I read that Friends of the Earth proposed HK1.30 as the cost of disposing of a rubbish bag under a government waste-charging scheme, amounting to HK$40 a month for a typical family (SCMP, March 23). But is this fair?
It is not fair if the levy is too high for poor families. The government will also be making extra money.
On the other hand, if the levy is too low, say, 50 cents per bag, there will not be enough incentive for citizens to reduce waste and recycle useful materials.
It is clear that the levy of HK$1.30 per rubbish bag is set according to the polluter-pays principle. Citizens are just paying for the cost of disposing of their own waste, while the government makes no extra money or spends extra money to deal with the waste.
Rebecca Sze, SKH Tsang Shiu Tim Secondary School
From the Editor
