Hongkongers Sign up for HK$5K Vouchers

Some 1.55 million Hongkongers have signed up for vouchers

 

Today is the first day Hong Kong residents can sign up for the HK$5,000 (US$644) voucher and already 1.55 million people have done so.

People can sign up using an iAM Smart app, or not, and I chose the latter online. I was asked for my Hong Kong ID number, phone number and then choose which of the four payment platforms (Octopus, WeChat Pay HK, AlipayHK or Tap & Go) to have the money deposited in. 

It is to encourage people to use digital payment

If people sign up in the next two weeks, they can get their first monetary installment on August 1. There is a list of regulations of how the money is to be used -- for buying items or eating out, but not for paying government or hospital bills, or even for donating to charity, which is what some people did when they received the HK$10,000 cash last year.

The use of the electronic payments is also to push people to become more digital in their transactions, as Hong Kong is lagging behind China when it comes to electronic payments especially on phones.

Permanent residents and recent migrants from the mainland are eligible for the scheme.

Some people are cautious about how they are going to spend their money on their Octopus card that they are even getting an extra one just to use to get the HK$5,000. It seems excessive to be concerned the government won't give them the exact amount, or they want to be sure they have spent all the money first before getting the second installment -- but that's what the technology on the card will be tracking. People cannot get the next installment unless they have used up the previous one.

Businesses will also get in on enabling Octopus payments. What would really help would be for wet market stalls to enable Octopus payment,s as well as more taxis. I just think it would be amusing to go to a fine dining restaurant and pay the bill using an Octopus card. 

Imagine using your Octopus card at Gaddi's

Meanwhile some restaurants will start a scheme on July 15 to offer special discounts of 30 percent to those who are fully vaccinated in a bid to encourage more people to get the jab.

Executive councillor and lawmaker Tommy Cheung Yu-yan is the representative of the food and beverage sector and is coordinating the scheme. He hopes to convince many of the 16,000 restaurants in Hong Kong to take part.

"For restaurants, 30 percent discount is really a big offer and means they can't make any profit," he said. "But we just hope to set the momentum to attract more patrons to return to the dining scene."

The campaign, which runs until the end of August, will offer a 30 percent discount to groups of at least four people who are vaccinated.  

"This summer Hongkongers are still unable to travel overseas, so we expect they will spend a lot on dining," Cheung said, adding restaurants hope to benefit from the HK$5,000 voucher scheme.

More discounts for vaccinated diners

The list of participating restaurants will be posted online before July 15 and will be heavily promoted by the Hong Kong Tourism Board and Hong Kong and China Gas Company.

Maybe after that the gyms will offer promotions on losing weight from all that eating...