Hong Kong waste tax postponed until August – reports
Hong Kong Free Press
The Hong Kong government has postponed the roll out of its already delayed pay-as-you-throw waste tax until August, local media outlets have reported citing sources.
Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan will meet the press at 4pm on Friday about “enhanced arrangements” for the waste charging scheme, the government said in a press release.
Citing sources, NowTV reported that while the waste charging scheme will be implemented at government offices on April 1 as planned, the levy will not apply elsewhere until August 1.
Friday’s delay, if confirmed, would mark the second postponement of the controversial scheme, which will require Hongkongers to purchase government-authorised bags to dispose of their rubbish or risk a HK$1,500 fine.
The scheme was approved by the legislature in August 2021, with authorities announcing that the charge would come into effect by the end of 2023. Last year, it was announced that the levy would not be introduced until April 1.
Under the new scheme, the designated plastic bags will come in nine different sizes, ranging from three to 100 litres, with each litre costing HK$0.11. A household using one 10 or 15 litre bag per day would pay about HK$33 to HK$51 a month in garbage tax.
Tse said in an Op-ed published by Ming Pao on Monday that similar arrangements overseas had encouraged people to recycle, and the tax could result in a “cleaner, more hygienic and healthy” city.
Public concerns
The scheme has raised concerns in the public and various sectors over implementation details and increased running costs.
Grace Li, honorary chairwoman of Elderly Services Association of Hong Kong, said on RTHK on Thursday that the new levy would not help reduce waste at care homes for the elderly, where most of the refuse was non-recyclable clinical waste.
“For a large-scale care homes… this means an additional cost of hundreds of thousands of dollars, or even up to millions, a year. This operational cost is quite excessive,” Li said, adding the waste disposal requirements would increase employees’ workload.
After organising a talk with local residents on Wednesday, the city’s largest pro-establishment party, the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, said in a press release on Thursday that cleaners were worried about how to handle rubbish not disposed of in authorised bags.
Residents also raised concerns that the cost of the designated bags may burden low-income families and the elderly.
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https://hongkongfp.com/2024/01/19/hong-kong-waste-tax-postponed-until-august-reports/