Officials Chided Over Cash Handout Application Row

Acting Chief Executive Matthew Cheung has urged government staff to be “flexible” after complaints that some applicants for cash handouts of up to HK$4,000 were asked to bring their own paper to print application forms.

Many Home Affairs offices ran out of application forms for the handout soon after they were released on Monday. Some officials then asked potential applicants to use print-outs from the government website, but refused to provide them with paper, saying applicants should bring their own.

Cheung said this was unreasonable and he told staff to provide applicants with paper.

“We’re talking about striking a balance between user-friendliness on the one hand, and accountability, particularly when public money is concerned," he said.

"But I remind my colleagues, always we must do our very best to make it really user-friendly. That’s why we’ll continue to be flexible in handling applications,” Cheung said.

Asked why citizens cannot make the applications online, Cheung said it might take another one and a half years if the government had to build a digital system for the cash handouts.

He added that the government has already printed one million application forms and will prepare more for distribution.

Cheung added that the authorities will only collect essential information from applicants, including their names, addresses and bank account details, to avoid causing any inconvenience.

Under the Caring and Sharing Scheme, those who did not benefit from Financial Secretary Paul Chan's HK$52.4 billion relief package in the last budget will be eligible to receive up to HK$4,000. The government expects around 2.8 million people to benefit.