Legco to hear fee proposals
Proposals to revise the fees for public services will be discussed with Legco, the Government says.
The fees will be those which do not affect people's livelihood or general business activities.
Most government fees have been frozen since February 1998 to help people deal with the recession triggered by the Asian financial crisis.
A proposal to increase fees for 3,000 types of public services, including water charges, met fierce opposition from Legco last June and was dropped.
The Government says the freeze is only a temporary measure and, as the economy is making a recovery, the 'user-pays' principle should be restored to lift the burden on the taxpayer.
Selina Chow Liang Shuk-yee, representing the wholesale and retail sector, stressed the party's support for the user-pays principle.
While adopting a wait-and-see approach, Mrs Chow said she could hardly find any fees 'that do not directly affect people's livelihood or general business activities'.
Tsang Yok-sing, chairman of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong, said all government fees related to livelihood should not be increased.
