The Secretary for Administration and Justice, Ms Chan Hoi Fan, speaks to reporters.
The Government has nearly completed a first phase of restructuring regarding public departments. It involved the integration of Macao Post with the Bureau of Telecommunications Regulation; and the integration of the Security Forces Coordination Office with the Unitary Police Service. The Secretary for Administration and Justice, Ms Chan Hoi Fan, on Friday (5 August) told reporters that the Government was confident the restructuring could be completed as scheduled. The Government had increased the amount of effort it applied to rationalising administrative structures and streamlining public services, Ms Chan said. In addition, the Government would review the licensing process for the catering and hotel sectors, in a bid further to enhance one-stop cross-departmental services. It was expected that such revisions would be completed before year-end, she added. Ms Chan said that the Government would review – in the course of this year and next year – a total of 45 licensing procedures involving cross-departmental cooperation. The Government would also study the possibility of establishing an online system that would allow individual applicants for licences to gain a better understanding of licensing procedures and requirements; and would allow them to check the progress of their respective applications. Ms Chan also stated the Government would strictly control the growth in the number of civil servants. The Government did not expect to expand its administrative workforce: recruitment would focus instead on replacement of people that had resigned or retired.