Coronavirus: Hong Kong lawmakers renew calls for unemployment scheme to help low-income groups survive economic fallout of pandemic

Some business-sector legislators also threaten to abstain from voting on the government’s budget as they are unhappy about a planned rise in stamp duty for stock transactions

DAB chief Starry Lee says she is disappointed with the government’s handling of the pandemic and its failure to support low-income groups

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Hongkongers will get HK$5,000 in e-vouchers to help boost consumer spending. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

Published: 7:51pm, 21 Apr 2021Updated: 8:53pm, 21 Apr 2021

Hong Kong officials should reconsider their decision to not set up an unemployment assistance scheme for low-income groups as the Covid-19 pandemic continued to batter the stricken economy, pro-establishment lawmakers said on Wednesday.

Some business-sector legislators also threatened to abstain from voting on the government’s budget because they were unhappy about a planned rise in stamp duty for stock transactions from 0.1 per cent to 0.13 per cent amid a record deficit.

Their calls came as the Legislative Council kicked off a lengthy debate on the budget, tabled as the Appropriation Bill 2021.

Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po’s annual spending blueprint, unveiled in a February 26 budget speech, included electronic vouchers to boost consumer spending and low-interest loans for the unemployed among a HK$120 billion (US$15.4 billion) raft of measures aimed at stabilising the economy and relieving people’s burden.

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