New Immigrants Left Out of HK$6,000 Handout — Tsang Tops Up Community Care Fund, Cash No Earlier Than June

New immigrants got nothing from the “HK$6,000 for all” handout, so Financial Secretary John Tsang decided in March 2011 to inject money into the HK$10 billion Community Care Fund to help the nearly 300,000 affected newcomers. But the fund needs LegCo funding approval in May — cash can’t flow before June.

Why were new immigrants excluded?

The handout went to permanent residents aged 18+, leaving those in Hong Kong under seven years out. The Equal Opportunities Commission received about a dozen inquiries, mostly from newcomers calling the arrangement discriminatory; chair Lam Woon-kwong said no law covers discrimination against new immigrants, leaving no legal room to act.

When will the Community Care Fund pay out?

June 2011 at the earliest. Fund executive committee chair Law Chi-kwong said he only learned of the injection in early March, with no amount named; the fund itself awaits LegCo’s May funding approval before it can aid financially needy non-permanent residents.

Will the handout fuel inflation?

Tsang admitted it would. On RTHK’s “Letter to Hong Kong” he conceded the tax rebates and handouts would push up inflation — then running at 4.5% — but proceeded after weighing public expectations. Pan-democrats marched demanding public housing, universal retirement protection and narrower inequality; Tsang called them “commendable suggestions” to be handled separately.