Government officials will explain to the Legislative Assembly the legal grounds for rescinding the decisions on 16 sites that were previously classified as “idle plots”, the Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, said today. Every decision the Government made is law-abiding and according to a series of legal and administrative procedures, he stressed. Speaking to reporters in Beijing before ending his three-day visit, Mr Chui said the Government would spare no efforts in the work on recovering “idle plots”, which developers had failed to develop according to the time and terms stated in the agreements, to safeguard the public interest and maintain the long-term prosperity of Macao. To work in line with the Government policy directions, the former Secretary for Transportation and Public Works, Mr Lau Si Io, had set up an expert team and a string of procedures for recovering leased but not developed plots of land during his tenure. The Government had far revoked the decision on 18 “idle plots” since 2009. As to his present visit to Beijing, Mr Chui said he was confident that the work of specifying Macao’s jurisdiction over its “customary waters” would be completed by the end of this year. He disclosed that he had in meeting officials from the State Oceanic Administration explored issues such as how to seize the emerging opportunities in maritime economy under the nation’s strategic development. On boundary-crossing measures, he said he hoped they would help relieve the pressure on the Gongbei-Macao checkpoints would be approved by the Central Government. The Government would inform the Central Government on how Macao could contribute in countrywide economic development and the “Belt and Road” initiative – the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. Further information would be announced in due course.