Hong Kong to roll out another round of pandemic subsidies

Chief Executive Carrie Lam has said that the government is preparing another round of subsidies for businesses impacted by the Omicron outbreaks.
By: | January 14, 2022
Topics: Compensation and Benefits | Health and Wellness | Hong Kong | News

This will be the fifth round of subsidies in Hong Kong since the pandemic began, and the financial help will benefit industries such as the tourism sector which never quite rebounded, Lam said.

About HK$4 billion (US$513 million) is left in the fund, and the government will ask for approval from the legislature if more funding is needed, she added.

The Liberal Party has welcomed the government’s move, saying it is thankful for the swift decision to help out businesses.

Nevertheless, party chairman Tommy Cheung, who is also the lawmaker representing the catering industry, said it would be even better if the chief executive would order the re-opening of regulated premises, saying there had not been a mass outbreak of local cases.

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“I think we can open our businesses to normal hours, or at least extend it to having dinner time when we can open for business, and also for [my sector’s] listed premises, like the bars, karaokes and night clubs. That would actually help them a lot more than just giving them the subsidy,” he said, according to RTHK.