CE supports the rejection of “interpretative land law”

Chief Executive Fernando Chui Sai On supports the decision of the Legislative Assembly (AL) that turned down the request of legislator-cum professor Gabriel Tong Io Cheng to debate and vote on an “interpretative law” of the Land Law, says the Government Spokesperson’s Office.
The Office said in a press release yesterday that all legislators have to obtain written approval from the top official when they propose any bill related to government policy.
The proposal of Mr. Tong, which is in regard to the clauses related to temporary land concessions of the Land Law, was submitted last July to the legislature and was officially rejected last Friday.
A report released by the AL last Friday concludes that there are no regulations in the Land Law that conflict with the initial intention of the legislation as discussed by the legislators in 2013, citing recordings of legislative meetings from that time.
Disputes over the Land Law arose after the MSAR Government announced its plans to reclaim the plot where luxury residential project Pearl Horizon was to be built in Areia Preta. The property project had over 3,000 units sold off-plan.
Enforced in March 2014, the Land Law mandates that no extension is allowed for a temporary or conditional land concession that carries a term of 25 years, if developers fail to complete their projects on their sites by the expiry of their concession terms.
But Mr. Tong had interpreted that the MSAR Government could introduce possible plans for policies for developers who were unable to develop their plots of land by the expiry of their land concessions.