XN000022-1994-03-02 — Page 59

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 1994

6

SEWAGE CHARGING SCHEME ACCEPTABLE TO COMMUNITY

PRESENT

WATER

FOR

LEGISLATIVE

HOUSEHOLDS PAYING NO WATER CHARGES UNDER THE TARIFF WOULD

SECRETARY ALSO BE EXEMPT FROM SEWAGE CHARGES, THE PLANNING, ENVIRONMENT AND LANDS, MR TONY EASON, TOLD THE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON EMILY LAU WAI-HING, LESS MR EASON SAID: "TO PROVIDE AN INCENTIVE TO HOUSEHOLDS GENERATING SEWAGE, WE PROPOSE THAT HOUSEHOLDS CONSUMING 13 CUBIC METRES OF WATER OR LESS IN FOUR MONTHS SHOULD BE EXEMPT FROM SEWAGE CHARGES.

"THIS WILL BENEFIT ABOUT 287,000 OR 17 PER CENT HOUSEHOLDS,

HE

SAID.

MR

14

ON THE QUESTION THAT ABOUT 236,000 OR 14 PER CENT HOUSEHOLDS MAY HAVE TO PAY MORE FOR THE SEWAGE CHARGES THAN THEIR WATER BILLS, EASON SAID THIS WAS BECAUSE THESE HOUSEHOLDS WHO CONSUMED BETWEEN AND 24 CUBIC METRES OF WATER OVER A FOUR-MONTH BILLING PERIOD HAD

RECEIVING THE FIRST 13 CUBIC METRES OF WATER FREE ADVANTAGE OF CHARGE UNDER THE EXISTING WATER TARIFF.

THE

OF

"THEIR SEWAGE CHARGES MAY BE AS LOW AS $9.5 TO $11. 2 A MONTH COMPARED WITH THE EXPECTED AVERAGE OF $15 A MONTH, HE SAID.

MR EASON SAID "GIVEN THE LOW-USER EXEMPTION AND THE MODEST ACCEPTABLE CHARGES PROPOSED FOR ALL OTHER USERS, THE SCHEME SHOULD BE TO THE COMMUNITY.

·

HE SAID THE SEWAGE CHARGES WOULD BE BASED ON A FIXED SERVICE CONSUMED CHARGE OF $7 PER MONTH AND 70 CENTS PER CUBIC METRE OF WATER SO THAT THE RESULTING REVENUE WOULD RECOVER THE OPERATING COSTS OF SEWAGE SERVICES.

0

SINGLE PARENT TAX ALLOWANCE REVIEWED IN BUDGET

* * * * *

TAX ALLOWANCE FOR SINGLE PARENTS IS REVIEWED ALONGSIDE SALARIES TAX ALLOWANCES IN THE CONTEXT OF THE BUDGET EACH YEAR.

ADJUSTMENTS ARE MADE HAVING REGARD TO THE NEED TO MAINTAIN REAL VALUE OF THE ALLOWANCE AND THE GOVERNMENT'S FISCAL POSITION.

THIS WAS STATED BY THE SECRETARY FOR THE TREASURY, TSANG, IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO THE HON LI WAH-MING IN THE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

OTHER

THE

MR DONALD LEGISLATIVE

"IN RECOGNITION OF THE EXTRA FINANCIAL BURDEN THEY RAISING A FAMILY ON THEIR OWN, WE HAD SET THE ALLOWANCE AT WHICH WOULD PROVIDE SOME APPRECIABLE RELIEF TO THIS CATEGORY OF TAXPAYERS, MR TSANG SAID.

BEAR IN A LEVEL PARTICULAR

"UNDER EXISTING