The reform regime of the “One-stop Licensing Procedures for Food and Beverage Establishments” has entered into force since 25 January this year. Applicants can make applications for the license in a fully electronic manner via the Business & Associations Platform to raise the licensing efficiency and reduce the costs for business commencement. The Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) continuously maintains communication with the sector through various channels to allow them to gain a deeper understanding of the licensing regime after the reform, the application procedures and the issues for attention. IAM recently held an explanatory session on electronic application for License for Food and Beverage Establishments, which was attended by close to 60 representatives of the sector.

The explanatory session was held in S. Lourenço Activity Centre on 26 June and about 60 license applicants, representatives of applicants, and representatives of the relevant sector and groups were in attendance. During the explanatory session, the representatives of IAM, the Public Administration and Civil Service Bureau, the Land and Urban Construction Bureau and the Fire Services Bureau introduced the content of reform of the “One-stop Licensing Procedures for Food and Beverage Establishments” in detail, and gave explanations on opening an account on the Business & Associations Platform, signing service of construction documents and authorisation letters, along with the operation details of the system involving construction works and fire services, etc. In addition, the common issues in the approval review and inspection processes were also explained.

The reform regime of “One-stop Licensing Procedures for Food and Beverage Establishments” is in response to the sector’s demands and opinions for optimisation of the licensing procedures. With the establishment of a designated electronic platform on the Business & Associations Platform and the implementation of fully electronic application procedures, applicants can submit applications, enquire about the progress and receive notifications online anytime and anywhere. Moreover, the creation of the system of prior license for construction works allows the simultaneous execution of approval review and commencement of construction works. Those that meet the requirements can start the renovation works the next day after submission of all required information at the earliest. In addition, the integration of the fire service acceptance inspection, which required a separate application in the past, enables applicants to make bookings for inspections and acceptance inspections on their own. With the specification of the acceptance standards, the time for approval review can be shortened.

During the seminar, the participants were keen to raise their questions and the representatives of different departments responded to them one by one. To facilitate the development of electronic governance of the Macao SAR Government, IAM will continue to review the implementation of the “One-stop Licensing Procedures for Food and Beverage Establishments” and will constantly listen to opinions to elevate the licensing efficiency. For enquiries, the public can call the Civic Service Hotline 2833 7676.