The Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) previously held two exchange sessions with the trade about the reform of “One-stop Licensing Regime of Food and Beverage Establishments”. The situations of the reform of the licensing procedures entering into force on 25 January were introduced to the trade, including the comprehensive electronic application procedures, the simultaneous execution of approval review and construction works, inclusion of fire service acceptance inspection, etc., with the aim of helping to elevate the licensing efficiency and creating a more beneficial business environment. Moreover, the representatives of the authorities answered the questions from the trade and listened to their opinions on site.

A total of about 100 license applicants, representatives of applicants and representatives of the trade and groups attended the two exchange sessions. The attendees supported the reform of the licensing regime in general, in hope of accelerating the licensing efficiency and giving investors a shot in the arm for commencement of business in Macao, truly achieving “breaking barriers for the convenience of businesses and enterprises”. During the sessions, the representatives of IAM, the Public Administration and Civil Service Bureau, the Land and Urban Construction Bureau and the Fire Services Bureau introduced the background and concepts of the reform of the licensing regime, the license application procedures and requirements under the new regime, and the issues for attention concerning construction works and fire services, etc. In addition, the demonstration video was played to explain the operation details of the platform so as to assist the trade in grasping the different procedures of license application in advance.

As mentioned in the sessions, since the launch of the one-stop licensing procedures for food and beverage establishments, the Macao SAR Government has continuously maintained communication with stakeholders and summarised practical experiences to constantly optimise the administrative approval procedures. This reform of the regime is carried out in response to the trade’s demands and opinions on the optimisation of licensing procedures. A designated electronic platform is established in “Business & Associations Platform” to implement the comprehensive electronic application procedures, allowing applicants to submit online applications, enquire about the progress and receive notifications anytime and anywhere. In addition, the system of prior license for construction works is created so that the approval review and the construction works can be carried out simultaneously. Those that satisfy the conditions will be able to commence the renovation works the next day after submission of all required information at the earliest. Furthermore, the fire service acceptance inspection procedure, which required a separate application in the past, is included in the new regime. Applicants can book the time for inspections and acceptance inspections by themselves, and the acceptance standards are clearly specified, shortening the time for approval review.

During the sessions, the representatives of the trade raised their questions enthusiastically to enquire about the issues related to the new licensing regime. The representatives of the authorities replied to the questions one by one.