The Government published in the Gazette today (January 25) the Waterworks (Amendment) Regulation 2019 to adjust 25 fees for services specified in Schedule 1 of the Waterworks Regulations (Cap. 102A) made pursuant to the Waterworks Ordinance (Cap. 102).
The services cover the following categories:
1. Fees for making a connection to the mains and installing (including reinstatement of the ground surface) the part of a fire service or inside service on land held by the Government for pipes of any size up to and including 40 mm in diameter;
2. Fee for reconnecting a fire service or inside service;
3. Fee for providing and installing a meter;
4. Fee for providing a meter;
5. Fee for resealing a fire service or meter;
6. Fees for testing a meter or a private check meter (including removal and refixing);
7. Fees for the issuance, renewal and examination of plumber’s licence;
8. Fee for the issuance of fishing licence;
9. Fees for the examination of a water sample;
10. Fee for each attendance for collection of any sample or samples; and
11. Fee for providing additional copy of examination report.
"In line with the 'user pays' principle, it is Government's policy that fees and charges should in general be set at levels adequate to recover the full cost of providing the services. In order to achieve full cost recovery gradually and to avoid a steep fee increase, the existing 25 fees for services that are non-livelihood related will be increased by about 6.2 per cent to 31.6 per cent," a spokesman for the Development Bureau said.
The Regulation will be tabled at the Legislative Council on January 30. Subject to approval by negative vetting, the revised fees will come into effect on March 29.
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