The Government announced today (April 7) that the Deferral of Payment of Rates and/or Government Rent for Specified Commercial Premises Scheme will open for application tomorrow (April 8). The registered rates and/or Government rent payer or its authorised agent, whose tenement(s) is/are wholly or primarily used as Specified Commercial Premises (see Annex) and subject to an existing tenancy as at the date of application, may apply to the Rating and Valuation Department (RVD) for deferring the payment due date for the quarterly demand for April to June 2022 (and that for January to March 2022 if still outstanding) from April 29 to August 12.
For rates and/or Government rent accounts without autopay instructions, applications must be served on the RVD on or before May 6. For accounts with autopay instruction, the application deadline is April 20. Any application received by the RVD after the respective deadlines will not be processed. The RVD will inform the applicant of the result normally within three weeks from the date of receipt of the application.
To enable expeditious processing of applications, eligible registered payers are strongly advised to apply online by submitting an electronic form (e-RVD 1070) using the Electronic Submission of Forms service on the RVD's website www.rvd.gov.hk. Alternatively, they may submit a completed form (RVD 1070) in person or by post to the RVD at 15/F, Cheung Sha Wan Government Offices, 303 Cheung Sha Wan Road, Kowloon. In this connection, the form RVD 1070 is available around the clock by downloading from the RVD's website, by calling its hotline 2152 0111 (handled by "1823"), or its automated telephone enquiry service on 2152 2152.
This administrative measure to defer payment of rates and Government rent for Specified Commercial Premises forms part of the enhancements to the Rental Enforcement Moratorium measure proposed in the 2022-23 Budget to enhance liquidity support of business tenants of specified sectors affected by the fifth wave of the COVID-19 epidemic. The Bill for introducing the statutory measure, i.e. the Temporary Protection Measures for Business Tenants (COVID-19 Pandemic) Bill, which was gazetted on March 18, is subject to the scrutiny and approval of the Legislative Council.
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