Macau Urban Renewal Limited (MUR) held a press conference on 3 June to introduce its organisational structure and preliminary development direction. MUR Chairperson of the Board of Directors Peter Lam Kam Seng and 1st Vice Chairperson Paulo Tse See Fan attended.

Lam, on behalf of MUR, introduced the company’s background, necessity, organisational structure, business model and the company’s first project. Lam said in his speech that society was eager to accelerate the process of urban renewal with the aim of creating an environment where residents can live in peace and work happily. He added that under this background, the Government has listened to views from all sectors of society, especially after a widespread discussion by the Urban Renewal Committee, the Government decided to establish MUR as an entity responsible for the execution of urban renewal through coordination and promotion.  

According to Lam, MUR is a public company fully owned by the Government and its board of directors and board of supervisors are formed by seven and three people respectively, adding that members are professionals from a wide spectrum of fields such as management, architecture, legal and accounting.

The board of directors has already established various select committees such as the Executive Committee, Design and Strategic Planning Committee, and Finance Committee among others to start work in their respective fields. As a company fully owned by the Government, Lam said that MUR has always put public interest first, apart from the board of supervisors’ independent monitoring, MUR has also set up an Internal Audit Committee to carry out regular performance reviews to ensure due diligence is performed and risk management is improved, which will also increase the effectiveness of internal and external supervising mechanisms.

Lam pointed out that according to Law No. 8/2019 “Legal Framework for the Provision of Temporary Housing and Home Swap Housing under the Urban Renewal Scheme”, MUR is an entity responsible for the execution of urban renewal and currently one of its tasks is to construct and allocate temporary housing and home swap housing units. Lam said that Chief Executive Order No.89/2019 stipulates details for eligible pre-sale buyers of the original Lot P construction project’s condominiums in Areia Preta as well as those being transferred with a property’s sale and purchase agreement can apply for a home swap housing unit, MUR will carry out such work in compliance with the SAR government’s relevant laws, regulations and policies.

Moreover, Lam said that the company would solve the problem properly with utmost sincerity and goodwill even though time was tight and the tasks were relatively difficult, adding that the Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) was entrusted by MUR to assist in receiving applications at the Northern District Public Services Centre Ground Floor Counter between 17 June and 16 August.

Tse said that various laws and regulations related to urban renewal have gradually been launched and come into effect this year, providing a legal foundation for the promotion of urban renewal, pointing out that the establishment of MUR was done at the right time.

Tse explained that with a company, urban renewal can be carried out by a business operating model that can improve operational efficiency, efficacy and flexibility. Tse added that the model is conducive to negotiation among stakeholders involved in urban renewal and building mutually beneficial relationships and mutual trust during the urban renewal process.

Furthermore, Tse shared his perspectives on defining the target scope of urban renewal area and revitalisation, emphasising that there are various ways to advance the city’s urban renewal, but the most crucial thing is to put heads together and reach a consensus. 

During the meeting, MUR representatives responded to the media’s questions regarding the future development plan for urban renewal and the status quo of Lot P home swap housing in Areia Preta.