Secretary for the Environment Edward Yau Tang-wah says the government is willing to listen to the public's views on its plan to distribute coupons to promote use of energy-saving light bulbs.
Critics say the scheme is ill thought out and want the Environment Bureau to modify it. Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen unveiled the scheme in his policy address two weeks ago.
Asked yesterday if the proposal had been too rushed, the minister said: 'I think it is worth gathering more views, as this is not only a policy but an issue for society.'
Under the HK$240 million scheme, all power users would have to pay an extra 0.5 HK cents to 0.6 cents per kilowatt-hour of electricity they use next year to finance the distribution of HK$100 coupons to 2.4 million residential power users for the purchase of energy-efficient bulbs.
The Legislative Council's panel on environment affairs will discuss the government's proposal on Monday.
The Democratic Party yesterday wrote to the chief executive for a second time to demand he appear before Legco to answer criticism that the scheme favours his elder son's father-in-law, a major distributor of Philips light bulbs, saying he should have revealed this through a declaration of interest to the Executive Council. Philips dominates the market for energy-efficient light bulbs.