Hong Kong Environment Bureau: Ensure stable energy supply in Hong Kong and increase transparency in fuel prices.

On May 6, the Secretary for the Environment and Ecological Affairs of Hong Kong, Wong Kam-sing, replied to questions from Member of the Legislative Council Chuang Ho-fung during a council meeting. Wong Kam-sing stated that the situation in the Middle East is affecting global fuel supply, particularly in Asia, and the government's primary task is to ensure a stable energy supply for Hong Kong. Currently, around eighty percent of Hong Kong's petroleum products come from the mainland. Due to the advantage of being backed by the motherland, Hong Kong is able to maintain a stable supply even when facing energy shortages in many regions and cities globally. The Environmental Protection Department of Hong Kong maintains contact with local suppliers of automotive fuels to ensure the normal supply of such fuels. In addition, the Hong Kong government has established a dedicated cross-departmental monitoring group for fuel supply to monitor and assess geopolitical changes, fuel supply, and prices, ensuring stable energy supply for Hong Kong and assessing the impact of oil price fluctuations on different industries. The monitoring group will continue to assess dynamically, coordinate policies and departments, prepare response plans, and make proactive deployments, including studying measures to alleviate oil price increases. Wong Kam-sing mentioned that in 2019, the Hong Kong government introduced guidelines for erecting price display boards at petrol station sites, requiring oil companies that win tenders for petrol station sites to submit price display board proposals to the Environmental Protection Department of Hong Kong for approval. The Environmental Protection Department requires oil companies to display the names of the petroleum products sold at the station in Chinese and English, the retail prices, and the net prices after offering discounts on the price display board to enhance transparency. To further increase price transparency, the Hong Kong government commissioned the Consumer Council to launch the "Fuel Price Information Channel" website and mobile application in November 2020, which includes price and discount information, petrol station searches, and price change notifications. As of March, the total download and average monthly views of the Fuel Price Information Channel app were 123,000 and 157,000 respectively, while the average monthly views of the website were 262,000. The Hong Kong government will continue to work with the Consumer Council to optimize the Fuel Price Information Channel website and mobile application to help consumers make the most suitable choices among the various discounts and offers provided by oil companies. He said that although the retail price of automotive fuels in Hong Kong has always been determined by individual oil companies based on market principles and operating costs, the government understands the concern of various industries in Hong Kong regarding fuel prices for vehicles. It closely monitors whether the local retail prices of automotive fuels follow the fluctuating trends of international refined oil prices and maintains contact with oil companies, urging them to lower their retail prices quickly when international refined oil prices fall. He continued that to assist the public in monitoring changes in local automotive fuel prices, starting from April 1, 2026, the Environment Protection Department of Hong Kong will publish the seven-day moving average of the retail prices after discounts of unleaded gasoline and diesel for each oil company weekly, in line with the trends of the international refined oil market prices during the same period, enhancing market and price transparency. The Competition Commission has also met with oil companies, emphasizing the importance of fair market competition and information transparency. The Commission will continue to closely monitor the market for any evidence of price collusion or unfair competition to ensure fair market operations.