Landlord convicted of overcharging subdivided unit tenant for water
The Water Supplies Department (WSD) announced that a landlord of a subdivided flat in Kwun Tong, Kowloon, was convicted today (December 17) of overcharging its subdivided unit (SDU) tenants for water, in contravention of regulation 47 of the Waterworks Regulations. The owner pleaded guilty to 14 counts of offences at the Kwun Tong Magistrates' Courts.
This is the 24th similar conviction since the first conviction in June 2022, with associated fines ranging from $1,000 to $22,000.
A spokesman for the WSD said that the Waterworks (Amendment) Ordinance 2024 (the amended WWO) has strengthened the power of the Water Authority in evidence collection and information disclosure during the investigation of suspected cases of overcharging for water. The Water Authority can request the landlords, their agents, etc, to provide the tenancy agreement, receipt or payment record for charges for water. Failure to comply with such a request can be an offence and the offender is liable on conviction to a maximum fine of $10,000 and a further fine of up to $1,000 for each day the offence continues. It is anticipated that there will be more prosecution cases. The maximum penalty for overcharging SDU tenants for water has been raised to $25,000 to deter this illegal act. Moreover, providing false or misleading information to the Water Authority is also an offence with a maximum penalty of a $25,000 fine and six months' imprisonment.
The WSD spokesman strongly appealed to landlords to apply for the installation of separate water meters for their SDUs, which can greatly reduce the risk of contravening the amended WWO. The water fee deposit and the charge for providing a meter for each separate water meter installed under the Scheme for Installation of Separate Water Meters for Subdivided Units will be waived. Individual water bills will be provided for each water meter account. The first 12 cubic metres of water are free at four-month intervals. SDU tenants can contact the WSD to request separate water meters. Upon receiving such requests, the WSD will contact the landlords for the installation of separate meters. If the landlords refuse, the WSD may require them to provide information on the recovery of water charges from their tenants in suspected overcharging cases. Details of the scheme can be obtained from the WSD website (www.wsd.gov.hk/en/customer-services/application-for-water-supply/pilot-scheme-for-installation-of-separate-water-me/index.html).
The WSD encourages the public to report any illegal act of overcharging SDU tenants for water for follow-up and investigation by the department. The public can call the WSD Hotline 3468 4963 or WhatsApp 5665 5517 to apply for the installation of separate water meters for SDUs. The WhatsApp hotline also handles matters relating to water overcharging in SDUs. Alternatively, the public can call the WSD Customer Enquiry Hotline 2824 5000 to report water overcharge cases. After calling the hotline and choosing a language, they can press "7" for reporting to staff directly.
Chain volume measures of Gross Domestic Product by economic activity for the third quarter of 2024
The Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) released today (December 17) the preliminary figures of chain volume measures of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by economic activity for the third quarter of 2024.
GDP figures by economic activity show the value of production in respect of individual economic activities. The value of production is measured by value added or net output, which is calculated by deducting intermediate input consumed in the process of production from the gross value of output. Volume measures of GDP by economic activity, expressed in terms of chain volume measures net of the effect of price changes, enable analysis of the output growth profiles of individual economic sectors in real terms.
According to the preliminary figures, overall GDP increased by 1.8% in real terms in the third quarter of 2024 over a year earlier, compared with the 3.2% increase in the second quarter of 2024.
Analysed by constituent services sector and on a year-on-year comparison, value added in respect of all the services activities taken together increased by 1.9% in real terms in the third quarter of 2024 over a year earlier, similar to the growth of 2.0% in the second quarter.
Value added in the import and export, wholesale and retail trades sector increased by 0.5% in real terms in the third quarter of 2024 over a year earlier, as against the marginally decrease of 0.1% in the second quarter.
Value added in the accommodation and food services sector dropped by 4.6% in real terms in the third quarter of 2024 from a year earlier, compared with the decline of 6.4% in the second quarter.
Value added in the transportation, storage, postal and courier services sector increased by 7.0% in real terms in the third quarter of 2024 over a year earlier, compared with the increase of 10.6% in the second quarter.
Value added in the information and communications sector increased by 3.2% in real terms in the third quarter of 2024 over a year earlier, compared with the rise of 2.1% in the second quarter.
Value added in the financing and insurance sector increased by 1.5% in real terms in the third quarter of 2024 over a year earlier, compared with the increase of 0.2% in the second quarter.
Value added in the real estate, professional and business services sector registered a decrease of 0.5% in real terms in the third quarter of 2024 from a year earlier, as against the rise of 2.7% in the second quarter.
Value added in the public administration, social and personal services sector rose by 2.6% in real terms in the third quarter of 2024 over a year earlier, compared with the increase of 2.9% in the second quarter.
As for sectors other than the services sectors, value added in the local manufacturing sector marginally decreased by 0.1% in real terms in the third quarter of 2024 from a year earlier, as against the increase of 0.7% in the second quarter.
Value added in the electricity, gas and water supply, and waste management sector increased by 2.7% in real terms in the third quarter of 2024 over a year earlier, after the increase of 1.6% in the second quarter.
Value added in the construction sector decreased by 0.8% in real terms in the third quarter of 2024 from a year earlier, as against the increase of 13.2% in the second quarter.
Further information
The year-on-year percentage changes of GDP by economic activity in real terms from the third quarter of 2023 to the third quarter of 2024 are shown in Table 1. More detailed statistics are given in the report "Gross Domestic Product by Economic Activity". Users can browse and download this publication at the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1030004&scode=250). For enquiries about statistics on GDP by economic activity, please call the National Income Branch (2) of the C&SD at 3903 7005.
Figures of chain volume measures of GDP by economic activity for the third quarter of 2024 are only preliminary at this stage. When more data become available, the preliminary figures will be revised accordingly and can be found at the C&SD website (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/scode250.html).
