Fire Services Secretary Leung Yuk-sam said that the draft law on the Legal System for Fire Safety of Buildings and Venues is currently undergoing detailed deliberation, and the Fire Services Department will actively cooperate with the Legislative Council's deliberation work to strive for the early introduction of the new legal system for fire safety. And revealed that the law will clarify the responsibility of the unit before punishment.

Vice Chairman Cheng Shun Ming agreed that the legal system is conducive to promoting the improvement of fire service equipment in buildings, pointing to the lack of penalties and lack of deterrence in the past. However, if there is a problem with the fire protection equipment in the housing estate, the Housing Bureau and the Fire Services Bureau can also impose penalties. If it seems unfair for the Housing Bureau to impose penalties on all owners or the management company, the management company will also reflect that "it is not because the owners do not want to collect money, but because they do not want to collect money, there is no reason for the management company to collect money in private", hoping that the relevant departments of the authorities will do a good job in coordination before imposing penalties. Leung said the law would clarify liability in the future.

The FSD will actively cooperate with the Office of the Secretary for Security in completing the consultation, and improve the Bill in accordance with the views of the community after the completion of the consultation, so as to facilitate the subsequent legislative process.

More than 10,000 inspections last year

A total of 10,235 fire safety inspections were carried out last year, of which 4,572 fuel safety inspections were carried out on fuel stations, fuel depots, intermediate depots, fuel vehicles, gas suppliers and food outlets.

---- Taken from Macao Daily News on 13 January 2021