HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL — 28 February 1990
香港立法局
·九九0年二月二十八日
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its operations. The regulation may be by way of legislation, franchise and/or a scheme of control agreement but in all such cases the level of regulation is kept to the minimum compatible with public interest.
The ultimate control lies in the requirement for the charges levied to be subject to Government's approval. In approving such charges, the basic considerations are that the company should have made every effort to achieve cost economies for the benefit of consumers, and that having done so, it should be allowed to recover the full cost of providing the service together with a reasonable profit so as to encourage further investment to meet changes in demand and approved standards in service. It is essential to balance the interests of consumers on the one hand, and shareholders and investors on the other, and the present approach is in line with this objective.
As regards the gas supply sector, fuel gases for heating and cooking purposes are currently supplied either as towngas and synthetic natural gas (SNG) by the Hong Kong and China Gas Company Limited or as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) by a number of oil companies. There are approximately 1.56 million gas customers in Hong Kong, of which about 689 000 or 45% use piped towngas or SNG, 225 000 or 15% use piped LPG and 610 000 or 40% use LPG in cylinders. The oil companies have a 55% share of the market in terms of number of customers. But in terms of sales of gas energy, the market shares of LPG and Hong Kong and China Gas Company are roughly in the region of 40:60.
Government recognizes that Hong Kong and China Gas Company is the sole supplier of towngas in Hong Kong. However LPG provides an alternative choice of fuel gas and both types have respectable market shares. Consumers can also choose electricity as a source of energy supply. It is therefore not considered necessary to introduce legislative control over Hong Kong and China Gas Company or to put it under a scheme of control.
However, Government will monitor the situation closely. Should the company increase its market share to such an extent that it became a virtual monopoly in the gas supply sector and it is found to be operating against the public interest, then consideration would be given to putting the company under some form of control.
周美德議員問:主席先生,現時既然没有任何機構去審查或評估這類公司的運作,油價、汽車保 險等問題很多時都由幾間大公司共同商議後就出現一個暗盤的壟斷情況。政府會否計劃成立一個 組織去審查這類問題,況且現時消委會已預備設立小組,研究商業機構在香港有否壟斷的行為? 政府會否制訂反壟斷法例以配合消委會的工作?