Hong Kong delays waste charging to August after city leader decides more time needed to explain scheme to public
- Scheme was set to take effect in April, after earlier delay, but has met with criticism and confusion over logistical details in past two weeks
- Environment chief Tse Chin-wan says government departments from April will take lead and show public how scheme works, before citywide launch on August 1
A source told the Post the U-turn was decided on Friday morning, just hours before the government held a media briefing originally slated to provide the public with further details about how the waste-charging scheme would launch in April.
While green groups accused authorities of bungling the roll-out, Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan said in the afternoon that government departments would instead take the lead that month by demonstrating how the scheme would operate before the initiative launched citywide on August 1.
“It takes time for authorities to explain the execution details of the scheme to different sectors of society and to convey the message that it is very simple and easy for residents to follow,” he said. “It will be positive for the implementation of the scheme if we are given more time to explain to the public.”
A government source said the decision to postpone was made just hours before it was announced, as city leader John Lee Ka-chiu suggested the communication work was “not satisfactory” and more cross-bureau promotion work was needed before the scheme could launch.
Lee had taken part in interdepartmental meetings involving housing, home affairs and information services officials this week, where he “pragmatically” suggested no improvements in public understanding of waste charging had been made since he demanded the Environment and Ecology Bureau put more effort into the promotion campaign, the insider said.