Legco Dumps Government Waste Levy Plan

A Legco bills committee vetting the government's proposed waste disposal levy decided to halt its work on Monday, effectively putting an end to the bill.

Under the plan, households and businesses would have to pay a charge for the rubbish they throw out, either by purchasing special bags of various sizes, or paying based on the weight of trash taken to waste disposal facilities.

But pro-establishment lawmakers said there wasn’t enough time left for them to finish their work regarding the bill before the end of the current Legco term, meaning the government will have to introduce the proposal again after September's Legco polls if it intends to push ahead with the move.

Council Front's Chu Hoi-dick said the pan-dems also have their concerns about the levy, but it's a pity that the bill is dead.

"Under this political atmosphere, it is a bit difficult for us to put forward this waste disposal charging. The pro-Beijing camp just brutally stopped the discussion ... it is a pity, because it has been planned for years," Chu said.

He added that some members of the pro-establishment camp have been filibustering the bill.

The executive director of Greeners Action, Angus Ho, said the waste-charging scheme was first suggested about 15 years ago, and it was very disappointing to see progress has stopped after two years of discussions.

"Over the last whole year, I could not see the government doing enough to promote and advocate to Legco members about the legislation details," he told RTHK's Richard Pyne.

Ho added that these kind of bills are very important for the future of Hong Kong, but some political parties think they will affect their votes. "Legco members also have a lot of responsibility for the future environment being degraded," he said.