A proposal by Hongkong Electric to increase its charges has been challenged by officials, who demanded further justification before granting approval.
Secretary for Economic Services Sandra Lee Suk-yee yesterday confirmed the company's annual tariff adjustment report was received a few hours after the media reported the firm was seeking a five per cent rise.
But she said the Government had yet to make a decision. 'There is a series of data that requires more details. It has an impact on how well we assess the overall financial situation [of the company],' she told Legco's economic services panel.
She said the company had said it was under pressure to increase charges, but would not say the percentage sought. The company and the Government will brief lawmakers on the outcome when the panel meets next month.
In September, the company ran a newspaper advertisement saying the basic tariff had been raised by 6.3 cents per unit.
But the tariffs paid by households on Hong Kong Island and Lamma Island had remained unchanged because they were offset by increases in fuel and other rebates.
Sin Chung-kai of the Democratic Party asked whether Hongkong Electric had 'jumped the gun'.
