Photo: Xinhua/Cheong Kam Ka

Diplomat says it is possible to improve use of Portuguese in courts

The Portuguese Consul General in Macau and Hong Kong praised the local efforts to preserve, maintain and consolidate the Portuguese legacy, but argued that it is possible to improve the use of Portuguese in the administration of justice in the SAR.

“Regarding the heritage, material and intangible, buildings and Portuguese language, I think that the Government of Macau has made a considerable investment effort for its preservation, maintenance and consolidation, also as a result of the guidance established by Central Government of the PRC”, underlined Paulo Cunha-Alves, in a written interview to Lusa.

“Obviously, it will always be possible to do better, particularly with regard to the wider use of Portuguese, for example in the administration of justice,” said the diplomat.

The ambassador stressed, however, that “the role of the Portuguese community in the development of the MSAR has been recognized by the Chief Executive on occasions such as Portugal Day or the presentation of government programs in the Legislative Assembly” and that “the same can be said of members of the Executive or other levels of the Macau administration. ”

Asked if the Sino-Portuguese commitment has been respected in Macau, from freedom of expression to other basic rights of the population, Paulo Cunha-Alves said it is “fully reflected in the MSAR Basic Law”.

“The Portuguese Government has been monitoring its implementation over the past 20 years and considers that the commitments made regarding the legal specificity of Macau have been satisfactorily fulfilled,” he said.

Regarding the most relevant complaints and situations the consulate is confronted with, the consul admitted that “the main difficulties (…) are related to the scarcity of human resources and the high turnover rate of staff”.

Regarding the recurring complaints about low wages of those working at the consulate, Paulo Cunha-Alves stated that “it is true that the cost of living in the MSAR is high and that attention should be paid to the relationship between wages and the cost of housing and services.”

João Carreira