Minister makes clear scheme’s purpose is not to boost tax revenue, but to cut wasteGovernment plans to launch scheme in late 2020 at earliest
Hong Kong’s environment minister Wong Kam-sing called for public support for a proposed mandatory waste charging scheme, saying on Sunday the city was already about 20 years behind Seoul and Taipei in starting such an arrangement.
Wong also made clear the scheme’s purpose was not to boost tax revenue, but to reduce waste.
“As an advanced city in Asia, Hong Kong… is already 20 years slower than Seoul and Taipei in reducing waste through such a scheme. The per capita disposal of municipal solid waste has been increasing,” he said on a television talk show.
“It doesn’t match our image as an international city. There has been increasing pressure on our landfill sites.”
The government planned to launch the scheme in late 2020 at the earliest. A draft bill would be presented at the Legislative Council later this month.
Under the proposal, 80 per cent of rubbish generated by housing estates, residential buildings and shops would have to go into designated bags, priced at an average of 11 HK cents (1 US cent) per litre.
Nine sizes, ranging from three litres to 100 litres, would be made available. The remaining 20 per cent would be charged by weight.
The charge for the bags would be 30 HK cents for the smallest one, three litres, while the biggest, 100 litres, would cost HK$11.
