Lawmaker calls for buffer on cutting technical non-local workers

Lawmaker Ron Lam

Lawmaker Ron Lam has recently asked the government to offer a grace period in cutting the future non-local worker quotas from enterprises.

Justifying his request, the lawmaker said that he had recently heard the views of  “more than a few” owners of local small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). They reportedly saw their technical non-local worker quotas suddenly cut.

The lawmaker said he was told by these entrepreneurs about the halting of their businesses due to the abrupt cancellation of the quotas, as well as the government not being able to provide enough apt candidates to fill up the vacancies.

As such, these entrepreneurs hope the government can cut non-local worker quotas – even if such quotas are necessary – gradually to give business owners have time to prepare. They warned that if the government does not consider this need, some SMEs may not be able to survive and will need to shut down.

Accordingly, he requested that the government explain the grounds on which it cut technical non-local worker quotas and asked whether it would allow some flexibility given the recent Covid-19 infections.

He also asked if the government would allow non-local workers to take unpaid leave.

On the matter of repaying interest only on real property mortgages, the lawmaker pointed out that with the installment period unchanged, the longer the “interest-only” period, the larger each installment would become.

Although Lam considers the “interest-only” measure preferable for the time being, he hopes the government can negotiate with the banking sector to lengthen the installment period to “ease the burden of mortgagors.”

He also commented on the new round of MOP10-billion financial subsidies. He suggested that the government learn from a similar support scheme in Hong Kong, which focuses on salary subsidies aiming to encourage employers to maintain the size of their teams.