Over 18,000 Applications Received under the Anti-epidemic Support Scheme for Environmental Hygiene and Security Staff in Property Management Sector
Applications to the Anti-epidemic Support Scheme for Environmental Hygiene and Security Staff in Property Management Sector (the Scheme), which the Property Management Services Authority (PMSA) was commissioned by the Government to implement, have been closed on June 30. The PMSA has received over 18,000 applications for subsidies for more than 200,000 frontline property management (PM) workers. The PMSA has completed the vetting work for nearly all applications and has up till now granted nearly $1.75 billion in subsidies benefitting over 186,000 frontline PM workers and covering nearly 40,000 private residential, composite, industrial and commercial building blocks.
The PMSA Chairperson Tony TSE said, “The PSMA has been vetting the applications in full force since the launch of the Scheme on February 28 this year and in a short period of five months, nearly $1.75 billion in subsidies have successfully been granted, benefitting many frontline PM workers providing cleansing or security services in eligible properties and premises in these properties. The PMSA would like to thank relevant property management companies (PMCs)/deed of mutual covenant (DMC) managers/owners’ organisations (OOs) and those in charge of premises in eligible properties who have actively supported and cooperated with the PMSA on implementing the Scheme and made applications for their directly and indirectly employed frontline PM workers.”
The PMSA is now working to assist through mediation a few frontline PM workers who have encountered difficulties when applying for subsidy so that they would be able to apply for subsidy. The PMSA has also started the follow-up work including conducting random review and assessment and requesting information from Applicants in order to ensure that the subsidies granted would be disbursed to frontline PM workers properly.
PMCs/DMC Managers/OOs which have already been disbursed subsidies shall complete the Allowance Disbursement Report in accordance with the stipulation by the PMSA, listing the details of the frontline PM workers who have received subsidy and return the report to the PMSA by the prescribed date for review and assessment. The PMSA will arrange for the disbursement of administrative fee for submitting an application (Applicants will receive an administrative fee of $100 per month based on the number of servicing months within the subsidised period (February – June 2022) for each frontline PM worker who has been granted the subsidy) upon receipt of the Allowance Disbursement Report from the PMC/DMC Manager/OO concerned. The PMCs/DMC Managers/OOs concerned shall accede to the request in case the PMSA requires supplementary documents for the review and assessment work.
The Scheme aims to benefit frontline PM workers performing duties related to security or environmental hygiene in private residential, composite (commercial cum residential) buildings, industrial and commercial buildings during the Subsidised Period.
In the first round of the Scheme implemented in 2020, the PMSA has disbursed nearly $1.1 billion in subsidies benefitting over 160,000 frontline PM workers.
For more details of the Scheme, please visit its thematic website (https://aspm.pmsa.org.hk), or call 3696 1156/3696 1166 or email to aspm@pmsa.org.hk for enquiries.
Ends/Monday , 29 August 2022
Issued at HKT 14:00
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