Hong Kong authorities take ‘pragmatic’ approach to waste levy scheme’s start date, stress need to wait for outcome of trial run
- Environment chief Tse Chin-wan says government must be prudent about pay-as-you-throw scheme amid highly polarised public response
- ‘That is why we need to conduct a trial run to examine the experience of participants and their difficulties to see if Hong Kong is ready for the levy or not,’ he adds
Hong Kong authorities are taking a “pragmatic” attitude to the citywide launch date for a controversial waste-charging policy, the environmental chief has said, stressing the need to wait for the outcome of a trial run before deciding the next step.
Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan said on Saturday that the government must be prudent about the launch of the pay-as-you-throw scheme, which had triggered a highly polarised response among the public.
“This is a very important policy affecting 7 million people in Hong Kong. We need to be prudent about what we are going to do for the next step as some people hope we can postpone the scheme, while others think we should stick to the timetable,” he told a radio programme.
“That is why we need to conduct a trial run to examine the experience of the participants and their difficulties to see if Hong Kong is ready for the levy or not.
“We hope that through the trial run, we can see its actual impact on society. The government will examine the situation in a pragmatic manner and decide the next step forward.”
