Author Archives: hksar gov

     Following is a question by the Hon Frankie Yick and a written reply by the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Mr Frank Chan Fan, in the Legislative Council today (January 19):   Question:        Some p… read more

     Following is a question by the Hon Maggie Chan and a reply by the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, in the Legislative Council today (January 19):

Question:

     Since 2011, the Government has disbursed cash or consumption vouchers to members of the public for several times with a view to returning wealth to the people, or relieving people’s hardship and boosting the economy, which has been supported by the majority of members of the public and business operators. Some members of the public are of the view that as the coronavirus disease 2019 epidemic is not yet over, and there are still many uncertainties about the prospect of Hong Kong’s economy, the Government should continue to implement measures to relieve people’s hardship. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) whether it has considered disbursing again consumption vouchers of a total value equivalent to or not less than $5,000 to members of the public, and launching other measures to relieve people’s hardship; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

(2) whether it has compiled statistics on the impacts of the various schemes for disbursing cash or consumption vouchers on the various economic indicators (including the Gross Domestic Product, the unemployment rate and prices), and whether it has assessed the effects brought by such schemes to the people of different income strata and the various trades and industries; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

(3) given that chaos arose in the past when the Government implemented schemes for disbursing cash or consumption vouchers (e.g. a large number of elderly people who submitted paper application forms having to queue up for a long time for the procedure of resubmission of registrations), whether the Government has learnt from such experience to prevent the recurrence of similar problems, and whether it has considered allocating resources for co-operating with grass-roots organisations in various districts to enable such organisations to assist the Government in the publicity and registration matters; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

President,

     Taking into account the economic, social and financial situations at different points in times, the current-term Government had in the past disburse cash to the people, including implementing the Caring and Sharing Scheme in 2018 to disburse $4,000 to each eligible Hong Kong resident aged 18 or above, with the aim of better realisation of sharing the fruits of economic success with the public; and the Cash Payout Scheme in 2020 to disburse $10,000 to each eligible Hong Kong permanent resident aged 18 or above to relieve people’s financial burden and to encourage local consumption. We have also announced in the 2021-22 Budget the implementation of the Consumption Voucher Scheme (the Scheme), under which electronic consumption vouchers with a total value of $5,000 would be disbursed by instalments to each eligible Hong Kong permanent resident and new arrival aged 18 or above, so as to boost local consumption with a view to accelerating economic recovery, as well as to encourage more local merchants and public to use electronic payment thereby fostering the extensive use of the local electronic payment.

     My reply to the different parts of the question raised by the Hon Maggie Chan is as follows:

(1) Since August 1, 2021, eligible people under the Scheme have successively received consumption vouchers via the four stored value facilities in batches and instalments. As at December 31, 2021, consumption vouchers of a total value of about $30 billion have been disbursed to over 6.3 million successful registrants. The overall response of the community towards the Scheme has been very positive and considers that the Scheme has helped boost the economy by simulating consumer sentiment.
     
     I am currently conducting public consultation to gauge the views of various sectors on the 2022-23 Budget. As resources are limited, the Special Administrative Region Government (SAR Government), in deciding whether to disburse consumption vouchers again or launch similar initiatives involving a large amount of public funds, has to consider relevant factors in a prudent and holistic manner, including the social and economic situation, the impact on social livelihood arising from the outbreaks of the epidemic and the current financial situation, in order to ensure that the measures are in the overall interest of Hong Kong. 

(2) Before launching the Scheme, the Government Economist has roughly estimated that the Scheme would have a stimulus effect equivalent to 0.7 percentage point of the Gross Domestic Product on the local economy. The latest statistics released by the Census and Statistics Department shows that, even with the low base effect gradually dissipating, the value of total retail sales still grew by 9.6 per cent year-on-year between August and November last year (i.e. the first four months when the consumption vouchers were disbursed), which was higher than the average growth rate of 7.6 per cent between January and July in the same year. The value of total restaurant receipts rose by 43.9 per cent year-on-year in the third quarter of 2021 against a low base of comparison, while private consumption expenditure in the same quarter also grew by 7.1 per cent year-on-year. This shows that the Scheme has helped stimulate local consumer sentiment and has achieved the intended result. As to the effectiveness of the Scheme in boosting different segments of the economy, we will conduct an overall assessment after its completion. 

     Over the period, the labour market has continued to improve since the beginning of last year, with the unemployment rate declining gradually from a high of over 7 per cent in early 2021 to 3.9 per cent by the end of the year.  Moreover, the underlying Composite Consumer Price Index inflation rate increased from 0.3 per cent in the second quarter to 1.1 per cent in the third quarter, and averaged to 0.5 per cent in the first 11 months of 2021. Consumer price inflation went up in the second half of 2021 but remained moderate overall.

