Hong Kong property management firms concerned over handling waste-charging scheme breaches, 90% have yet to reach agreement with clients: regulatory body

Property management firms in Hong Kong have expressed concerns over how to deal with potential breaches of a waste-charging scheme set to be implemented in three months, as more than 90 per cent have not reached an agreement with their clients on addressing such issues, according to the industry’s regulatory body.

The Property Management Services Authority on Tuesday urged the Environmental Protection Department to step up education and awareness efforts and also offer a six-month transition period for the scheme.

Under the municipal waste-charging scheme, which will take effect on April 1, residents will be required to buy government-approved plastic bags, available in nine sizes, at a cost of 11 HK cents (1.4 US cents) a litre.

“[The property management companies] were mostly concerned about how breaches should be handled, and how the cost incurred should be shared. All these details need to be sorted out with the owners,” said Alan Siu Yu-bun, chief executive officer of the property management authority.

The regulatory body earlier surveyed 178 companies that serve more than 5,800 residential estates, businesses, industrial buildings, hotels, shopping centres and wet markets, on the progress of their preparation efforts ahead of the roll-out.

But only 5 to 11 per cent of the respondents said they had reached a consensus with their clients on the implementation details of the scheme, such as how to collect waste and handle potential breaches.

The rest said they were still in the preparatory stages.