Cash handouts will be made easy for citizens: CE

The government has learned a lesson and won't make things too complicated when it comes to cash handouts, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said.

She attended a public consultation session for the upcoming Policy Address in West Kowloon this morning.

One of the attendants was unhappy about the cash handout arrangement back in 2019, when the government gave out HK$4,000 to around 2.8 million people under the Caring and Sharing Scheme.

Only applicants who do not own any property in Hong Kong, do not receive funds from the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance scheme and do not pay tax are eligible.

Lam said the government has learnt a lesson from the handout. When the government is well-off and would like to share the fruit with citizens, it will not do anything that is too complicated, she said.

But there should be basic criteria for the handout, she added.

Questions were also raised about Hong Kong's aging population, which Lam admitted is a big challenge for the city.

More innovative measures are needed to ensure elderly stay healthy both physically and mentally, and so a small proportion would end up at elderly homes. More community service will be offered to the elderly, and support given to those who care for them at home.

Lam also said there is a shortage of talents for several fields, including innovation and technology, middle management and engineers.

Hong Kong authorities will strive to attract talents from the mainland and overseas by launching a basket of policies together with Shenzhen, she said.