     Apart from the positive impact on local consumption and the overall economy, the Scheme has helped foster the development of the local electronic payment market. Since the Government’s announcement on April 11 last year that four stored value facility operators (i.e. Alipay HK, Octopus, Tap & Go and WeChat Pay HK) had been selected to help implement the Scheme, the four operators had altogether attracted over 4.7 million new users and 96 000 new merchants as at December 31 last year. They also indicated that there had been a significant growth in the number and value of transactions processed by them since the implementation of the Scheme.

(3) In the course of working out the implementation details and arrangements of the Scheme, the SAR Government had strived to cater for the needs of different people and stakeholders. In terms of the registration process, we had endeavoured to strike a balance between security and simplicity. During implementation, some registrants had to resubmit their registrations due to incomplete or inaccurate information provided on their paper forms, resulting in a sudden influx of visitors at the Secretariat and hence longer waiting time. We had responded immediately, including extending the period of resubmission of registrations to provide supplementary information to one month, increasing substantially the manpower of the Secretariat and making available additional service hours at the Secretariat on Saturdays. With the implementation of these measures, visitors queuing for the Secretariat’s services had largely subsided. To further facilitate people making resubmission of registrations, we had also set up three additional service centres in other districts within a few days.

     In fact, in the course of planning for the Scheme and before the commencement of registration, we had liaised with different political parties, organisations and institutions (including district organisations, non-governmental organisations, social welfare organisations, organisations and residential care homes serving the elderly or persons with disabilities) to brief them on the details of the Scheme and the registration procedures. We also provided them with the registration forms and publicity materials to facilitate them to assist their clients to register for the Scheme. With the support and assistance of different parties, the Scheme has finally been implemented smoothly and has achieved the expected result. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all parties inside and outside the Government for their assistance, support and active participation.     

     Thank you, President. read more

     In view of the latest situation of COVID-19, the Government has announced that tightened social distancing measures will be extended until February 3. The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) announced today (January 19) that most of the leisure and cultural venues/facilities will continue to be temporarily closed and all recreational, sports and cultural programmes to be held in the above period will also be cancelled.
          
Leisure and sports venues

     Outdoor leisure venues/facilities will continue to be temporarily closed, including tennis courts, bowling greens, sports grounds, Ngau Chi Wan Park Archery Range, Shek O Obstacle Golf Course, Tuen Mun Recreation and Sports Centre, hard-surface/sand/grass pitches, gateball courts, table tennis tables, skateparks, roller skating rinks, roller hockey grounds, skateboard grounds, outdoor fitness equipment, model car play areas, model boat pools, cycling facilities (except for cycle paths), outdoor children’s play facilities (including tricycling areas, outdoor children’s playgrounds and road safety towns), pebble walking trails, chess tables, amphitheatres, public swimming pools, water sports centres, barbecue sites, holiday camps and Pui O Campsite. Lifeguard services at the gazetted beaches that were originally open during the winter period, namely Deep Water Bay Beach, Clear Water Bay Second Beach, Silverstrand Beach and Golden Beach, will continue to be suspended.
     
     All indoor sports facilities including sports centres, squash centres and badminton centres will also continue to be closed.

     Passive/amenity areas at the LCSD’s parks (such as lawns and benches in parks) and outdoor jogging tracks at parks will continue to remain open.

     Application for use of amphitheatres and non-fee charging leisure venues for non-designated use/sales activities and application from schools or organisations on road safety towns will continue to be suspended until further notice.

     Standby arrangement for non-fee charging land recreation and sports facilities will be suspended from January 20 until further notice.

     For refund arrangements in relation to venue closures, the hirer may submit a completed refund application form together with the original booking permit to the LCSD booking office at a District Leisure Services Office or to relevant leisure venues by post. The application form can be downloaded from www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/aboutlcsd/forms/refund.html. Due to the closure of fee-charging facilities in relation to the situation of COVID-19, the number of refund cases will increase tremendously. The LCSD has adopted measures to handle these refund cases as soon as possible but a prolonged processing time for refunds is expected. Members of the public are advised to note the longer time required for refunds. The department apologises for any inconvenience caused.

Cultural venues
      
     All public libraries and their students’ study rooms will continue to be temporarily closed. All book drop services of the Hong Kong Public Libraries and those located at MTR Central, Kowloon Tong and Nam Cheong Stations as well as the self-service library stations at Island East Sports Centre Sitting-out Area, the Hong Kong Cultural Centre and Tsuen Nam Road, Tai Wai, will maintain services. Public libraries will continue to provide online services such as e-Books and e-Databases. Please visit www.hkpl.gov.hk/en/index.html for details.
     
     All performance venues, music centres of the Music Office and museums will continue to be temporarily closed. All programmes and activities will be suspended. During the period, all applications for Museum Passes and the Hong Kong Film Archive Resource Centre’s Audiovisual Materials Viewing Cards will be suspended. Admission arrangements for holders of Museum Passes will be announced in due course.

     The URBTIX outlets and ticket dispensing machines at the LCSD performance venues will continue to be closed. URBTIX will maintain Internet and mobile app ticketing and hotline services.

