Hong Kong govt disbursed first batch of consumption vouchers

In this Aug 1, 2021 photo, a shopper scans a QR code to redeem a shopping voucher at a mall in Hong Kong, as the first batch of HK $2,000 consumption vouchers was disbursed by the Hong Kong government. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government disbursed the first voucher under the 2022 Phase II Consumption Voucher Scheme to about 6.36 million eligible recipients on Sunday, according to the BERTHA WANG AFP HONG KONG AFP.

A government spokesman said that depending on the categories of eligible people and whether they have received a voucher under Phase I, the voucher value will be disbursed via the six stored value facility SVF operators, either HK $2,000 $255 or HK $3,000.

The SVF operators and the government will closely monitor the usage of the vouchers. If there are any potential malpractices identified, the government will take appropriate action, including referring the cases to law enforcement agencies for follow-up, the statement reads.

The voucher will be disbursed directly into their chosen SVF account, which will be separate from the existing e-wallet in the account, according to a spokesman for those who have chosen to collect the voucher via AlipayHK, BoC Pay, PayMe from HSBC, Tap Go or WeChat Pay HK.

When making payment, people only need to open the app and choose to use the voucher, and then can pay directly with the voucher, he added.

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For people who chose Octopus, they can collect the voucher by tapping the card through the Octopus app or at the Subsidy Collection Points of the Public Transport Fare Subsidy Scheme at MTR stations, Light Rail Customer Service Centres, designated piers and public transport interchanges, designated convenience stores and supermarkets or Octopus Service Points.

The voucher will be combined with the existing value stored in the Octopus card, according to the spokesman.

The last HK $1,000 voucher will be disbursed on the 16th of the following month after the target has been reached, he reminded recipients.

He said that those who will collect the voucher via the Octopus card at supermarkets or convenience stores, there is no need for them to make a purchase. They just need to inform the shop assistant that they want to collect the voucher before tapping the card to collect it.

The voucher can be used at local retail, catering, and service outlets, or online platforms that accept payments by the six designated SVFs, because they have a wide coverage.