Govt to shelve waste charging scheme: sources
Sources say the government will shelve its plan to introduce a citywide waste charging scheme.  The arrangement was originally scheduled to come into effect from August 1, but sources say the government will inform the Legislative Council on Monday of its plan to put it on the back-burner indefinitely.  DAB lawmaker Lau Kwok-fan, who's also chairman of Legco's Panel on Environmental Affairs, welcomed the news, saying this is not the right time to introduce the scheme.  He said officials should consider a number of factors, such as the state of the city's economy and the availability of recycling services, before deciding when to bring back the scheme. Lau added that he believes the government will continue to step up education and promotional efforts on waste reduction to boost the community’s understanding of the matter. However, Edwin Lau, founder and executive director of The Green Earth, said he would be "very disappointed" if the scheme is to be shelved indefinitely.  He said Hong Kong is facing a very serious waste crisis, and called on lawmakers not to overexaggerate the scheme's impact on the community.  "Please do not blow up part of the community's negative response or comment. The effects of the financial burden mentioned by some of the political parties only affect some of the sectors of the community," he told RTHK. "The government has already delayed the waste charging scheme twice in the past... the authorities should treat this law seriously and give the public the timeline for rolling out the scheme."