     Refund arrangements in relation to the closure of cultural facilities will be announced in due course.

     During the venue closure period, members of the public can visit the LCSD’s Edutainment Channel (www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/edutainment-channel.html), a one-stop online platform offering informative and educational materials on aspects of culture and leisure, to participate in the online programmes of the “vis-a-vis +01” series and access its videos in various fields including culture, arts and sports. read more

     Following is a question by the Hon Dominic Lee and a written reply by the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Mr Frank Chan Fan, in the Legislative Council today (January 19):

Question:
 
     It is reported that since the end of last month, some locally based air crew of Cathay Pacific Airways Limited (CX) have contracted one after another the Coronavirus Disease 2019 and spread the virus in the community. Such incidents have revealed the loopholes in the quarantine arrangements for the locally based air crew of CX, such that the air crew may opt to “fly out on a passenger flight and return on a cargo flight”, thereby exempting from the compulsory quarantine requirement. The Chief Executive has subsequently stated that the senior personnel of CX has been instructed to conduct a holistic investigation into the incidents and submit reports to the Government. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) how the practice of the aforesaid air crew violated the quarantine requirement specified by the Government; of the measures put in place to prevent the recurrence of similar incidents;
 
(2) whether CX has already submitted the reports to the Government; if so, of the specific details of the reports; if not, whether it knows the progress of the relevant work of CX;

(3) whether the Government will follow up CX’s failure to comply with the Government’s quarantine requirement; if so, of the details and progress; if not, the reasons for that; and
 
(4) given that the Government has, since the 1st of this month, tightened the quarantine arrangements for locally based air cargo crew by extending the duration of self-isolation in designated quarantine hotels from three days to seven days for all locally based air cargo crew who have laid over at specified places, whether the Government has reviewed if such quarantine period requirement is sufficient; if it has reviewed and the outcome is in the affirmative, of the justifications for that; if the outcome is in the negative, whether the quarantine period will be extended?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     In response to the questions raised by the Hon Dominic Lee, our consolidated reply is as follows:

     The Government has all along been vigilant to cope with the developments of the global and local epidemic situation. It has put the quarantine arrangements for air crew under constant review and made timely adjustments, with a view to guarding against imported COVID-19 cases, while maintaining smooth air cargo services into and out of Hong Kong in order to meet the daily needs of the public and maintain the normal operation of the community and the economy.

     According to the quarantine arrangements for air crew, the potential public health risk of locally based passenger crew is relatively higher. They perform flight duties on passenger flights to outports. Even though they are subject to stringent closed-loop requirements during layover at outports, they come into direct contact with passengers. Hence, they are required to undergo self-isolation at designated quarantine hotels (DQHs) after obtaining a negative result from COVID-19 testing upon their return to Hong Kong. 

     As for locally based air crew who perform flight duties on turnaround passenger flights without laying over at outports, they are only allowed to undergo home isolation after obtaining a negative result from COVID-19 testing, on the condition that the aircraft carry no inbound passengers on their return. In view of the latest developments of the epidemic situation, the Government has adjusted such arrangement. This type of locally based air crew are now also required to undergo self-isolation at DQHs upon their return to Hong Kong, with effect from December 30, 2021.

     Regarding the issue concerning locally based passenger crew going home direct to undergo quarantine after laying over at outports and returning to Hong Kong on aircraft carrying cargo only, as well as the cases of Cathay Pacific Airways Limited’s locally based air crew allegedly contravening the Government’s quarantine requirements during home isolation, the Chairman of Cathay Pacific has already submitted a written explanation to the Chief Executive as requested. The Government also noted the statement issued by Cathay Pacific on January 11. After seeking legal advice, the Police laid charges on the two former Cathay Pacific air crew concerned on January 17. The Government will continue to conduct in-depth investigation and follow up seriously. If the investigation identifies sufficient evidence, indicating the need for the Government to take further legal actions, the Government will not hesitate to take actions. As the investigation is still ongoing and involves legal proceedings, the Government is not in a position to comment further at this stage.
      
     Taking into account various factors, including the latest developments of the epidemic situation, public health risk assessments and the operational needs of the aviation industry, the Government will continue to review and enhance the quarantine arrangements for air crew in a holistic manner. Monitoring will be further stepped up, in order to ensure airlines and air crew will be able to accurately understand and strictly comply with the relevant requirements. Meanwhile, the Government will continue to review and make timely adjustments to the relevant arrangements, and will work with the aviation industry jointly on the anti-epidemic efforts, with a view to facilitating the resumption of normal operation of society as soon as possible, while minimising the impact on the community and the economy to be brought about by the hampered air cargo services due to the tightened quarantine arrangements.  read more

     The Acting Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Patrick Nip, today (January 19) expressed deep condolences over the passing of the Chairman of the Hong Kong Taoist Association, Dr Tong Wai-ki.        Mr Nip said, &qu… read more