Lawmakers To Get Gratuity, If They Stay On Or Not

All current Legislative Council members will receive an end-of-service gratuity for their work in the past four years, regardless of whether they choose to stay on for an extra 12 months.

The announcement was made by Legco President Andrew Leung on Friday.

Speaking after a special meeting of the Legco Commission, Leung said the government would not object to the handling of the matter in a flexible manner.

He said lawmakers who continue to carry out their duties during the extended Legco term starting from October 1 will be given another gratuity at the end of the term.

Leung said those who choose not to stay on must notify the Legco Secretariat before September 30 to claim expenses for closing their office.

Pan-democratic lawmakers said their decision would rest with a public-opinion survey to be conducted later this month.

The current Legco term was extended after the government postponed the Legco election for one year, citing the coronavirus outbreak.