Up to HK$400m saved as some 80,000 disqualified for consumption voucher

Some 80,000 people have been disqualified for the latest cycle of HK$5,000 electronic consumption voucher, saving the SAR government over HK$400 million of public funding, a top finance official said. 

The figures were released in a Legislative Council finance committee meeting on Wednesday, before the first phase of the voucher worth HK$3,000 will be distributed to the public starting this coming Sunday (Apr 16). 

The government earlier disqualified about 250,000 people from collecting the voucher, but some 170,000 of them filed for a review and successfully revoked authorities’ ruling. 

Lawmakers then challenged how come only such a small number of people are disqualified from getting the voucher. 

Dominic Lee Tsz-king from New People’s Party referred to last year’s policy address and pointed out that the number of immigrating Hongkongers reached 110,000. He asked if there is any omission when authorities are only canceling the eligibility of tens of thousands of people. 

He also asked if the government has any policies to stop those who “no longer wish to be Hongkongers” from getting the voucher. 

Meanwhile, Bill Tang Ka-piu from the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions questioned how come administration fee this year remains the same at around HK$400 million as last year. 

In reply, Howard Lee Man-sing, head of policy co-ordination from Financial Secretary’s Private Office, said canceling people’s eligibility of the voucher scheme depends on factors like have applicants applied to withdraw their Mandatory Provident Fund for leaving Hong Kong permanently. 

Others include have the applicants stayed in Hong Kong in the past three years, and is their identity document issued in Hong Kong. 

Howard Lee added authorities have commissioned partnering electronic payment platforms to conduct a survey and investigate, which was why some 250,000 people were disqualified in the first place. 

Lee noted the government is handing out the voucher to more people this year at around 6.5 million, up from 6.3 million in 2021. Still he vowed authorities will do whatever they can to cut administration expenditure as much as possible.