Second batch of consumption vouchers likely to be disbursed in summer, Hong Kong’s finance chief says
- Bank of China’s BOC Pay and HSBC’s PayMe to join second phase of scheme, says Financial Secretary Paul Chan
- Eligible residents will receive HK$5,000 under the latest phase
Residents can expect to receive the second half of the government’s latest round of consumption vouchers worth a total of HK$10,000 (US$1,275) in the summer, Hong Kong’s finance chief has said.
Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po on Sunday also said two more e-payment platforms, Bank of China’s BOC Pay and HSBC’s PayMe, would join the four others already disbursing the funds.
“By increasing the number of payment operators, we hope to leverage market forces to broaden the scope of application and allow the public and businesses to enjoy more discounts. This will help broaden, hasten, and deepen the development of electronic payment,” he wrote on his official blog.
“We are now discussing the details of the arrangement with the e-platforms and aim to start accepting applications by the middle of this year. The public will be able to switch to other payment tools to receive the second phase of the voucher if they choose to.”
The consumption voucher programme was first rolled out in July last year with applicants receiving the first HK$5,000 through their registered e-payment platforms.
Residents could choose between AlipayHK, Octopus, Tap & Go and WeChat Pay HK to store the amount. Alipay is operated by Ant Group, an affiliate of Alibaba Group Holding, which owns the South China Morning Post.
