Public Hail Spending Vouchers, Ask CE For More

Members of the public have urged Chief Executive Carrie Lam to provide another round of consumption vouchers next year.

The call was made as Lam joined a policy address consultation programme on RTHK on Sunday, ahead of the release of her next blueprint in October.

One speaker at the session hailed the current HK$5,000 electronic voucher scheme as a boost for the public, but said the authorities should simplify how the money is dished out and how it can be used.

The woman and another participant both suggested the government should offer another round of vouchers next year.

"The one-off voucher scheme uses a lot of public money," Lam said in response to the idea.

The chief executive said she believes the financial secretary would have to look at various factors such as the government's finances and the economic situation next year if a repeat of the voucher programme was to be considered.

Lam said Hong Kong economy's rebound has recently performed better than expected, and the SAR can now look to the future, including how it can better tap into the country's development.

The issue of cross-border students also came up during the consultation exercise.

The headteacher of a Northern District school urged the CE to consider allowing these children to return to Hong Kong classrooms.

He said education officials should be able to help provide point-to-point transport for the students, much like they did last year.

The CE said the Education Bureau could look into the idea, but it would have to be risk-free and the Shenzhen authorities would also have to agree to it.