Taiwan’s environmental ministry has introduced a revised set of regulations

Taipei: According to Taipei Times, Taiwan’s Ministry of Environment has proposed a new set of rules that will raise water pollution control fees gradually beginning next year. The rules target a wider range of hazardous substances and are intended to increase industrial accountability under the “polluter pays” principle.

According to the Department of Water Quality Protection, the regulations will increase fees for lead, nickel, copper, mercury, cadmium, chromium, arsenic, and cyanide, as well as expand coverage to include zinc, tin, and ammonia nitrogen. This is the first significant price modification in 10 years. Since the existing laws on water pollution costs for businesses and sewage systems were implemented ten years ago, fees have not altered.

The agency claims that the lack of revised pricing structures has made it less financially attractive for companies to make pollution protection investments. According to the report, businesses can choose to pay fines rather than take preventative environmental action if the fees are still less than what it would cost to put in place efficient pollution controls. The government made the decision to update the system in order to better prohibit hazardous emissions and encourage green investment.

The proposed changes, which will be implemented gradually, are intended to reduce industry’s financial burden while maintaining accountability for the biggest polluters. According to the Taipei Times, the agency promised to provide operators a 50% discount on the updated costs starting in 2026. The discount would be reduced annually until the full prices were applied in 2031.

Lead, nickel, and copper water pollution management expenses, for instance, will go up from NTD 625 to NTD 1,000 per kilogram next year and then NTD 2,000 over the course of six years.

About 2,200 operators of industrial sewage systems, including those at power plants and scientific parks, as well as businesses in industries like printed circuit boards, semiconductors, and electroplating, are anticipated to be impacted by the fee adjustments. Although the program targets major polluters, the agency pointed out that the first-year financial effect would be minimal, with 90% of impacted firms seeing an increase of less than NTD 20,000.

The government said that since ammonia nitrogen may damage aquatic habitats and lead to eutrophication, it was included in the updated charge list. Because of their bioaccumulative properties, which enable them to gradually accumulate in living things, zinc and tin were added.

The revisions also provide an investment tax credit for companies that establish or modify wastewater treatment facilities, which will further promote pollution management and resource recovery. According to Taipei Times, businesses that use technology that turns waste into useful resources, including ammonia nitrogen recycling or biogas production from anaerobic fermentation, may apply for a fee discount of up to 60% every payment period, which is good for a maximum of three years.

According to the department, the action supports Taiwan’s shift to a green economy by being in line with global initiatives to lower carbon emissions and encourage sustainable business practices.