By Daisy CL Mandap
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| The scheme website clearly states that applicants should be HKPIC or EC holders |
A surge in the number of applicants for the $5,000 electronic spending vouchers that the Hong Kong government is giving away as part of its pandemic relief efforts may be due in part to a number of foreign domestic workers signing up for the windfall.
As of 8am today, the third day of registration, more than 3.2 million people had already registered, according to government staff.
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But what the system administrators apparently did not know was that many of the more than $300,000 FDWs in the city were among those who had immediately signed up for the spending vouchers, after word got around that their applications were being accepted online.
Several Filipina DWs posted on various Facebook sites that they managed to get through the application process, and were immediately rewarded by e-wallet providers like Alipay and WeChat with cash transfers of more than $30 each.
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Many said they were even helped by their employers in completing their applications, while some said staff from the competing companies that want the vouchers transferred to the e-wallets they provide also offered to help them register.
Alipay promotion staff stationed near the North Point market appeared to be exception to this, though, as the first thing they asked people who approached them was whether they were permanent residents.
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| Alipay is one of 4 companies trying to get the vouchers transferred to their ewallets |
Told about the apparent glitch in the system, staff manning the information hotline of the e-voucher scheme said that completing the registration process does not guarantee that the application will be approved.
“We will accept all applications into the system. After a week, you will be told if your application has been approved,” said the staff. "Rejected applicants will be told clearly why their applications failed."
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The website is very clear about who is qualified. Three categories are cited: (1) holders of HK permanent identity cards (HKPIC) who turned 18 years old on or before Jun 18, 2021 and have not been away longer than two years before this date; (2) holder of a HKID card or certificate of exemption with a one-way permit from China; and (3) dependants of permanent residents holding either a HKID or an EC.
In addition, the applicant is asked to make a declaration right at the beginning that he or she is a holder of a HKPIC or a qualified holder of a HKID.
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Despite the clear rules, no penalty will be imposed on those who applied despite not being qualified because they might not know they are not eligible, said the staff. However, he added it will be a waste of time for them to even try getting past the scrutiny.
As of this afternoon, however, the oversight that allowed many FDWs to register for the e-vouchers has apparently been plugged, with recent applicants with the WX prefix in their HK IDs saying they could no longer get through the system.
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Earlier, the government’s Chief Information Officer Victor Lam said the verification process for applicants was made simpler, following complaints that it was too tedious.
From today, applicants are being asked to clink only two checkboxes for pictures, instead of the previous three. The time limit for electronic registration has also been extended to 45 minutes from the previous 30 minutes to give applicants more time to complete their registration.
Those who have yet to apply are being urged to use their iAM Smart mobile account to register so it will be faster.
Otherwise, they can register through the scheme’s dedicated website, where they will be asked to prove their identity by answering security questions relating to last year’s cash payout scheme or by providing personal information and uploading a copy of their HKID cards.
Another alternative is to submit paper forms which they can drop, together with a copy of their HK ID card, into the drop boxes at 560 collection points in different districts starting today, Jul 5.
The collection points include all post offices and
designated branches of Bank of China, Bank of
The scheme, which allows people to buy goods electronically on their smartphones using their Octopus cards of any of the e-wallets provided by Alipay, Tap and Go or WeChat, is expected to benefit about 7.2 million residents.
For more details, visit www.consumptionvoucher.gov.hk or call the hotline, 18 5000.
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