I had about six minutes with the Financial Secretary on RTHK radio show late last week. I gave him the figures 2016 last 9 months vs 2017 last 9 months (7% EVs to 0.3% EVs; down to less than 100 EVs total in the last 9 months of 2016) and he simply denied they showed any decline in EV sales. Twice. He said that the issue was the large number of EVs sold in Feb/March (post-announcement, pre-implementation, of the new policy), combined with a large number of diesel cars sold prior to the restrictions coming into place last year.
Seriously. You can listen to it here:
Podcast: Financial Secretary Phone-in
(starting at around 14:20, and through to 20:45)
This is our Financial Secretary. He thinks that going from 400+ cars a month, on average, to about 10 a month consistently for the 9 months post policy, is not a decline.
@Mille Pun asks what we can do? The answer is continue what we are doing. Highlight the situation in the real world to these people, and show their denials and lack of action for what they are; pandering to the vested interests that is the petrol/diesel automobile industry. Write to the FS, the Ombudsman, Carrie Lam. Tell them we need a concrete plan to address the problem that is our roadside air quality, and traffic congestion. Tell them that the EV industry here has been decimated by the actions of this man, presumably backed by Carrie Lam, and nothing in these two budgets adequately addresses the core issues affecting our society.