More locals, who have been retrained as maids, will be able to claim travel subsidies from today.
The government's local domestic helpers' retraining programme previously offered a daily flat rate of $50 as an allowance to graduates only if they travelled across the harbour to work. Under the new rules, they can claim the allowance if they travel to a district not immediately adjacent to where they live.
The retraining scheme helps match families who do not want to hire full-time foreign maids with locals who do not have to live in.
Economic Development and Labour permanent secretary Matthew Cheung Kin-chung estimated 6,000 more retrained local maids - in addition to 8,000 already qualified - could apply for the allowance under the relaxed rules.
A local maid can apply for a travel allowance up to a maximum of $7,200 a month. In July, the Legislative Council approved $60 million for the retraining scheme.
