Day's worth of food for only HK$2
"Elderly queue up for two-dollar food" Video by Hedy Bok
The elderly in Hang Hau started lining up in front of Hau Tak wet market as early as 6am on Friday for special coupons that allow them to buy a day's worth of fresh food for only HK$2.
"It would normally costs around HK$100 to buy a day's worth of food from the market," says a woman in queue. "In the long term, it is best if they [wet market management] could make fresh food more affordable in general. Elderly people can't afford to line up like this all the time."
Representatives from Wang On Group, Hau Tak wet market's management body, started handing out the coupons at 11:30am. The market is among the most expensive in the city, according to a survey conducted by the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions in June of this year.
"Fresh food is expensive, so we wish to help lessen the financial pressures faced by members of our community, and to express our gratitude for everyone's support over the years," said Sundy Wong Ngar-ming, a representative from Wang On Group.
Wang On Group is the third largest tenant of The Link Real Estate Investment Trust in terms of monthly rent. The Link, which has operated most public housing estate malls and their wet markets since the government sold them off, is responsible for the property's consistently rising rent and the subsequent price hikes for food, according to the same FTU survey.
Wang On will hand out 200 coupons every day to elderly shoppers at the market until November 22.
