Give subsidies to restaurants and closed premises affected by tightened Covid rules: lawmakers

Subsidies should be provided to restaurants and workers in shuttered premises amid tightened anti-epidemic measures, says legislator Tommy Cheung Yu-yan of the catering constituency.

Speaking on a radio program on Sunday, Cheung of the Liberal Party said his sector was originally expected to see HK$13 billion business this month but now he expected restaurants will lose about HK$5 billion under the two-week dine-in ban until January 20, 10 days before the Lunar New Year. 

“We could only have 20 percent of business now,” Cheung said.

“We [restaurants] had a lot of bookings and we prepared a lot of ingredients and now about HK$800 million to HK$1 billion have gone to waste."

He called on the government to provide subsidies to the catering sector as soon as possible, similar to previous waves of infections.

He also suggested authorities increase the amount of a loan scheme fully guaranteed by the government that provides up to HK$6 million loan per company.

"I would assume without government subsidies, quite a large number of restaurants will be closing,” Cheung said.

“Not only that, if [tightened anti-epidemic measures] last more than the current 14 days, the number will be even higher."

Other industries like beauty parlors, gyms and retail are also seriously affected by the tightened measures. 

Cheung said he will reflect the industries' difficulties to Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor in tomorrow's Executive Council meeting. (Tue)

He said the government should table the relief proposal to the Legislative Council as soon as possible as the Legco will elect the president of the Finance Committee on Wednesday with its first meeting set on Friday. 

Speaking on the same radio programon Sunday, Federation of Trade Unions legislator Bill Tang Ka-piu said many workers at gyms and beauty parlors are self-employed and some unions have been told that workers have to take no-pay leave and their bonuses could be canceled. 

Tang expected that about 700,000 to 800,000 workers are affected by the closure of premises, and hoped the government can provide direct subsidies to employees. 

But he said if the government hands out fund like in previous employment support scheme, he believed that the money may not be able to reach the employees' hand. 

"From the experience in 2020, there are so many disputes among the worker and their employer. There were many complaint cases that the employer got the allowance but did not share it with the employee."