TNAG-2868-FCO40-4122-Sewage-strategy-in-Hong-Kong-1993 — Page 20

ย

Annex A

The Charging Scheme Principles and Structure

The Principles

W

The general principles underlying the charging scheme for sewage services are

(a)

(b)

(c)

(d)

charges paid by different categories of service users should reflect the costs of providing the services to these users (Polluter Pays

Cross Principle).

subsidies between different user categories should be minimised;

the basis on which charges are calculated should be relatively easy to explain and justify to the public;

charges should be relatively simple to calculate so that monitoring and administration of the charging scheme is manageable; and

the

charges, where

should feasible,

encourage efficient

of services,

of in terms

both the financial and the environmental costs and benefits.

The Structure

2.

use

:

On the basis of the charging principles, it is proposed

users levied against eight categories of that charges be levied against Residential (individually metered) : Residential (communally metered) : Government: Fresh Water Flushing: Miscellaneous. category would pay charges based on three components :

(a)

(b)

(c)

Restaurants :

Other

Commercial :

Industrial : Users in each

the

a fixed charge, to recover

cost the fixed

of services. This fixed charge should include a capacity charge (based on the size of a user's water meter) and an account charge (reflecting the cost per account of billing, administration, etc.);

a variable charge, to recover the operating cost which varies with the volume of sewage discharged; and

a trade effluent surcharge, to reflect the additional cost for treating the more polluting industrial or commercial effluent down to the average strength of domestic sewage.

annexa.fin