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Hong Kong labour group urges finance chief Paul Chan to include HK$10,000 cash handout and creation of unemployment fund in next budget
- Confederation of Trade Unions wants financial help for people out of work for more than six months
- But minister has already hinted that there will be no repeat of HK$10,000 giveaway as city battles deficit of more than HK$300 billion
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A HK$10,000 (US$1,289) cash handout for every Hongkonger and the creation of an unemployment fund to support those hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic should be included in the next budget, a major labour group said on Monday.
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The Confederation of Trade Unions made the call ahead of financial chief Paul Chan Mo-po’s budget speech next Wednesday.
“Many people are in deep water now,” Carol Ng Man-yee, the group’s chairwoman, said. “The government should provide timely help to Hongkongers suffering during the pandemic. It should offer a cash handout of at least HK$10,000 to everyone.”
However, Chan has already hinted that residents would not get another cash handout as the city grapples with its largest budget deficit at more than HK$300 billion (US$38.5 billion), adding any sweeteners that were included would be reduced in scale.
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Jobless struggle to make ends meet in Hong Kong as city battles coronavirus and recession
Jobless struggle to make ends meet in Hong Kong as city battles coronavirus and recession
The government previously rolled out more than HK$310 billion in Covid-19 relief measures to help businesses and individuals affected by the pandemic, including a one-off payment of HK$10,000 to locals and underprivileged non-permanent residents last year.
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