China Preps HK Stockmarket Support Before Handover Day
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PUBLIC HOUSING BUS BAN CLOSE TO NEW SOUTH DEBATE AHEAD RUINS OF ST. PAUL’S A proposal for a debate The government is considering KOREAN to discuss changes in the a permanent ban on tour PRESIDENT requirements to access buses in the vicinity of the CALLS XI public housing was approved Ruins of St. Paul’s P2 AL PLENARY P3 P12 FRI.12 May 2017 T. 25º/ 30º C H. 85/ 98% facebook.com/mdtimes + 11,000 MOP 7.50 2800 N.º HKD 9.50 FOUNDER & PUBLISHER Kowie Geldenhuys EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Paulo Coutinho www.macaudailytimes.com.mo “ THE TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGIN’ ” WORLD BRIEFS CLOSING ARGUMENTS AP PHOTO Prosecutors lay out CHINA’s plan to build a “new Silk Road” of P3 ports, railways and roads list of Ho’s ‘schemes’ to expand trade across Asia and Africa is stirring unease among other governments over its strategic intentions. They welcome the investment but worry Beijing also is trying to expand its political influence and undermine theirs. More on p11 CHINA A moderate, shallow earthquake killed eight people and injured more than 20 others in remote Xinjiang region. Most houses in the area are wood and mudbrick or rock and more than 180 collapsed. AP PHOTO NORTH KOREA will seek the extradition of anyone involved in what it says was a CIA-backed plot to kill leader Kim Jung Un last month with a biochemical poison. More on p12 AP PHOTO AHEAd of Xi’s eXPECTED VISIT China preps HK MYANMAR Uber is launching its private ride-hailing service in Yangon to tap into one of stock market the world’s youngest and fastest-growing online markets. The launch follows Singapore-based support before GrabTaxi’s debut, which began a trial run about six weeks ago. More on p13 P10 More on backpage Handover Day INSIDE 12.05.2017 fri th Anniversary 2 MACAU 澳聞 WWW.MACAUDAILYTIMES.COM.MO AL PLENary ON THE LAWMAKERS’ AGENDA NEW RULES ON HELMETS Me- linda Chan, Song Pek Kei and Chan Iek Proposal to debate public Lap addressed the plenary before the agenda to criticize the newly implemen- ted rule that threatens to fine residents who do not possess a sticker on the back housing changes approved of their helmets with the homologation information. The lawmakers said that the policy “is hard for residents to abide Renato Marques by” and is likely to cause harm to the population. proposal for a debate with the government A MARQUES RENATO BETTER GOVERNMENT After this to discuss the immediate week’s visit by the chairman of the Stan- commencement of tenders ding Committee of the National People’s for public housing and the Congress, Zhang Dejiang, lawmaker implementation of a perma- Si Ka Lon said that Zhang remarked nent application mechanism on the need of public administration was passed yesterday at the improvement. According to Si, the cen- Legislative Assembly (AL). tral government demands more action The proposal gathered 17 from Macau government, directing that votes in favor, seven against the government “cannot disregard the and two abstentions on the problems of daily life of the population specialty and 18 in favor, se- or treat them as minor.” He recalled ven against and one absten- problems such as the old buildings and tion at the first reading. The leaking water infiltration systems on the proposal was brought to the buildings. Sio noted, “to elevate the go- plenary for deliberation by vernment capability it is urgent to adopt lawmaker Ella Lei, who ex- an innovative mentality.” This would plained that “the real estate require approaching existing problems market is too expensive and the residents long for a pu- with more creativity and innovation blic house to have a stable and abandoning “the old ways of doing home,” she said. things.” Lei said that the govern- ment could not claim that HOUSING SPECULATION Ho Ion there were no land plots or Sang remarked on the recently appro- houses available since the ved measures to deter housing sector last time a similar tender Kwan Tsui Hang and Ella Lei (right) speculation. Such measures result in opened was back in 2013. curbs to the ratio ceilings for housing It was also mentioned that loans for non-residents and residents people who are already on Lawmaker Au Kam San do so.” Ng further remarked people waiting in line there acquiring a second house or more. Ho the list to receive a house was also in favor of the de- that it was precisely “becau- is no pressure to conclude said that the government should go are entitled to a housing bate. se we have different opi- the projects.” deeper on the problem and implement subsidy from the govern- “I think we have enou- nions that we should hold a Lawmakers Tsui Wai measures to control the prices based