Tackle the issue of sky-high prices water bills

2021.01.22

DAB Legislative Councillors LEUNG Che-Cheung, Ben CHAN, Gary CHAN, Holden CHOW and Elizabeth QUAT alongside district councillors and district officers met Under Secretary for Development Mr. LIU Chun-San on 22 January 2021 to express concerns on the issue of sky-high prices water bills.

At the meeting, Under Secretary LIU admitted that the Water Supplies Department (WSD) recently resumed routine meter reading due to controversy over charging water bill payments by “estimation”.

The DAB district councillors and district officers reflected that they have received a lot of complaints about the water bill from residents. Members of the public have to pay the water bills from August to December together due to the WFH arrangement for the WSD staff. The WSD hotline and 1823 numbers have had nobody answering them for a long time. Our district councillors and district officers have waited for nearly two weeks to get replies from WSD. We requested the WSD to improve its efforts to explain policy to the general public.

The DAB proposes:

1. Waive the water bill payments for one quarter to make up for the inconvenience caused to the public.

2. Allow all Hong Kong residents to automatically extend the due date of their water bill payments.

3. Waive the 5% lateness fine and simplify the payment procedures.

4. Waive all water meter inspection fees during the pandemic.

5. Increase the number of personnel for hotlines.

6. Accelerate the implementation of electronic water meters.

Under Secretary LIU responded that the government will proactively consider the above DAB proposals.

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LEUNG Che Cheung, Legislative Councillor (9016 8088)

Holden CHOW, Legislative Councillor (3703 9870)