Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng assured the parliament that this year’s cash handout to citizens would not be delayed.
Several lawmakers asked about the rise in commodity prices.
Directly elected lawmaker Nick Lei Leong Wong asked whether Ho would issue another round of consumption subsidy and issue the cash handout early.
To these questions, the head of the government said the funds had been reserved in the budget. Moreover, the Executive Council recently discussed the topical Executive Regulations, triggering the Financial Services Bureau to commence its work on the issuance.
The cash, meanwhile, will only be available in July, as in pre-Covid times.
As for consumption subsidy, after noting the end date of this round’s subsidy is in June, Ho only said that the pandemic had stabilized, hinting that there would be no more consumption subsidy.
On alleged profiteering in commodity sales, Ho demanded evidence from lawmakers, adding that Secretary for Economy and Finance Lei Wai Nong would then send inspectors for investigations. “Evidence is critical,” Ho said. AL
