XN000022-1995-07-11 — Page 17

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Sewage charge and trade effluent surcharge widely accepted

In response to press enquiries, a Government spokesman said in view of the concerns of the restaurant trade, the Administration had had discussions with their representatives on four occasions, and had agreed that the trade could commission a survey to recheck the Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) value and discharge factor.

"The Administration would be prepared to accept the result of the survey if the survey is done in a scientific, unbiased and independent manner," the spokesman said.

He said: "The Administration has specified a number of conditions and the restaurant representatives have engaged a consultancy firm to act as their adviser. The Government is still waiting for the trade representatives to come back with their proposal on how to carry out the survey."

The spokesman said the Sewage Charging Scheme, including the Trade Effluent Surcharge (TES), is based on Polluter Pays Principle. They are modest, fair and reasonable and are accepted by the community at large. Of the customers who have received the first batch of sewage charge bills, 99.9 per cent have already paid the sewage charge due and 94 per cent have paid the TES, he said.

The spokesman added that the Administration had maintained an ongoing constructive dialogue with the trade representatives on the issue.

This is the appropriate forum to discuss the trade's concerns and the credible data to be provided by the trade to substantiate their claims, he said.

End/Tuesday, July 11, 1995

Contract awarded for the new airport

The Secretary for the Treasury, on the advice of the Central Tender Board, has approved the award of an Airport Core Programme (ACP) contract for the supply and installation of a Voice Recording System for the new airport at Chek Lap Kok.

The contract, valued at $7.9 million, has been awarded by the Civil Aviation Department to Swire Engineering Limited of Hong Kong.