Operational arrangements for construction waste disposal charges agreed
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    The Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works, Dr Sarah Liao, and officials from the Environmental Protection Department and the Civil Engineering and Development Department met representatives from the waste contractors and haulers today (January 27).

     Both sides reached a consensus on how to fine-tune the operational arrangements of the Construction Waste Disposal Charging Scheme, which took effect last Friday.

     A department spokesman said that the trade proposed to broaden the ratio percentage of the waste transported by them but since it would involve legislative amendment, the Government would need time for consideration. But the authorities agreed to give discretion within the confines of the law.

     "When the operational arrangements are fine-tuned, the time of queuing for each transaction will be reduced," he said.

     The department has all along been undertaking to review the charging scheme six months after its implementation.

Ends/Friday, January 27, 2006
Issued at HKT 18:09

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