(To watch the full media session with sign language interpretation, click here.)

Fourteen premises in the city have been selected to participate in a municipal solid waste charging demonstration scheme starting on April 1. Chief Executive John Lee said the scheme will be used to observe behavioural changes and gather people’s views.

Mr Lee explained the scheme when he was asked about municipal solid waste charging by reporters before he attended the Executive Council meeting this morning.

Mr Lee said: “We all know that it is already the law for waste charging to take place.

“What are the things that we need to address? These include some things we want to test in the dry run at these 14 locations. We want to, first of all, test how players understand the law, and what they anticipate as the challenges as they go through the actual exercise. We want to see how people’s behaviour in reducing garbage will be.

“We also want to know the actual behavioural change of people who produce garbage, of the cleansing staff, of the estate management, and of business operators.”

The Chief Executive reiterated that the Government has taken a pragmatic course of action in conducting the demonstration exercise and learning from the experience, as well as listening to the opinions of the players involved and society at large.

He said he has set up an inter-departmental working group under the supervision of Deputy Chief Secretary Cheuk Wing-hing to monitor, supervise and scrutinise the whole exercise.

Mr Lee added: “I think a pragmatic government, serious about doing all things after listening to people’s views, and looking at results, statistics, and opinions of the people who are involved, will create community confidence in a government that is doing things for their benefit, taking their interests close to their heart, and doing the best to ensure society’s interest is best served.”