Financial Secretary says vouchers lifting economy

The Financial Secretary, Paul Chan, said on Friday that retail sales were up in August, reflecting the boost from the government’s HK$36 billion cash voucher scheme.

He said the economy was also benefiting because people are also socialising more, reflecting the stable pandemic situation in the SAR.

Chan spoke to reporters after visiting retail businesses across the city.

Asked if there’s a chance of more cash handouts iin the future, Chan said it all depended on how the economy was doing next year.

He said it was the first time the government had opted for a phased distribution of cash vouchers to the public, and officials wanted to wait until after the last instalment had been paid to assess the economic situation.