Hospital Tops In First Round Of Job Protection Aid

The government will dish out HK$4.8 billion under an employment subsidy scheme introduced to ease the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic, with a private hospital being the biggest recipient in the first round.

Some 25,000 businesses with 200,000 employees will receive a combined HK$4.8 billion from the Employment Support Scheme.

The Hong Kong Sanatorium and Hospital gets almost HK$86 million, making it the biggest beneficiary.

Other businesses who get major sums are IT Apparel, which receives HK$47 million while Hong Kong Television Network gets almost HK$33 million.

The money will cover half the salary of each employee, up to a maximum of HK$9,000, for up to six months as long as they don’t sack the staff.

The government had earmarked HK$80 billion for the Employment Support Scheme, which is part of HK$137.5 billion anti-epidemic relief measure being implemented by the Carrie Lam administration.

But critics have said the scheme does not do enough and excludes many people such as freelance or casual workers, elderly employees or those who have been made redundant recently.