The Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, holds a meeting at the Government Headquarters with 11 members of the Legislative Assembly to exchange views on issues relating to Pearl Horizon.
The Government has been paying close attention to issues relating to Pearl Horizon, and striving to protect the rights of homebuyers in that unfinished private housing project.
The Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, stressed that adherence to the rule of law and respect for the spirit of the rule of law were the principles for any Government actions relating to Pearl Horizon; the Government would also need to strike a balance between the public interest and the protection of the rights of homebuyers in Pearl Horizon.
Mr Chui made the comments on Saturday (8 April) during a meeting at the Government Headquarters to exchange views on the Pearl Horizon case with 11 members of the Legislative Assembly. Those legislators that attended the meeting were representing 19 Assembly members that had jointly signed a letter on Pearl Horizon-related issues. The letter was submitted to the Chief Executive during Saturday’s meeting.
The Government greatly respected judicial independence, and noted that some matters relating to Pearl Horizon were the subjects of pending legal proceedings, said the Chief Executive.
Assembly members mentioned during the meeting several proposed solutions that they said would not require amendment of Macao’s Land Law.
The Government had dedicated continued effort regarding following up on the case. It had formed five teams of legal experts – covering a wide range of areas – to press ahead with analysis of relevant matters, said Mr Chui.
Some solutions suggested by the Assembly members had previously been discussed internally in the Government: Mr Chui explained the constraints and difficulties that would emerge if the solutions as currently proposed were adopted.
Fresh routes to resolution – as mentioned by the Assembly members – had helped inspire the Government regarding the Pearl Horizon case; Mr Chui expressed his gratitude for their contributions and for their understanding regarding the efforts of the Government.
The Government fully understood the issues faced by homebuyers, following a decision to recover the land from Pearl Horizon due to the leaseholder failing to fulfil the land concession agreement.
The Secretary for Administration and Justice, Ms Chan Hoi Fan, who was also at the meeting, said the legal experts directed by the Government to seek possible solutions to the matter, maintained their efforts: such solutions would need to comply with existing law and regulation; and respect the legitimacy of the land concession system.
The Government had decided that the land assigned for Pearl Horizon – a private housing project that is unfinished – should revert to the administration when the land concession expired on 25 December 2015.
Government officials attending Saturday’s meeting included: the Commissioner Against Corruption, Mr Cheong Weng Chon; the Chief-of-Office of the Chief Executive’s Office, Ms O Lam; the Director of the Government Information Bureau, Mr Chan Chi Ping; the Director of the Legal Affairs Bureau, Mr Liu Dexue; and the Director of the Land, Public Works and Transport Bureau, Mr Li Canfeng.
The 11 Assembly members present were: Mr Lam Heong Sang; Ms Kwan Tsui Hang; Mr Ng Kuok Cheong; Mr Au Kam San; Mr Chan Meng Kam; Mr Ho Ion Sang; Mr Leong Veng Chai; Mr Si Ka Lon; Ms Lei Cheng I; Ms Wong Kit Cheng; and Ms Song Pek Kei.