A trial run for Hong Kong’s pay-as-you-throw waste tax will inform the government of how the public understands the new policy, the city’s leader John Lee has said.
Lee’s comments came after the Environment and Ecology Bureau announced that a demonstration scheme, involving 14 premises, will be in place from next Monday to preview the implementation of the new tax.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Lee said the government wanted to “test how [people] understand the law and what they anticipate as the challenges as they go through the actual exercise.”
“We want to see how people’s behaviour in reducing garbage will be,” the leader added. “We also want to know the actual behavioural change of people who produce garbage, of the cleansing staff, of the estate management, and of business operators.”
In January, authorities postponed the city-wide launch of the “municipal solid waste charging scheme,” citing “the public’s concerns.” It was meant to be in place from April.
The scheme aims to reduce waste by requiring residents to dispose of garbage only in designated bags, which they will have to purchase.
Ahead of the trial run, the government published the list of 14 premises where the pilot period will take place. Environmental NGO The Green Earth has lamented the list, which included only one government building, the West Kowloon Government Offices.
“There are no public schools, parks, government residences, entertainment facilities, or clinics and hospitals under the Hospital Authority, therefore residents and other government departments would not be able to become aware of waste disposal methods [under the new scheme],” the NGO said in a Chinese statement last Friday.
Asked if the government was still committed to enforcing the waste tax after multiple delays, Lee said the demonstration scheme could help ensure that the policy’s roll-out is smooth. The legislature approved the new law in 2021.
“I think a government trying to do its job to ensure [the waste tax] will be smoothly carried out, taking heed of the public opinions, creates credibility for the government,” he said.
Lee added that Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration Warner Cheuk would lead an interdepartmental team to oversee the trial run and review its outcome, and that authorities are expected to report to the legislature in May or June.
Further delays possible
Lee’s comments came after environmental chief Tse Chin-wan on Monday did not rule out the possibility of a further postponement of the waste tax if the trial run was met with “unsatisfactory results.”
Asked by lawmakers if the government would again delay a city-wide implementation if problems arise during the trial run, Tse said authorities were committed in enforcing the tax.
“We are dedicated, and we hope to implement it… but we have to be open [to the results of the trial run],” Tse said in Cantonese in a legislature panel.
He added that the implementation of the waste tax was set out in the legislation, but authorities would be receptive to making changes as necessary.
The waste tax was originally slated for a full roll-out by the end of 2023. Since then, authorities have twice pushed back its implementation, with Tse announcing most recently in January that the levy would come into effect in August.
The tax will be levied through designated bags which come in nine sizes, ranging from three to 100 litres. A household using a 10 or 15 litre bag per day would pay about HK$33 to HK$51 a month – those who fail to do so would risk a HK$1,500 fine.
But the city’s estate management sector has expressed concerns over difficulties in ensuring residents dispose their garbage with the designated bags. The Society for Community Organization, an NGO, also urged further delay of a full enforcement, citing a survey it conducted in which underprivileged residents raised concerns about the affordability of the levy.
See also: Over 50% Hong Kong subdivided flat dwellers ‘uncertain’ about waste tax scheme, survey finds
Tse on Monday said authorities would gather statistics such as participation rate, recycling rate, and waste amount during the trial run, and that the government did not plan to postpone the August implementation at this stage.
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