Hong Kong official calls for support to new anti-pandemic fund

A senior Hong Kong government official today called for support from lawmakers in the third round of anti-pandemic fund to fight Covid-19 and revive the economy.

Chief Secretary for administration, Matthew Cheung said in an online article that he will strive to win the lawmakers' support when attending a Legislative Council (LegCo) meeting on Friday, reports Xinhua news agency.

"Given continued epidemic and economic hardships, I genuinely hope LegCo members can … avoid unnecessary infighting and work with the government to fight the epidemic, develop the economy and improve people's livelihood for the sake of Hong Kong's overall interests," he said.

Cheung said the government will implement the measures as soon as possible after the LegCo approved the new fund.

On September 16, the city government announced a relief package worth HK$24 billion ($3.1 billion) to subsidize virus-hit businesses and individuals and improve anti-pandemic capacity, which, Cheung said, will be more targeted and precise in helping those in need.

The economic relief came as Hong Kong's jobless rate remained high at 6.1 per cent from June to August, with the rate in consumption- and tourism-related sectors surging to 10.9 per cent.

To prop up the struggling economy and ensure people's livelihood, the government has rolled out economic relief of more than HK$300 billion in total.

By the end of August, more than HK$78 billion of relief had been distributed, benefiting over 4.3 million people and 450,000 businesses..