on ment, situation that can gh conditions to make this debate.” This sentiment was Kwan and Chan Chak Mo “possession instead of transaction,” no- ease the difficult situation tender now and so this de- also shared by Kwan. had a contrary view. Tsui ting also that exemption of property tax on such families. bate makes sense at this noted that “it is a realistic as well as the subsidies for the electrici- Lei concluded the presen- time,” he said, although he measure of the government ty and water bills should apply only for tation by expressing her ho- also noted that social and to refrain from opening a one house per resident. The lawmaker pes that her colleagues wou- economic housing are not The real tender until it has housing urged the government to raise the cos- ld support her proposal for the same thing and that units to deliver, otherwise ts of owning several houses, not only a debate. this distinction should be estate the line will be long and len- when acquiring them. Another measure The first person to respond kept. The vice presiden- gthy.” to implement would be to “raise the affirmatively was lawmaker ts of the AL, Lam Heong market is too Chan Chak Mo emphasi- Melinda Chan who said, “I transparency on the information of real Sang, Kwang Tsui Hang, zed the need to plan every- think the proposal can be Leong Veng Chai, Ng Kuok expensive thing first before opening estate market.” done,” adding, “the gover- Cheong, Zheng Anting and and the any tender. nment needs to review its Ho Ion Sang also expressed “We can’t start to evalua- “TWO KNIFES” According to Au housing policy. Only with their support. residents long te candidates without first Kam San, the CE has not been using well a permanent mechanism Lam noted that the gover- having houses, because its “two knifes,” namely the Commis- (that should be extended to nment “during the policy for a public changes might occur in the sion of Audit (CA) and the Commission the economic housing too) address had already said it conditions [to access the Against Corruption (CCAC). He gave as can the government have a would work towards estab- house to units] before anything is fi- example the recently reported case of clear picture of the popula- lishing a permanent mecha- have a stable nalized,” he said expressing the staff hiring by the Cultural Affairs tion’s real needs and to plan nism for public housing,” the opinion that lawmakers Bureau. The lawmaker also noted that accordingly.” remarking that lawmakers home. should allow the govern- reports requested by the government Chan concluded by saying, have the duty to suggest po- ment to set up new requi- ELLA LEI secretaries when some problem arises “the current regime of lucky licies and solutions to the rements to access public are only delivered “after a long period of draw is like a casino bet in government. On his part, lawmaker housing first. time when the problems have already that it is dependent only on Lawmaker Ng said, “the Zheng went further, saying At the end of the session, dissipated and them nothing is really luck.” She also remarked government has to transfer that debate has the ability to the president of the AL, done,” not resulting in any effectiveness. that people with special resources to support people “push the government and Ho Iat Seng, noted that the Au called on the CE to take action. needs should have a priority and I hope during the deba- its departments to work fas- date for the debate would be access to public housing. te we can convince them to ter,” adding that “without confirmed shortly. www.macaudailytimes.com.mo DIRECTOR AND EDITOR-IN-CHIEF_Paulo Coutinho [email protected] A MACAU TIMES PUBLICATIONS LTD PUBLICATION MANAGING EDITOR_Paulo Barbosa [email protected] CONTRIBUTING EDITORS_Eric Sautedé, Leanda Lee, Severo Portela ADMINISTRATOR AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER + 4 Million page views Kowie Geldenhuys [email protected] NEWSROOM AND CONTRIBUTORS_Albano Martins, Annabel Jackson, Daniel Beitler, Emilie Tran, Grace Yu, SECRETARY Denise Lo [email protected] PER MONTH Ivo Carneiro de Sousa, Jacky I.F. 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Ruan Du Toit Bester | NEWS AGENCIES_ Associated Press, Bloomberg, Financial Times, MacauHub, MacauNews, For subscription and general issues: [email protected] | Printed at Welfare Printing Ltd +11,000 like us on facebook.com/mdtimes Xinhua | SECRETARY_Yang Dongxiao [email protected] SEND NEWSWORTHY INFORMATION AND PRESS RELEASES TO: [email protected] WEBSITE: WWW.MACAUDAILYTIMES.COM.MO fri 12.05.2017 th Anniversary MACAU’S LEADING NEWSPAPER 澳聞 MACAU 3 Julie Zhu COurt HE trial of the city’s former top prosecu- tor Ho Chio Meng has reached its last stage, Prosecutors lay out list of Twith closing submissions being made.