe and profound.
Accompanied by senior officials under her portfolio, Secretary for Administration and Justice Sonia Chan Hoi Fan (centre) addresses yesterday’s plenary session in the legislature’s hemicycle about the coastal waters bill. Photo: Secretariat for Administration and Justice
