Hong Kong residents to get HK$2,000 in consumption vouchers from Sunday as new round of economy-boosting scheme kicks off
- About 6.3 million people, including new residents and arrivals from the mainland, will get voucher payments
- More than 100,000 appeals against exclusion from the voucher scheme upheld, with more still to be ruled on
Consumption vouchers worth at least HK$2,000 (US$255) per person will start to be handed out to more than 6 million Hongkongers from Sunday.
About 6.3 million people, including new residents and arrivals from mainland China, are eligible for the second batch of the government’s voucher scheme, which is designed to boost an economy hammered by the coronavirus.
The Hong Kong government will hand out a total of HK$5,000 after the first round of the same amount was distributed in April.
But about 150,000 eligible recipients, made up of newly registered residents and fresh arrivals from mainland China, will be given vouchers worth HK$10,000 with the first instalment of HK$3,000 also issued from Sunday after the original scheme was expanded in June.
The second instalment of the latest round of the scheme will be released from October 1, with the amount depending on the payment platform chosen by recipients.
People who picked Octopus will get the vouchers in three instalments and those who opted for other methods will get their payments in two parts.
About 240,000 people were ruled ineligible in June because they were considered as having “permanently left Hong Kong” after they had applied to withdraw their Mandatory Provident Fund contributions.
Long queues formed at the consumption voucher service centre in Mong Kok last month as people lodged appeals against the ruling.