*****************************************
The Government published in the gazette today (May 4) proposals to revise certain non-livelihood related fees and charges under the purview of the Department of Health.
The fee adjustments relate to a number of public health related legislations - the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, Antibiotics Ordinance, Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance, Quarantine and Prevention of Disease Ordinance, Dentists Registration Ordinance, Medical Registration Ordinance, Midwives Registration Ordinance, Nurses Registration Ordinance, Supplementary Medical Professions Ordinance, Chiropractors Registration Ordinance and Chinese Medicine Ordinance.
Under the Amendment Regulations, 67 fees will be increased with the rate of adjustment for the majority of the items ranging from 5% to 20%, and 19 items with a fee reduction between 6%and 72%.
The Amendment Regulations will be tabled in the Legislative Council on May 10 and are expected to take effect on July 1 this year.
A spokesman for the Department of Health said that in line with the ˇ°user paysˇ± principle, it was Government policy that fees should in general be set at levels sufficient to recover the full cost of providing the services.
He said the fee increases proposed were moderate and would have minimal impact on the daily life of the general public.
ˇ°Most of the fees covered have not been revised for nine years or longer and a recent costing review of these fee items showed that the majority of the fees fall short of full cost recovery.
ˇ°To alleviate the impact of the fee increases on users of the services concerned, we propose to increase the fees gradually with a view to achieving full-cost recovery within one to seven years,ˇ± he said.
The Department of Health regularly reviewed and streamlined the relevant work procedures with a view to implementing efficiency initiatives to reduce or contain costs in providing the services. Such efficiency savings have been reflected in the proposed fee adjustments, the spokesman said.
Ends/Thursday, May 4, 2006
Issued at HKT 16:01
NNNN
