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The Government announced in the Gazette today (May 9) the Sewage Services (Trade Effluent Surcharge) (Amendment) Regulation 2008 with a view to updating the trade effluent surcharge scheme according to a trade-specific effluent survey completed by the Environmental Protection Department and the Hong Kong Productivity Council in 2007.
The trade effluent surcharge (TES) is a charge introduced in 1995 to recover from 30 trades the additional cost incurred in treating effluents stronger than domestic sewage.
Under the amendment regulation, three of the TES trades -"bleaching and dyeing of garments", "textile stencilling and printing" and "laundries" ¡V will be removed from the scheme as the quality of their trade effluents is comparable to or not stronger than that of domestic sewage.
"There is no longer any basis to subject these three trades to the TES which seeks to recover from operators the additional cost incurred in treating effluent more polluting than domestic sewage," an EPD spokesman said.
In addition, the TES rates for 13 trades, representing about 92% of all TES accounts, will be reduced from August 1. TES rates for these trades are being adjusted downwards to reflect the fact that their effluents have become less polluting and the resultant cost of treating these effluents has reduced.
The spokesman said, "for instance, the restaurant trade, which accounts for three-quarters of the TES accounts, will enjoy a 19% reduction in TES rate from $3.78 to $3.05 per cubic metre.
"We welcome the efforts of the trades to reduce pollution by improving the performance of their pollution control measures and are encouraged to see that certain trades have significantly improved their effluent quality,¡¨ he said.
"This has demonstrated the effectiveness of the application of the polluter-pays principle".
The TES rates for the remaining 14 trades will be increased according to the Amendment Regulation because the effluents of these trades were found to be stronger than the values presently prescribed. There is a need to fully recover the attributable operating cost.
"These 14 trades will face two increases in 2008-09 and 2009-10. For the majority of these accounts, the annual increase in the monthly bill will be less than $200," the spokesman said.
The Amendment Regulation made by the Chief Executive-in-Council on May 6 will be tabled at the Legislative Council for negative vetting on May 14.
"We look forward to the Members' continual support of the polluter-pays principle. Our target is to bring the new rate into force on August 1," he said.
Ends/Friday, May 9, 2008
Issued at HKT 11:31
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