HK$10,000 government handout: more than 3 million receive cash as bank websites flooded with user traffic from those keen to see money
- Multiple banks put up notices advising clients system maintenance needed due to high network volume
- The cash, under a wider coronavirus relief package, was delivered to the first batch of successful applicants from the morning
The cash, under a wider coronavirus relief package, was delivered to the first batch of successful applicants from the morning, two days earlier than previously planned.
A government spokesman said the first batch of about 3.15 million eligible applicants who had registered electronically through banks on or before June 30 had received their payment on Monday. The remainder will get the cash in the coming one to two days.
The payment will be shown on bank books or statements of registrants under wordings such as “HKSARG$10000”, “HKSARG” or “HKG.”
People who register electronically through banks on or after July 1 will receive payment in about a week from application.
Charity drive moves Hongkongers to donate HK$10,000 pandemic payout
Some internet users in the morning complained they could not conduct online stock transactions in time with the lagging networks of banks.
HSBC said in a notice to users that its services were temporarily unavailable “due to system upgrade and maintenance”. Citing heavy network traffic, a spokesman said customers might experience slow responses or intermittent service connection issues when assessing its Easy Invest or Reward+ services in the morning.
He added that normal services resumed in the afternoon.
Similar online congestion was seen for Standard Chartered’s online services. It advised customers to log in later. A spokesman said traffic from its app users was busy in the morning, and that measures were needed to ensure system stability. He also warned that a small number of clients might not be able to log in immediately.
02:03
Hong Kong budget offers HK$10,000 handout to permanent residents as part of relief measures
Similar problems were faced by app users of the Bank of China (Hong Kong). The bank notified customers that its system was busy and they should try again later. A spokesman also said the bank experienced a larger number of users logging in on Monday morning.
More than 5.5 million Hongkongers had submitted online registrations for the cash handout across 21 participating banks when applications kicked off on June 21. As of last Thursday, 85 per cent of them had applied online through banks.
The handout, available to all Hong Kong permanent residents over the age of 18, is part of a host of relief measures announced by Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po in his 2020-21 budget address in February.
Those eligible can register electronically or fill out a paper form to receive the handout, either via direct deposit through participating banks or by cheque from a post office.
HSBC said last week nearly 2 million customers who signed up for the scheme through the bank were expected to receive the money on Monday.
