Putting a positive spin on savings

Official financial information projects the city will complete the 2016 fiscal year with a surplus of some MOP29.3 billion (US$3/7 billion), Chief Executive Fernando Chui Sai On stated yesterday.
Speaking to reporters before departing for Beijing to discuss the planning of the city’s territorial waters, the top official said the MSAR Government anticipates “a positive fiscal surplus” for this fiscal year given the current information for the first 10 months of the year.
For this fiscal year, the government had projected a positive surplus of MOP18.2 billion in its 2016 budget plan whilst official data of Financial Services Bureau shows the city’s fiscal surplus amounted to MOP21.4 billion for the first nine months of the year.

No rash decisions
Meanwhile, the CE said the Secretary for Transport and Public Works Raimundo do Rosário believes a decision on the Peninsula route of the light rail transport (LRT) would be made before the end of the year.
In October, legislators Kou Hoi In, Cheang Chi Keong and Chui Sai Cheong proposed the government ditch its plans for the LRT on the Peninsula, indicating that related works would lead to an increase in traffic on the Peninsula. They suggested, instead, the government replace the LRT with a monorail system.
The top official said yesterday that the decision on the Peninsula route would be made taking into account the opinions of the community in addition to the opinions of legislators.
When questioned about the development of public housing in Avenida Wai Long in Taipa, the CE said the government prioritised developing public housing projects on the city’s recovered land plots.
During an Urban Planning Committee meeting (CPU) earlier this week, committee members expressed discordant views on the construction of 10,000 public housing units on a land plot in Avenida Wai Long and Estrada da Ponta da Cabrita opposite Macau International Airport in Taipa. They expressed concerns about height limits, environmental impact and the necessity of private housing.
Nevertheless, the top official stressed that providing housing for more residents is always the government’s main priority. He added that the decision to develop public housing projects on the land plot was made “after many studies”.
But the CE also said the government would continue studying its plans for the plot by considering height issues, environmental impact and the general demands of residents.

Maritime matters
During his three-day trip to Beijing, the CE will discuss with the central government the planning of the city’s territorial waters, in addition the MSAR’s role in the ‘One Belt, One Road’ strategic policy.
“When Premier Li Keqiang visited Macau, there were talks regarding reinforcing support for the MSAR’s management of its waters, in addition to creating a medium and long term plan for its exploration between 2016 and 2036”, the CE stated.
Last year, the Chinese central government approved the demarcation of 85 square kilometres of territorial waters for the MSAR, granting the government the power to handle security and monitor sailing activities in local waters.