Expensive delays

The Light Rapid Transit (LRT) segment in Taipa has already cost the government MOP9 billion, the Secretary for Transport and Public Works, Raimundo Rosário, said on Friday during his Policy Address at the Legislative Assembly. “Considering the rail yard, and that we may not reach an agreement with the contractor, we may have to take this issue to court. This will bring extra costs and we may have to open another tender. All this process will bring extra costs to the government, which is why I cannot announce the budget for the project”, Raimundo Rosário said. “So far, the government has spent MOP9 billion on the Taipa segment of the LRT”. Concerning the problem of budget overruns on public works, Secretary Rosário explained that since he has taken up office budget overruns have never exceeded 25 per cent, as it would require a new government contract with the contractor. Hiring foreigners for the government With regard to the problem of the lack of human resources in the government, he conceded that non-permanent and foreign workers may have to be hired. This solution was also suggested by Legislative Assembly member Leonel Alves, who mentioned the Basic Law. “In relation to Article 97 and 99 of the Basic Law, I’ve already thought about it and I think we will have to use it. The reason I have come to this conclusion is because there are important construction [projects] approaching in the next [few] years and also quantity of construction will present problems”, the Secretary explained. Directly awarded contracts The Secretary for Transport and Public Works also conceded that the current law on directly awarded contracts should be revised as it no longer suits the reality of the territory. “Since the handover, there has never been a change in the directly awarded contract law, which is capped at MOP2.5 million. I agree it needs to be revised because since then the situation of Macau has changed a lot”, Raimundo Rosário explained. On the same topic, Legislative Assembly member Mak Soi Kun suggested that there should be a list to rank the different kinds of contractors and the different kinds of construction they are able to undertake in order to avoid problems caused by lack of experience. Raimundo Rosário said he agreed with the suggestion but did not have the capacity to create this list as his resources at the Secretariat are too stretched. “I agree with this suggestion and many others presented here today. But I do not dare to make any promise because we already have too much work and we cannot assume more. This is like going to a buffet restaurant; I only have one stomach and its capacity will not expand so I cannot say I will eat all the food”, he explained. Raimundo Rosário rejects recycled water for Macau Peninsula The Secretary said he is against the implementation of recycled water on the Macau Peninsula because of the costs involved and the public works required. “In environmental terms, it makes sense to adopt this system. But we do not lack water in Macau because we are importing it from Mainland China and it is cheap”, he said. “Recycled water is expensive and it would only be used for toilets. Is it worth it? I have my doubts”. On the sidelines of the Policy Address, the Secretary also revealed to journalists that in the coming months the government will launch a public consultation on reclaimed land plots B, C, D and E. Construction on idle land causing problems The Secretary for Transport and Public Works admitted that the Law on Land approved in 2013 has caused problems for the government because it does not take into account parcels of land in which the development deadline has already expired but there are ongoing construction [projects] to develop it, as contracted by the government. “We must find a solution for land considered idle but which have works being developed on it. The law did not take into account this scenario and so there is an omission in the law. As the law to develop the land has [been enacted] already this is a juridical and social problem”, Raimundo Rosário said of the issue. “The government and the Legislative Assembly will have to find a solution for the problem. I don’t know who is responsible for this but I think that we will have to resolve this problem”, he told the Legislative Assembly.