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WEDNESDAY, JULY 17, 1991
ΤΟ
MR BARNES SAID EVERYTHING POSSIBLE WAS BEING DONE TO FIND WAYS REDUCE THE LABOUR DEMAND AND THE SIMPLIFICATIONS IN THE CONTROL SYSTEM THAT WERE INTRODUCED IN DECEMBER 1990 HAD HELPED.
"THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION DEPARTMENT HAS HAD AN INCREASE IN STAFF THAT IS GENEROUS IN RELATIVE TERMS BUT IT IS STILL NOT ENOUGH TO IMPLEMENT THE CONTROLS AS FAST AS WAS EARLIER PLANNED.
"NEVERTHELESS, THE GOVERNMENT STILL GAVE VERY HIGH PRIORITY TO THE PROVISION OF SEWAGE DISPOSAL FACILITIES. APPROXIMATELY $1.7 BILLION WAS NOW ALLOCATED FOR SEWERAGE IMPROVEMENTS, HE SAID.
WOULD
THIS YEAR, MR BARNES SAID, A FURTHER COMMITMENT OF FUNDS BE SOUGHT FOR REPAIR AND REFURBISHMENT OF SEWERS AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE FIRST PHASE OF THE STRATEGIC SEWAGE DISPOSAL SCHEME.
"WE WILL DO OUR BEST TO MAINTAIN THE PROGRAMME AS SET OUT IN THE 1991 REVIEW OF THE WHITE PAPER ON POLLUTION." HE SAID.
++
REFERRING TO ANOTHER PART OF THE QUESTION BY MR WONG CONCERNING THE CHEMICAL WASTE TREATMENT CENTRE (CWTC), MR BARNES SAID THE CAPITAL COST WOULD BE $1.3 BILLION AND THE OPERATING COSTS WERE EXPECTED ΤΟ AVERAGE ABOUT $313 MILLION ANNUALLY OVER 15 YEARS.
HE SAID THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICY WAS TO RECOVER THE FULL COSTS OF THE DEVELOPMENT AND OPERATION OF THE NEW FACILITIES AND IS SEEKING TO GENERATE AROUND $340 MILLION PER ANNUM IN REVENUE FOR THIS PURPOSE.
"THE SUM 18 CALCULATED ON THE BASIS OF RECOVERING THE FULL CAPITAL COST OF THE TREATMENT FACILITIES OVER A PERIOD OF 15 YEARS TOGETHER WITH ESTIMATED OPERATING COSTS OVER THE SAME PERIOD.
"THE METHOD THAT GOVERNMENT PROPOSES TO RECOVER THESE COSTS IS A BROAD BASED AD VALOREM LEVY OF APPROXIMATELY 0.75 PER CENT ON CHEMICAL IMPORTS, A CHARGE ON LOCALLY MANUFACTURED CHEMICALS TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE WITH GATT REQUIREMENTS, AND A CHARGE ON MARPOL WASTES. THESE LATTER TWO CHARGES HAVE NOT YET BEEN ESTIMATED, HE SAID.
■
MR BARNES SAID FULL DETAILS OF THE PROPOSAL ΤΟ RECOVER THE COSTS OF THE CWTC WERE INCLUDED IN A CONSULTATIVE DOCUMENT RELEASED TO INDUSTRY LAST MONTH.
AS ᏢᎪᎡᎢ OF THE CONSULTATIVE ARRANGEMENTS, STAFF FROM THE PLANNING, ENVIRONMENT AND LANDS BRANCH AND THE EPD HAD NOW BRIEFING KEY INDUSTRIAL GROUPS ON THE CONSULTATIVE DOCUMENT,
COMPLETED HE SAID.
RECOVERING NEVER WRITTEN
ARE
"I CANNOT PRESENTLY SAY THAT OUR PROPOSED METHOD OF COSTS IS ACCEPTABLE TO INDUSTRY,' BECAUSE ADDITIONAL COSTS EASY TO ACCEPT, BUT WE ARE EXPECTING INDUSTRY TO SUBMIT THEIR VIEWS BY AUGUST 1.
"ON THE BASIS OF THESE VIEWS, THE ADMINISTRATION WILL CONSIDER WHAT FURTHER ACTION, IF ANY, IT NEEDS TO TAKE ON ITS PROPOSALS FOR THE BEFORE MAKING A SUBMISSION ΤΟ THE GOVERNOR IN
RECOVERY
COUNCIL,
OF COSTS
HE SAID,
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