MTR stations crowded as second round of e-vouchers disburses

The second installment of consumption vouchers is available for collection starting today, as many citizens headed to the MTR stations for redemption.

People were seen queueing up at the Sham Shui Po and Mong Kok stations to collect their e-vouchers, with the staff members at the side assisting.

Tse and his wife said the voucher collection process went relatively smoothly. They would spend it on daily necessities and choose to buy from stores accepting the vouchers.

However, an elderly resident surnamed Chow was angered that he could not receive the second installment despite claiming he had reached the cumulative spending for the first phase of the vouchers.

For eligible existing registrants who receive both the first and second installment vouchers through Octopus, if their cumulative "eligible spending" has reached HK$3,000 by June 30, they will be disbursed with the second installment today. 

If the cumulative spending requirement is met afterward, the relevant vouchers will be disbursed on the 16th of the following month.

For people who chose to have their vouchers disbursed via AlipayHK, BoC Pay, PayMe from HSBC, Tap & Go and WeChat Pay HK today, the second installment vouchers will expire on February 29 next year.

Meanwhile, 220,000 newly registered persons will first receive HK$3,000 vouchers and their remaining HK$2,000 in mid-October.

In conjunction with the disbursement of the consumption voucher, many industries will sell meals at 71 percent of their original price, echoing the previous handover celebration discounts.

The public may visit the 2023 Consumption Voucher Scheme website (www.consumptionvoucher.gov.hk) or call the hotline 185000 for inquiries if they have any questions about the Scheme.